i have used it to pinpoint the spot where the leak is.

Arrrrgh!  Well, you called it in another thread about your head gasket.  Now with the oil pan and front seal,  you're probably right about pulling it.  If you have the wherewithal and tools It will be much easier to work on that way (especially the timing chain).  All that head gasket stuff (gaskets, bolt, studs) adds up pretty quick cost wise and it's not a quick job either.

 

 

7 hours ago, gwri8 said:

it's not a quick job

That is what I was thinking about last night. Sure took awhile to fall asleep. But that is ok, I do not drive it that often now. Maybe once a week.

I hate what it looks like now, especially how the block looks from the coolant leaks. 

Here's an option I've considered before…...

Hahaha! Love it.

Update, I have put 57 miles on it since I cleaned the coolant mess. Just climbed up under to look at things. The oil pan does not seem to be leaking. But I do have the coolant leaks I described in a couple posts back. The worst being between the head and block (I think) on the drivers side rear. It is also oozing along the HG on the passenger side between #3 & #4 cylinders, and running down the block. I thought usually that meant warped head. I have never overheated the motor so why would it be leaking there? 

Almost forgot to mention I noticed my speedo cable is leaking also . Not from around the speedo pinion but at the cable itself. Unscrewed it from the pinion and noticed a little rubber gasket in there. It was soaked with tranny oil. Is there a replacement that anyone knows of for that little gasket. I can't find any info on it. I hope I don't have to replace the cable.

Well, looks like you don't have to pull the whole engine now , unless you just want to……  As far as why the HG failed, I have no idea but I do know nothing lasts forever.  The head, being aluminum, probably is warped. Mine was and it was never overheated either. I do suggest taking it to a competent machine shop and let them clean and check everything out. With the head and manifolds off you'll be able to get to everything else a lot easier.  While my head was being serviced I was able to repaint the block, rebuild/lube the throttle linkage, and clean everything in general. Also cleaned all the carbon off the top of the pistons.  Pretty!

There are two seals at the end of the speedo cable where it connects the pinion gear. Both are on this MSA page.

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/classic22c09

Not too hard to replace. I did have to dig out the smallest seal on my though.

I believe @Siteunseen found some replacements at Home Depot?  Maybe he can verify?

Let the fun begin!

This might be the one - 

My head was bowed up in the middle (measured after removed) but leaked coolant at the end, passenger side.  No cylinder pressure problems.  The gasket material is organic and probably just degrades and shrinks after many heat cycles.

Yep, that's the one. The "top hat" looking rubber seal. Not the 2 pinion gear ones. Those part numbers seem to be for the grommet in the fire wall for the cable. Now to start hunting for that rubber seal.

Thanks ZedHead, my search results didn't show this thread for some reason.

Going to think about my next plan of attack as far as the engine goes. I hate, as I mentioned before, seeing the mess that the coolant has made of my engine! Have to do something and changing the HG should be priority.

I took the old "top hat" to Lowe's Hillman drawer section and found one very close but had to sand the sides of the rubber washer to size. Use a deep well socket to drive the oil seal down in the speedo pinion gear housing. The housing will come out of the trans after removing that one small bolt and half-key that hold it in.

My Lowe's center here bites the big one! Went looking through those cabinets for stuff I needed one day and more than half of them were empty. But, now that I'm done bitching, I'll try it again. So the top hat seal sits in the pinion housing? I thought it went into the speedo cable end Thanks!

No, no the top hat washer just pushes down on the cable then when you tighten the cable housing? to the speedo pinion drive on the trans. it'll tighten up there.  I was talking about the oil seal you get from Nissan that needs to be driven down into the pinion gear housing.  From what I read that top hat washer just keeps any oil from running down into the cable, almost like it needn't be very nice just that it has to be there.  Unless yours is torn or distorted to bad, you could reuse the old one.