92 Shadow coolant leak
 

hi

i hope this is the right subforum for this thread - i see other threads about older shadows here so i'm hoping it is.

i just got a 92 dodge shadow and it's leaking coolant.
i'll fill the coolant reservoir and the next day it's empty again.
i don't see any drips from it while its parked, so i'm guessing it only leaks when the engine is running and the car is moving.
does anybody have any ideas on how to go about finding and fixing the leak, or what might be causing the coolant loss?
i'm on a shoestring budget and have to figure it out myself - can't afford a mechanic.
any help or suggestions appreciated.

regards,

First let me start off by saying welcome to the forum, and yes you are in the right spot.
When your coolant disappears is it after being driven or do you fill it say the night before and the very next morning its gone after being parked all night, showing no trace of a leak on the floor. Next how is the heat is it lukewarm or hot? What is the temp gauge reading when driving?

Turns out it's the head gasket - hot gasses leaking into the coolant manifold overloading the cooling system.
I can't do a head gasket job myself, no tools etc, but maybe I can find a guy through craigslist.
I sure can't afford the $1200 Budget Brake wants to do it.

Thanks for replying.

1200 sounds a little on the high side. I work at a garage and for us that would be about a 500-600 job. I would shop around.

What motor is it?

It's an in-line, four cylinder - either the 2.2 or the 2.5, not sure, don't have the manual and it doesn't say anywhere on the motor (I looked).
The suspension also has issues and a mechanic I spoke with said with an old (265 km) engine like this one, when you do a head gasket job, it stresses the bottom half and it blows out in a couple months anyway.
You have to buy an entire kit, not just the gasket - it's $150.
I did find a guy who'd do it for $300 labor (plus parts).
So anyway I concluded I'd be throwing good money after bad.
I'll drive it till it dies, call a scrapper and get a couple hundred bucks for it.

Or seeings the older dodge 4 cyls are almost bullet-proof, you can fix it and probably get many more years out of it. That mechanic is a moron imo. Cars like these don't deserve to be scrapped. They're cheap to fix, super reliable, good on gas, something most vehicles can't claim.

What tools would a guy need to do the head gasket?
I can borrow run of the mill wrenches and socket sets - is that enough?

A decent ratchet set (1/2 in), torque wrench, screwdrivers, and various pliers. You should be good to go. You may also want to replace the head bolts also it is recommended when ever the head is removed.

Sorry, but thats the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Sounds to me like he's fishing for more money. Like others have said, your best bet is to hire someone who can fix it cheap... good luck with it.