Leaking head gasket cover?

[CinchUp]

This has been going on for awhile now and i figured it's about time to fix it.. After reading a few threads i'm pretty sure all i need is a head gasket from AutoZone for $15. Just wanted to double check before i begin to tackle this. Like others have experienced, i go through coolant quicker than i should, but i haven't noticed white smoke because my exhaust is dumped under the bed. Any help in the diagnosis would be great, and sorry if this was repeated somewhere else

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(Engine bay is dirty as hell i know)

 

[1997chevydriver]

The picture you provided shows a wet valve cover which is usually just the valve cover gaskets, but no coolant goes thru them so your problem is elsewhere.

 

[97__Z71]

How many miles are on the truck?

 

[Horns]

It's very hard to tell by just the picture you have provided. It's hard to tell by any picture really. Just because you're going through coolant doesn't mean you've got a blown head gasket even though that's the conclusion everyone jumps to. If it's blow and loosing coolant than you should also have a rising oil level. Check the oil for any white creamy looking fluid in it.

I had a friend with a Dakota lose coolant like crazy. There were no signs of leaks anywhere though. He took it to a good mechanic and they diagnosed it as a blow head gasket. I ended up doing a dye and pressure test on it and it was a fitting that was barely leaking once the engine warmed up a good amount.

 

[CinchUp]

oh okay thanks.. so will just one of these do?
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/pa..._/N-j5dfvZ8iics?itemIdentifier=72394_71772_0_

 

[CinchUp]

sorry horns i didn't see your post before i replied... 168,***

 

[97__Z71]

Just wondering. No offense but i haven't seen a vortec that dirty before.

Could be the intake manifold gasket. From what I've heard theses motors are terrible about that. Luckily I haven't experienced it.

 

[CinchUp]

haha yeah it's cool man, but it was a ranch truck previously, and i'll probably take some Purple Power to it once i can get some time

 

[97__Z71]

Good deal. I picked my truck off a ranch, and found a rat nest in the air box.

 

[94_C/1500]

If it does need a head gasket, which it may not, you'll need much more than a head gasket. You're going tobwant to change both sides, you'll have to change the intake gasket, probably the throttle body gasket, coolant, oil, oil filter, and some new hose clamps for the upper hose. And youre gonna need to know the torque specs of every bolt you remove and you have to know the torque sequence also. And you will have to check your heads and the deck of the black for low spots. You will need a machinest's straight edge and a set of feeler gauges. If anything is out of spec it will need to be machined. I can't remember the maximum allowed spec off the top of my head, so you'll need to look that up.