95 Ex 4.0L Coolant Leak

[CanyonCruiser]

Hi everyone. Got a 95 Explorer 4.0 L with only 99K miles.
Noticed coolant leaking onto my starter yesterday. Took this pic from underneath, driver side. Leak appears right below the middle spark plug.

http://www.canyonassets.com/images/explorer/95ExplorerCoolantLeak.jpg

Is this the lower intake manifold leak that I read so much about on this forum or something else?

 

[RobertFord]

That's your head gasket. If it was your LIM it'd be at the middle of the front or backside if it were leaking externally. In your pic you can clearly see it coming from between the head and the block.

But i'm open to corrections

 

[CanyonCruiser]

Yep. I follow you. So I edited the pic. You are saying the yellow arrow is pointing to where the head gasket is. So can probably clean it up, get the truck operating at a good temperature and then observe the area and confirm where its leaking from.

Now the big question: Is a head gasket repair something that can be done without pulling the engine out? Seems I would have to get the intake manifold off, exhaust manifold off, then what?

Forgive my ignorance. I have the Haynes manual but better to hear experiences first hand from this forum. I have done tune ups and replaced the fuel pump on the Explorer and have done valve cover replacements on a Dodge van (those were easy to access) so I would rate myself as an advanced beginner with a lot of patience.

 

[CanyonCruiser]

I should have added that there is no white smoke in the exhaust and no sludge in the oil (yet) but maybe those issues are coming soon? The engine has rough idle and sometimes stumbles so that seems to be consistent with a vacuum leak caused by bad gaskets somewhere.