Hey everyone, my car is a 1972 Chevelle. During restoration of the car, I noticed that coolant was leaking with the oil (chocolate milk look) and there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. So, I replaced the head gasket and drained the old oil and coolant out and replaced both and connected everything back up. Filled it with new oil, filled it with coolant, and started the car. Before I go any further, when I replaced the head gaskets, I also swapped it out for better performance cylinder heads. So new heads and new gaskets. Anyway, I started the car and checked for bubbles coming from the radiator. There wasn't any so that makes me happy and the coolant level is steady and there is no white smoke anymore. So I figured I fixed the problem. So today, I checked the car and it had dripped a lil' green fluid back by the end of the motor (far back by the firewall). There is no hoses, or anything really dealing with coolant back there. So, I lifted the car up, and I saw that coolant looks like it was coming from where the oil pan bolted on (indicated a bad oil pan gasket). So as I looked, it was barely dripping any but you could notice if it sat there for a couple days. But what is coolant doing over there? I drained everything out and the signs show that the car is fine (no overheating, no white smoke, etc...). Even if something bad has happened, then wouldn't the coolant have a chocolate lookish color if it was coming from the oil pan since that is what it makes when oil and coolant mixes? When you look at the leak, it is green. And the car has started and turned over many times so I know the oil is going everywhere throughout the car so they would mix. And finally, the coolant level is slightly decreasing. Before I replaced the head gasket, it was low a lot. Filled it up one day, the next day, it was really low. Now, maybe it went down half an inch if that. Barely any and plus, I moved a heater hose and some coolant leaked out of there so that was probably where most of it went once the hose was loose and coolant was coming out of there. So I don't know where this coolant is coming from. No white smoke, the oil is fine and all that. But why is it coming out leaking (with a green color) from where the oil pan is? Oil is not leaking out, just coolant. Anything you can think of? It was not leaking like this before the gaskets were replaced. Any info would be awesome. Let me know what you think. If it's something serious, I'll pull the motor out and fix the problem. Not worried about that. I do not know if it is really serious because I am barely losing any coolant and the oil and oil level is fine and no white smoke coming out or none of that. And the car has not overheated.
The only thing I could think of would be this: I spilled some coolant somewhere on top of the motor and then it "worked it's way" down the side of the motor until it reached the bottom to where the only place it can go is down. Let me know, so I can check it out or look and see.
Finally, like I said, it is coming out towards the back of the motor by the starter where it connects to the flywheel. There are no hoses around and no white smoke, no overheating or bad colored oil. It is just leaking a lil' bit. Maybe a bad freeze plug? If so, why did that go bad? It wasn't leaking before. But maybe, it could be a bad intake manifold gasket/gaskets or they aren't torqued correctly. But let me know what you guys think. Leaking near the back of the motor... not the front.
And plus, the car has been sitting for a couple of years so I'm sure the oil pan gasket isn't too good on there so I'm gunna take it off and reinstall with a new gasket after cleaning it out and doing all that. Thanks for the answers
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