Help! Strange coolant leak

[viper15230]

I have seen coolant leaking out the side of my engine from what looks like the head gaskets. My engine blew a heater hose and lost coolant and before I noticed it over-heated. Now I have pulled the UIM and LIM and the LIM gaskets were practically melted to the head. The engine is from a 95 grand am 3100. So Im wondering is it possible the coolant is leaking from there and running down the side of the engine and making it appear as though its coming from the head gaskets? And another place I saw it leak was the back of the engine it looked as though it was leaking from a port on the exhaust manifold. What does this sound like to you guys? I am waiting to pull the heads until I get a few opinions from here. Thank you.

[tractorman]

My first guess is always the lower intake manifold. Lots of people mistake this leak for a head gasket leak. My advice is to get a couple cans of brake cleaner, a mechanic's mirror, and a flashlight. Clean the suspect area squeaky clean, then take your time with the flashlight and mirror- watch and see where the stuff is leaking from. On the passenger side of the engine, coolant can leak from the LIM gasket, the head gasket, or the front cover- all within about two inches of each other. The driver's side is the same sans front cover. This is no time to just start pulling parts IMO- you need to determine exactly what is leaking. Might turn out to be something minor like a heater hose pipe connector.

[viper15230]

Thanks for the response, but parts have already been pulled, and it appears to have been the lower intake manifold gaskets as they were melted from the overheated engine. I checked all my hoses and connections there and no leaks. So its either manifold gaskets, or head gaskets.

[PCGUY112887]

The manifold gaskets may have just gone due to their design, not due to overheating. Tons of 3x00 engines have lower gasket issues, many leak externally before they start to leak coolant internally into the oil.

My 3100 did!

[IanSzgatti]

I just had a Lumina in the shop and recommended the LIM job... customer agreed... instead of ordering the Victor Rienz gaskets, ordered the Fel Pro... what a pretty kit. When I bought my malibu I used the cheap ones... I want to see just how long those will last... I actually have no reason to post here... wait! I do... after I did my own LIM, I thought the gaskets were leaking again, but it was that connector going into the drivers side of the manifold... best to replace that thing too with your new gaskets, cuz disturbing it will F*&k it up and it will leak