I just started finding tiny drops of dried up anitfreeze in the small vally on the block on the belt side.
It looks to also dribble down the front edge of the front head gasket, burn off and leave some redidue on the little edge of the head gasket that pokes out the side right around the a/c pump too.

I think its comming from my intake manifold gasket but am not sure. It looks like it, but its such a small leak that its very hard to verify as of yet.

Are these 3.3L engines prone to head gasket failures more often than intake gasket failures? or vice versa?

My mileage is 180,000KMS. Or about 112,000 miles.

If the head gaskets are prone to failure at around this or close to this mileage, I might just aswell get the whole gasket kit and do it all.

Can a Master Dodge tech please give me some advice on this.

I really dont want to repair the intake only to have to take it all apart again for head gaskets soon after.

Thanks,...


Oh, When I got the van. I noticed that someone mixed coolants. I think it was in there for about a year like that.
The whole system was properly drained, rinced and swapped over to Green coolant from Prestone.

After my repair, Do I have to swap back to the Chrysler stuff or is it ok to keep it on the Green coolant after gasket repairs?

 

Up please.

 

just did the intake gasket on my van. 2003 140,000. Not to bad to do. besides do the intake give the system a real good flush and a t-stat. Use the moper coolant because that is what the system was designed for. Only thing to watch out for is after i did the intake gasket I now have a CEL on which i determined it to be a slightly leaking vacuum hose. Which I'm working on replacing now. As long as you didn't over heat the motor the head gaskets should be fine.

 

Thats good news thats making my bad week and bad day alot better.

I was worried that these 3.3L engines are prone to head gasket failures no matter what like some other notorious engines over the years. I am not a Chrysler expert and just dont know what these 3.3L engines are prone to fail for.
This is my first Mopar since my 69 Road Runner.

The motor has never overheated in its life.

So are these 3.3L known for LOONG life with original head gaskets?

I did a search and didnt find much for head gasket failures. Thats why I ask.
Most of what I do find is intake manifold gaskets. Fel Pro looks to have 2 gasket kits to get the complete intake done completely.

Thanks for the thermostat tip Mike. I allready had the factory one snap apart on mine once.

I still have to do a cooling system pressure test to determine 100% if its on the intake but I am 9/10 that it is. Although I have residue on the edge of the head gasket its definatly dribbling down from higher up. I just to make sure its not a pin hole in the upper corner of head gasket pissing up and then dribbling down but I dought it. I cant see it leaking. I only find the residue after a 30 minute or so drive.

 

My van has 145,000 on it and the intake gasket was misleading. Get the thing very warmed up and then pressure test it. Mine didn't leak when it was cold. Also with the age check you vacuum lines because they may become frail and cause a CEL due to minor leaking. Mine is doing that now so i am replacing lines now. It doesn't affect drive ability but it is annoying to have the light on. Also to just make sure. go buy a dye kit and add it to the coolant before warming it up and testing the system where it leaks out you'll see it.