[4age86]

hi everyone, i'm a newbie here and this is my 1st post. i am looking for some advice on the best solution to a cracked g16b block in a 91 lwb vitara. what i thought was a head gasket/cracked head now is looking like a crack in the block. i have found coolant leaking from just next to a welch plug, above the starter motor, i did a search on here about where to look, and sure enough i have a leak in exactly the spot people say they crack so my question is what is the best way to go about fixing this prob, also, i have found a complete 95 baleno g16b engine at a wrecker, it's a series 1 motor (has dizzy, not coil packs), would this be a good option? can anyone tell me if i can use my in/ex manifolds and dizzy on this motor? internally are they the same (comp ratio)?, would my ecu work? or am i just better off fixing my block? thanks in advance for all your help guys

[Jester]

well you would be able to use it, ive heard you can use your vit cam and dizzy arrangement on the baleno engine, not sure if you'd need to swap heads

[4age86]

yeh i've read the same thing, hopefully it's just a cam swap thats needed, or at the most a head swap. that'd make it a cheap fix provided the baleno motor is healthy... does anyone know if this problem is common on g16's?

[jdk81]

From information I have recieved, it is a fairly common problem on the g16s.

[joeblow]

pull the motor out and give it to a good tig welder, and by that i mean a professional, not a back-yarder. they are an easy fix.

[appsie]

just on this joe,how far down do you normally strip the motor for such a weld?

mine has had a slight weep for about a year and a half,i should really get it fixed but it only loses a slight amount so i just check it almost each time i drive it

[4age86]

i was gonna ask the same question, how far down do you strip the motor to tig weld it? also, my mech did a hydrocarbon test on the radiator and found exhaust fumes in there, which was what led us to first suspect head/head gasket. could this be from the crack in the block, or am i looking at a head problem as well??

[joeblow]

simple, you keep it together. the only thing that comes out is the welch plug for a new one.

[appsie]

fair enough,i know nothing about tig welding really.possibly not having to pull the motor down is cool tho

mine is up the front of the motor,just tucked in behind the pipe that comes out the back of the water pump.its crowded and in a gay spot so i dont exactly know where it is

[4age86]

ok, thanks joe, i'm guessing any jap/ alloy head specialist will be able to do this. what are the chances i have a head problem as well? given that there is some bubbling in the radiator and a slight amount of moisture under the oil filler cap and on the dipstick sometimes?

[alien]

i've also heard its a common problem - but you should be able to pick up a new bottom end pretty cheap - surely thats a more reliable fix than welding?

[Reubs]

If the leak isn't too bad, chem-i-weld might fix it. Between a coolant flush and the chemiweld it might fix the problem for less then $15!

I have a g16 block which has been cracked for a couple of years. It got worse recently after a cooling system flush (probably flushed away the old chemiweld) but a new chemiweld treatment has fixed the problem. Be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle!

[4age86]

hey all, thanks for the advice on this problem, at this stage i think i'll start by pulling the motor and getting the block welded, sounds like that might be a smaller job than i first thought! but if anyone has any suggestions or thoughts keep posting! this is my first zook so any advice is helpfull at this stage. thanks again.