I took the car out for a ride the other day and when I parked it I noticed it was leaking coolant.. It looked to be coming from the rear of the engine on the passenger side.. So I put it in the garage jacked it up and tried to follow the water trail.. And it looked like it's coming from a quarter size hole on the rear of the engine block. I found a picture online to see if this helps because it's hard to get my camera in there... Its a olds 350 could a freeze plug have fallen out??? Has engine heard of this problem

 

It could be a freeze plug that has rotted through. You don't think that possibly its a heater hose leaking??

Freeze plugs do corrode and leak over time. I don't know if you have enough room to remove and hammer in a new freeze plug?

 

With a trans attached to the engine you wont be able to see much and back there and there are no coolant/freeze/core plugs for the water jacket back there if I remember correctly. I also suspect a heater hose or more likely still the heater control valve if so equipped.

 

My question is does a freeze plug go there or anything.. I hade my wife start the car while I was umber the car and as soon as the car starts up I can see the water pour out of that hole

 

I am not sure of the hole you are referring to but if it is the one at the top side to the RT of the distributer looking from the rear, that is a casting hole or lug and does nothing but if heater hose or heater valve was leaking it would end up on the back of the block and exit thru that hole... maybe you could pinpoint the exact location on the picture.

 

Thanks maniac.. I am talking about the casting hole right of the distributor and I too was thinking it does nothing I don't know what it does or why it's there for so if the leak is else where then I see water just going through that hole now hope it's the heater valve as you stated for it looks easy to replace

 

The hoses are good that was the first thing I checked

 

Did you check the rear of the intake manifold where it bolts to the cylinder head? The intake manifold gasket (turkey pan) can corrode and will leak antifreeze. Do you have a pressure tester for the radiator? You can pump pressure and see where the leak is coming from without having to start the engine.

 

That hole is a lifting lug for drivetrain installation on the assembly line. There is no coolant anywhere near it. Most likely the leak is coming from above it. Do you have A/C and a heater control valve on the rear corner of the intake above that lug? That's the most likely source of the leak.

 

Yes I got a pressure tester I just need to dig it up its buried somewhere in my garage.. But I followed the water trail and I think it's the heater control valve so I will replace it looks like a simple jod then I will do a pressure test too see if there is no more leaks