thats why they call it that

But if it was me, I would get everything back together, go to walmart and get 2 gallons of straight antifreeze (not premix 50/50) and the flush kit for $3.00 and flush out all the dex after you get the engine back together.

Smart ***, lol. I figured that, but wanted to be 100% sure. Dex seems to be some weird stuff...I didn't want to make a mistake that might ruin the engine

The only stupid question is the one that isn't asked!

And...I think I will do the flush and replace after I get it all back together.

ACK! I just found THIS post - http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...=drain+coolant

Might it be my HEATER core that'* gone bad and is leaking??? I do have a very strong coolant smell coming into the car via the vents, and I have chronic fogged windows! Also, at the EXACT same time this happened (the coolant expelling) my heat stopped working.

Too many variables here, lol.

You do have the symptoms for heater core, can you not pinpoint leak.

Correct - I cannot pinpoint the leak. It'* funny...there are 3 main possiblities here. The first one (and most serious) was the LIM/UIM problem. Then a suggestion was made about possible water pump problems, and now I found the article on the heater core problem.

I'm really quite confused now, lol. To me it makes the most sense that it would be the heater core problem now. I'm not totally sure, obviously - but as you said, I DO have the same symptoms. A major symptom that points to this being the problem, would be my lack of heat immedietly after the expelling of the coolant, despite the engine temp being @ 210 degrees. The second obvious symptom would be the coolant smell (which has been going on for several weeks) and then the 3rd would be the constantly foggy windows.

Like I said, waaaay too many possibilities. I can't afford a mechanic @ this point, since I've just started a new job 2 weeks ago..and just made my car payment, so I've got to figure this out on my own.

It could be a heater core. But I would not change it unless I was certain that it was leaking. (Disconnect both heater hoses and apply a 15 psi pressure test to the core itself.) I urge you to take another look at possible leaks in the engine compartment including a pressure test.

Here is a view of an older Series II motor on the passenger end showing where to look for leaks. Clockwise from far left:
Return heater hose fitting to tensioner assembly (o-ring)
Feed heater hose fitting to tensioner assembly (o-ring)
Tensioner assembly to plastic elbow (o-ring)
Plastic elbow to LIM (o-ring)
Water pump inlet to lower radiator hose (clamp)
Water pump weep hole (behind pulley)
Tensioner assembly to water pump (o-ring)*
*On newer L36 engines this connection is made with second plastic elbow sealed at each end with an o-ring.


With regards to the heater core, please keep these thoughts in mind.

1. When coolant level drops in the engine, the heater core is often starved of coolant. With no flow through the core, it quickly cools and will provide no heat to the cabin. No heat from the heater is, in fact, a good indicator of low coolant. Blown heater core will often put coolant on the passenger floor, rather than a puddle under the RF tire. Do you have coolant on the passenger floor?

2. Any moisture in the car during cold weather, including snow melt from your shoes, leaking door seals, or other water leaks can increase the humidity in the car to nearly 100 percent. When the glass is cool and you get in the car and add your moist breath to the already saturated air, it is common for the glass to fog.

3. If you have a coolant leak in the engine compartment, the smell of coolant is often drawn into the car through the heater ductwork. In my '95 for example, I occasionally get a good whiff of baked on motor oil caused by a leaking valve cover gasket that allows oil to seep onto my rear exhaust manifold. There is a rubber seal that is supposed to isolate the engine compartment from the heater'* air intake at the base of the windshield, but it is rarely 100% perfect. In a similar manner, snow and ice crystals can be drawn into the heater system where it melts and increases the likelihood for windows to fog.

4. A seeping water pump seal, or a cracked coolant elbow, that may only leak when the car is hot and there is some pressure built up in the cooling system, can produce the "couldn't find the leak over two weeks or months as the cooling system level drops" symptoms.

5. Most importantly, a large puddle of coolant under the RF tire points to an external leak in that area. Water pump, coolant elbow, radiator hose, heater hose.

So, while your symptoms may indicate a bad heater core, they may also be caused by these other easier to fix problems.

Did you fill the cooling system at the radiator with the engine cool before you looked for leaks? Adding to the overflow tank will not raise the level of coolant in an engine with a serious leak as you have described. Water is only good to test if the car will not be exposed to freezing temperatures.

Bill has done an excellent job of listing the potential spots. If it occasionally burps fluid to leave a puddle, that'* good. You can get the car good and hot, shut it down, and after a few minutes for pressure to build even higher in the system from the heat you crawl underneath with a jackstand under one side and look up from where the puddle is. You hope to see the trail or drips.

I've had leaks that weren't leaving any train and they drive you crazy. Your smell of coolant inside the car could be coolant smell from the hot engine being drawn into the car through the air intake under the cowl.

THANKS to everyone for your suggestions and assistance with this. Special thanks to Bill Buttermore and Archon, because I NEARLY bought the LIM/UIM and replaced all of that crap...which would have cost me even more.

As Bill suggested, it WAS the waterpump. The pump itself seemed fine, but the gasket was bad. I decided to replace the pump, rather than just the gasket. I also replaced the stock thermostat with a 180*. It didn't need replaced, but I figured what the hell. All in all it cost me about $80 and some time.

I do have another question though...is there vaccuum applied in the coolant system? i.e. would a leak in the gasket cause vaccuum leaks? My car was running with a very rough idle, and it seems that has cleared up as well.

Actually, eventually pressure builds up in the cooling system. Roughly about 14 PSI, I believe. No engine vacuum is applied to the cooling system.