New (to me) Truck. How to prep from previous owner?

[LILMAN]

I just picked up a 95 Tahoe. It's got high milege (259k) so I just wnat to get through the winter with it and swap the drive train in the spring. I got it home and noticed that it was overheating and I wasn't getting any heat. I checked the radiator and it seemed to be empty. I put amost a full bottle of coolant in it started spilling out in the rear area of the engine(not sure where) and was still overheating. I checked the coolant resovoir and the guy had it full of water (frozen of course). My guess is that the guy filled it with water for the summer and just left it. I do have a tranny,oil, and coolant flush on my list. Should this be enough maintenance (for now)to get me through the winter?

 

[badazzbulldog]

sounds like you have a blown out freeze plug on the block hopefully its one on the side of the block not the back if it is you gotta remove the trans to get at those behind the flywheel

 

[Sully]

i would check the intake gaskets. If they are good, replace them anyway, but stop there. If they are bad, you are into pulling hte oil pan to see if there is any anti freeze in the oil. and going from there. Another way to check is rip the valve covers off.

 

[FastOrange]

could be one of three things IMHO.

1. Freeze Plug
2. Quick connect on the back of intake manifold is cracked
3. Cracked Block

 

[93blackthunder]

+1 on quick disconnect those things suck.

 

[FastOrange]

+1 on quick disconnect those things suck.

yup, mine snapped on my old 4.3L had to replace the intake manifold, and i used a brass barb nipple in place of quick connect.

 

[dirtridinz71]

yup, mine snapped on my old 4.3L had to replace the intake manifold, and i used a brass barb nipple in place of quick connect.

Had the same thing happen to my 350 when swapped motors, though I was able to thread hole some to get new fitting to stop leaking. All I used was an older style coolant hose fitting.

That would be the first spot I would check.

 

[DRAGGIN95]

I hope it's not your block cracked, I had a friend with a 95 that froze up one night, because he had it full of just water, split the block in two bad, and the truck has been sitting in his yard for 10 years since it happened.

 

[LILMAN]

Can anyone show me where the freeze plugs are? I've been searching but haven't been able to find a decent description or picture yet. I'll keep checking for the quick connect too.

 

[badazzbulldog]

front of block there is one below each cyl head, on sides of block where motor mounts bolt onto block one under motor mount two more after that and behind flywheel on reaer of block