How to Prevent Leaks in a Lower Intake Gasket

A car's coolant pulls heat from the working engine and releases the heat into the radiator or into the car's interior when you turn on the heat. Without coolant, your engine will quickly be ruined due to overheating. As a car owner, you should regularly check your coolant levels. If you frequently notice your coolant is low, you probably have a leak. One of the common areas for coolant leaks is the lower intake gasket. Proper installation of this gasket solves most coolant leaks.

Instructions

1

Place a bucket under where you are working to catch any dripping coolant. Use a wrench to remove the bolts of the old lower intake gasket.

2

Clean the head of the lower intake bolts, the threads of the bolts and the hole for the bolts.

3

Clean the surface on the cylinder heads where the gaskets touch. If the line-up tabs from the old gaskets are still attached to the engine, remove them.

4

Apply a line of sealant on the surface where the gaskets will go. Put the gaskets in place. The sealant should fill in all areas under and around the gasket. If it doesn't, remove the gasket, apply more sealant and re-seat the gasket.

5

Apply a thin layer of thread-locking liquid onto the threads of the gasket bolts just prior to re-installing them.