Coolant Leaking from Behind Head...Need Help :'(

[steeda763]

So, this morning I get a phone call...a buyer for my 240sx. I'm excited, right? Then I walk out into the garage and see a neon green puddle on the floor under the car. I'm thinking that my cracked coolant reservoir finally took a dump, but nope. As it turns out, when the car is running, coolant is pissing out of something behind the head. At least it's not coming from the head gasket. Please...everybody...sympathize with my plight here.

Now the question is, what's the easiest way to get to the lines behind the head -- is it pulling the motor and transmission up and forward, or is it dropping the transmission and tilting the motor back?

[jak89]

It might just be a heater hose if not the head might be cracked,there is a heater hose coming out tof the block right in the back under the head on the passenger side just follow the hose coming out of the top on the fire wall and make sure its hooked up and not damaged

[NismoS13Ks]

yea the heater hose is where mine was leaking also, got a new one at autozone for 6 bucks.

[steeda763]

Ehhh...sorry guys I guess my post was a bit convoluted. I was looking for the easiest way to get back there. Should I jack up the block, tilt it forward, tilt it back without the trans...? I need ideas because I definitely can't get my hands in there.

I can't drive anywhere so I can't get to a hoist, but I do have two floor jacks.

[jak89]

just jam your hand in the back and use extended tools thru the intake mani or just take the top half off

[s13sickboi]

a little more info would help us...... is it comming from directly behind the head or is it leaking towards one side? im thinkin its the heater hoses like everyone else....

[steeda763]

Well, I ended up jacking up the whole motor and transmission, and shifted the whole thing forward. I was then able to pry off my u-shaped coolant hose and identify a small tear in the side.

To prevent future problems, I'm definitely going the way of installing a water neck adapter and routing the turbo coolant line to that. This way I can eliminate the u-shaped hose behind the head altogether.

Now here's hoping I can put everything back together and it work properly.

[KAed 240]

I literally had this EXACT problem not even a week ago, to the point I couldn't sell the car til I fixed it.. The end on the firewall was easy enough, but to the block the easiest way to have done it was to feed your hand through the intake mani and with your other hand feed the socket wrench to the one in the mani then ever so slowly loosen the band clamp. SUUUUCKED... haha glad to see you fixed it, hopefully.

[steeda763]

Thanks man. I almost don't want to fix it -- it would mean that I'm one step closer to saying goodbye to my little lady :'(