90nSSMD

Well.. let a friend have some fun in my 5.0, like I personally always do, and parked the car for work. Walked outside to a puddle of coolant, and what LOOKED to be a crack in the block (around the area where a 'previous' crack may have been).

I need some second/third opinions. Crack or just a gasket?

It seems to be seeping out of the timing cover gasket (from a piece of it that decided to come out), but I'm kinda 50/50 on which it might be based on the look of the area.

mjr46

blow it clean and pressure test it with a coolant pressure tester........only true way to verify if it's a gasket there or not

90nSSMD

What am I looking for with the pressure tester. Just air coming from the gasket area? Air coming from the surrounding area around the timing cover (aka block)?

Appreciate the input, and will give this a shot after work tomorrow.

Edit - Might be helpful to say there's pretty much no coolant in the block, as it wont stay in the block for long without completely leaking out from the area. (some stays in the block, but the radiator gets dumped)

mjr46

does it leak out as soon as you pour coolant in?? if so, no need for a pressure tester, just use an air blow gun blow off area and poor some wter in the radiator and watch the rea, see if it comes out of the casting or at the seam where timing cover meets the block there

90nSSMD

Comes out of the seam between the timing cover and block when I fill it. Blew it off when rad was filled to make sure and confirmed it.

mjr46

sounds like it needs a timing cover gasket

88 orangepeel notch

Was this the same block that chunked out in that area? I remember that thread awhile ago but can't remember how you fixed it. Someone mentioned JB Weld, but don't recall if that was used. If it was, there's your problem.

mjr46

hrmmmm, you got a better memory than I do..lol, wondered what all the tan goober stuff is there

90nSSMD

Yes same block. I never did the repair, I bought the car a LONG time ago like that. Would make sense though, but at the same time I'm stumped.. Since it's coming out of the area between the block and timing cover (and the area its seeping out of, its VISIBLE there is no gasket material there).

:\

I'll do a more thorough check tomorrow when it isn't raining outside, and go from there.

mjr46

there should be a gasket between timing cover and block surface in that area