So up until today ive had a small coolant leak that i have not been able to identify, it seemed to leak towards the back of the engine where i couldnt see it, but since its winter and it wasnt terrible i didnt care... today when i was driving home though it sorof looked like someone light 5 christmas trees on fire under my hood... when i got back and poped the hood there was literally coolant everywhere... i need to get this fixed this weekend so could anyone help me identify possible problems?
*the heater core is only a year old so it is fine, maybe the connections to it? dont know where those are located*

 

If its coming from near the heads it could be a head gasket.

 

if it were a head gasket leak would i still be able to drive the car? i mean it has no problem driving.. if you can ignore the fact that you lose a quart of coolant every 2 mins

 

Just start tracing the coolant hoses and see if you can find the leak. If you have a later model that has a coolant diverter valve check that as they're made of plastic. I've had to replace a few because the plastic gets brittle from the heat and age and sometimes the hose connections will crack or even completely break off.

 

If its a head gasket its not a real hard job, but it will take time. If you're losing that much coolant You shouldn't drive it. Check the heater hoses, by following them from the firewall. Also fill the cooling system, start the car, and watch where the coolant comes from. With that big a leak, it should be obvious.

 

fill it up and use a pressure checker to find the leak instead of guessing

 

Since the leak became serious i have not drove it just to let everyone know.
I also think i should bring up that im a college student living in an apartment... that means no garage and most of my tools are at my dads.(so i dont have access to a pressure checker)
[Tools at my apt]:small socket wrench set/screwdrivers/allen wrenchs/ramps/some fuses/good ole duct tape]

I would like to look into that coolant diverter valve if its on my car... would there be one on a 1987 iroc-z 5.7tpi?

*Plans for the day*
, my buddy matt is gonna take me to get some coolant, im gonna fill the system back up and start it to try to identify the leak, i lost 90% of the coolant yesterday so i wont start it without more, if need be i have a set of ramps i can drive up on to look underneather the car... if i find the leak and im uncertain ill get a video going on my phone and throw it up online

i appriciate the help guys

 

*breakthrough*
Alright guys while i was checking along the hoses i noticed this piece in the cooling system broken (got pics) im pretty sure this could be whats leeking...
could someone help me identify the part? and tell me if this in fact is what my problem is.
*sorry if the pics are a little big, i attempted downsizing them but i guess it didnt go so well*

The object circled is what seems broken, the arrow points to where its cracked

closer look at the break

 

holy blurry pics

 

yea sorry,its the camera on my phone..
so i know the part has 3 hoses leading into it and some kind of sensor...
im checking the electrical diagrams now to see if i can locate this sensor..

 

That is the coolant diverter valve. It looks like one of the hose ports broke off. Replace it and you should be good to go. From what I recall, they run around $30 from NAPA.

 

You mean the little black tube thing that connects to the top? That is a vacuum line. When you select heater on your HVAC controls it routes engine vacuum through that line, which actuates the valve, routing coolant through the heater core.

Anyway, AutoZone, Parts America (Shucks), Napa, and O'Reilly all had it under either Heater Control Valve, or just Heater Valve.

 

found it at napa $21 and the new section of hose also... replaced it... refilled the coolant and its running great now
a lil bit of smoke but its still burning off all of the leftover residue from yesterdays explosion...
thanks alot for all the help today guys..