Hi guys,
You have been very helpful in the past and I want to thank you in advance for all your helpful suggestions and comments.

I just noticed that I have a slow antifreeze leak from my intake manifold gasket at the front, right below the thermostat housing on my 91 formula 5.0 TPI. I have had to add only very little antifreeze so far. Only about half a quart in the last 6K miles. So I started looking around. I checked the water pump and just noticed a small seep from the left front of the intake manifold, where the left front 2 manifold bolts secure the manifold to the head.

How big of a problem do I have, and how difficult is it to replace the gasket? Does anyone know what a shop would charge me to replace it for me.
I have planned a 3 thousand mile trip with the car and was wondering if this is a problem that I should address after my trip, or if I should take care of it ASAP. I have not noticed any difference in drivability or fuel economy.
Would things be ok as long as I monitor the antifreeze level?

Thanks again for all your help.

Anatoly
91 firebird formula 111k miles
5.0 TPI M5

 

The problem is that if it starts to get bigger while you're in the middle of a 3000 mile trip it will become a major issue. You need to address it now.

It is not a difficult issue to change the gaskets. Get a repair manual for the car, buy either an intake set or a top end gasket set and then just do it. It doesn't really require any special tools. A torque wrench is preferred but you can get by without it.

A small problem will cost a small amount of money now; the longer you wait the more it will cost later. Like when you run low on water and burn something up.

 

Yea, i've you've got the time and knowhow, go ahead and fix it.
However, I was impressed with Bars stop leak recently, so I'd recommend that. For a small seep, I think it'd do the trick.

 

What is Bars stop leak and where do I get it?

Thanks

 

Is it a bad idea to try and re-torque the intake manifold bolts, following the pattern of tightening indicated in the heynes repair manual? Could this leak be caused if the bolts are a bit loose since it is a minor seep?
thanks,
Anatoly

 

Yep, you can try re-tightening them, it can't hurt.

Bars stop leak is in a bottle in just about every auto parts store. Heck, we've got it in Canada, it should be in timbuktoo!

 

Most likely, tightening th ebolt won't help; but it won't hurt aything to try. Just don't get your hopes up too much.

The intake usually corrodes a whole lot on the sealing surface, especially after the gasket starts to seep; and the factory gasket material eventually just deteriorates from age and whatnot. In fact you'll probably find, when you take it apart, that the remains of the gasket are not mcuh more substantial than wet toilet paper. The combination of the 2 pretty much guarantees that you need to take it off, clean it up, and replace the gasket.