Chevrolet Repair: 97 chevy suburban leaking intake manifold, silicone gasket, suburban 4x4

Question
HI VAN,
 THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. I HAVE A 97 CHEVY SUBURBAN
4x4, 5.7 VORTEC. I RECENTLY NOTICED THAT WE WERE LOSING WATER SOMEWHERE. I CHECKED ALL OF THE USUAL THINGS LIKE RADIATOR CAP,HOSES,RADIATOR,CRACKS IN THE RESEVOIR,ETC.
ALL OF THE ABOVE SEEMED TO BE OKAY.
AFTER PRESSURIZING THE RADIATOR WITH 13.5 LBS,I NOTICED A VERY SLOW LEAK ( ONE DROP EVERY 15-20 SECONDS) AT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. IT IS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF ROUND CANISTER TYPE SENSOR.
THE LEAK APPEARS TO BE COMING FROM IN BETWEEN THE ALUMINUM INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE HEAD ( IT PUDDLES UP ON TOP OF THE GASKET SEALANT).

1.IS THIS A COMMON PROBLEM?

2.DO YOU THINK IT IS BURNING IT ALONG WITH LEAKING IT?

3. THE LAST MANIFOLD I HAD OFF HAD A CARBURATOR.

THERE IS A LOT MORE STUFF ON THAT MANIFOLD THAN I"M USED TO.DO YOU THINK I CAN DO THIS OR SHOULD HAVE IT DONE?

THIS VORTEC APPEARS TO HAVE AN ALUMINUM INTAKE MANIFOLD WITH A COMPOSITE ADAPTER PLATE THAT ATTACHES THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO THE INJECTOR HOUSING. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THE 100% COMPOSITE INTAKE MANIFOLDS.

WHAT IF ANYTHING HAS THIS DONE TO THE ENGINE?

WILL IT EVENTUALLY BLOW IT OUT?                  DO I NEED TO HAVE IT FIXED RIGHT AWAY OR CAN I KEEP THE FLUIDS FULL AND DRIVE IT FOR AWHILE?

     ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED
        THANKS,
             JOE

Answer
Hello Joe,
For a very interesting morning, do a Google search on Dexcool.

You will need to change the gasket.
You Can do it.
Do NOT use any silicone gasket sealer unless it SPECIFFICALLY says oxygen sensor safe.
Yes...it is probably sucking some in and burning it.
Do NOT use Bars-Leak, or any of those things.
As long as you don't run the engine low, theorettically, it would be ok to run, but if it blows out a big slug of gasket at the worst possible time...that seems to be the way it works, so I would be getting after it rather ASAP.

Van