Head gasket leak

[riverman]

Looks like a have a small leak on my head gasket, just wondering what my options are. Replace the gaskets or am I looking at new heads, it's all original and only has 157000 Km on the engine. It's not going to be a track car or anything like that, just a weekend driver. Thanks

[ZR]

What yr and engine we talking about?

[riverman]

1996 4.6L GT.

[ZR]

You leaking oil or coolant?
A small oil leak is not uncommon and most times never gets worse.
A coolant leak, not at all common unless it's been overheated. Positive it's the head not an intake or maybe coolant pipe under the intake?

[riverman]

I do have a coolant leak on the intake, it's at the back that has the coolant hose that runs into the heater core. I did a pressure test on the cooling system and noticed a leak coming out from under the intake which looked like the head gasket. Not sure if the car was ever over heated, I bought it a few months ago, never really had a chance to drive it be fore winter showed up, but I did notice the temp gage moving when I was siting at red light.

[Ponyryd]

As stated it’s not common at all to have an external coolant leak on a 2V 4.6, although I have seen it on a 4v but they’re totally different.
I’d clean the area and check again to be sure, or swap out the intake and pressure test again, intake is not much work compared to head gasket. If it is a gasket leak you will need to have the heads inspected at a machine shop and most likely a cut if they’re not cracked.

[ZR]

When the intakes off, look closely at the coolant transfer tube that runs from the back of the water pump to pretty much the firewall.

[Laffs]

Intake gasket leak is far more likely than head gasket unless its been overheated as stated. FWIW my 2000 4.6 had a leak in that same area, turned out to be that hose had rubbed the firewall (bad engine mount when I bought it) and create a pinhole. Check your lines first, then pull the intake manifold (straight forward job) and inspect the intake manifold gaskets. You will have to do all of that anyway if you need to R&R the head gasket anyway so it's no wasted effort.

[riverman]

I had my car in at Misener Motorsports a couple weeks ago and had my intake replaced, no leak on the head gasket, just the intake was bad. Just like too say thanks for everybody's advise and suggestions.

[ZR]

He is good peeps in my books.