Need Help Ls Overheating

[wb026473]

I have a 2000 Lincoln LS that has started to overheat. I'm seeing coolant leaking on both sides of the engine at the valve covers. Im guessing it is coolant, but it looks like a mixture of oil and water. Does this mean it needs a new water pump, head gasket ? The thing that baffles me is that it is leaking from the same place on both sides of the engine.

 

[oldhead]

from what u are saying it could be head gaskets.

 

[cableguynoe]

not good

 

[pektel]

Does it look like chocolate milk on the dipstick? That = bad. Head gasket sounds like a culprit. I do not envy the job ahead of you.

 

[joegr]

Did you check to make sure that none of the small coolant hoses around the throttle body are leaking?

 

[rainjacks]

Can you smell a sweet smell with the engine running? If so, you are burning coolant. It could come from a number of places. Hopefully it is an easy spot such as a hose or the reservoir.

 

[PetesSweets86]

Maybe your LS just hates you :-D

 

[NYC LS8]

Needs more Autosocks

 

[cb9999]

Update

Looked at it more closely today. Leak is coming from both valve covers and dripping on the exhaust manifold (after t-stat opens). Not seeing any coolant in the oil, engine will pulse when you try to hold it around 2500 RPMs and yes some white smoke.

Any ideas on the cost to replace the head gasket (and with the alum even worth the try ?) ? 72K on the motor.

 

[joegr]

If both head gaskets are really gone (hard to believe), and you have water in the oil, your best bet would be to replace the engine. Water in the oil can do a lot of internal damage.
I can't imagine any way that water could leak from the valve covers unless the crankcase is full of water.

 

[pektel]

You know there is a rev limiter in P and N at 3000 rpms, right? That's why it seems like it's stuttering at around 2500. You're probably hitting the rev limiter.

 

[pektel]

Could this be as easy as the valve cove gaskets? Are you SURE it's coolant leaking?

 

[cb9999]

No I did not know about the REV limiter. Definite overheat though, car wen't into limp mode just making a trip to the supermarket. The leak looks like oil and water. Pulled a plug last night and it looked fine, couldn't see any water anywhere. The fact that there is a leak from both valve covers at the same place on each cover is what had me thinking that possibly there was some kind pressure relief built in to allow the gas to escape from some sort of blockage in the system ? Possibly from a clogged pump ? Purely speclative on my part, my mechanical abilities are limited to general maintence.

 

[joegr]

Please don't take offense here...

Have someone who knows about cars look at it.

 

[cb9999]

No offense taken,
I'm not going to tear into this thing and I don't have the money right now to have a dealer tell me they don't know either. The bad thing is that I was getting ready to sell it before all of this trouble started. Just bought a van so this is the third car for the family. Probably going to end up putting it on craigslist for as is.