I know that there is the ongoing issue of the intake manifold gasket problems in the GM 6. I stated in another thread that my 97 GMC Safari turned 150K today. I hate to admit this but over a year ago my mechanic found that the van has the same intake problem. He said that he had performed a lot of the gasket replacements in cars but hadn't really come across the problem in the vans. The coolant level does go down every once in a while. I keep an eye on it and if it starts to run a little hot I usually have to add about a 1/3 of a gallon ( I use the pre-mix) about once a month. There is never evidence of an internal leak on the ground. Has anyone run into this problem in their Safari/Astro? Could it be something else? Thanks
mark: the loss of coolant s/b minimal over a year. u loss could still be a bad intake gasket but the leak is small enough that it is being evaporated in the intake or passing thru the head & being burned off. or it could be just high mileage. just keep an eye.
Why not have it pressure tested? The 4.3 does not have as many problems as other Chevy engines. The biggest concern is an intake gasket that leaks into the lifter galley. Then you have coolant in the oil. You may want to at least check the coolant and oil before you drive it every day. John
Thanks guys. No evidence of coolant in the oil thus far so I guess I'll replace the gasket before it's too late. I owned a 1991 Astro prior to buying the Safari and never had a probelm with it. Had 167K on it when I sold it 3 years ago and it's still on the road. Hate to see GM drop both models after this year. I think that they're better looking and roomier, especially in the way of head room, than the other ones on the market today.
