WW7

I was just wondering about when someone says they have a puff of white smoke at startup , while running, or smell coolant friom the exhaust. Why is it always thought to be a head gasket, couldn't it be the intake manifold gasket leaking from one of the coolant passages to one of the air intake passages??Thanks ..WW

Pete K

It sure could be, but that almost never happens.
Remove the rockers so all the valves close, and remove the spark plugs. Pressurize the cooling systen, and see where the cooland comes out.

WW7

Thanks Pete , The reason I ask is because every once in awhile I will get a slight wiff of coolant from the car, this has been going on for 2 years and 18,000 miles and it has never gotten any worse, and the car runs great and idles great. I never have to add coolant and I don't have any leaks that I can see..I have been waiting patiently for the head gasket to go but it never happens..Wouldn't it have gone out by now if it was a head gasket??..WW

Pete K

I would think so. I wonder if the intake is leaking slightly into the lifer valley, and mixing with the oil. Then the pcv may allow it to burn? Just a guess.

WW7

I just changed oil today and have no signs of coolant in the oil,its completely clean. Even if it burnt off wouldn't it still leave some trace of contamination???..WW

Pete K

Very minor leaks will allow the coolant to wix with the oil.

383vett

If it's been going on for 2 years and you haven't lost any coolant, you should be fine. Maybe you're mistaking condensation in the exhaust for coolant.

WW7

Would I have to worry about this destroying my bearings??...WW

WW7

I don't think so, there is definitely a coolant smell , there wouldn't be a condensation smell after the car gets up to temp would there??? Thanks..WW

Powerdrive

Pull your plugs.... one of them will have a white tip if coolant is getting into the cylinder.

Mine was #7...head gasket.

Smelled it for weeks but could not find the leak until I pulled the plugs. lt1

ZRWHAT

I had a 05 Mustang GT that a technician at the local FXXD dealership drove the snot out of, took it home and did some drifting and managed to cook off a set of rear tires in 100 miles, car was never right after that. Had a oil sample analysis done by a chemical labratory and even thought the oil looked fine, they found ethelene glycol in the mix, this is on a 2K mile car. I also had a sample done from remains of the original oil filter that was changed @500 miles, it too had anti-freeze in it, Ford wound up buying the car back at full price.

BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION: It may look fine but without testing it, you really don't know unless its leaking like a sive then it gets milky and cloudy.

Might get you some peace of mind to have it done....


Good luck

Jimbo 89

this is what happened. The pressure in my radiator got so high that coolant was blowing by the radiator cap, and going into the overflow tank until it made the car start to overheat due to low coolant. you can also test your coolant for exhaust getting into it. That's what I had done. Bad head gasket. Got them replaced, much better.

86PACER

Why would you have to remove the rocker arms/need the valves closed when the plugs are already out for a pressure test? What purpose does that serve?

beerme

I had a similar problem but I was actually losing coolant in my 87. But it wasn't going into my oil, I ultimately pulled the intake manifold and replaced the gasket and used the "right stuff" on the valley walls. Fixed my problem, but man was that a lot bigger job than I thought it would be. Best of luck...

Pete K

If all the valves are closed, and it doesn't leak pressure, noting is wrong.
If it leaks down, and the plenum fills up with coolant The coolant is leaking into the intake port, so it may be an intake gasket.
If the coolant goes into the cylinder, bad head gasket or a cracked head or block.

86PACER

Makes sense. Basically you're using the closed valves to seperate the intake and head gaskets. Otherwise if the cylinders start to fill up with coolant, you would'nt know if it's the head gasket or intake gasket filling the cylinder.

But I would still start a pressure test with just plugs removed at first. If pressure holds, there's no need at that point to remove them.

aheaton

Save yourself some time and purchase a block test kit. Napa sells them for about $50. The fluid is blue and turns yellow if there is coolant leaking into a combustion chamber. It works by chemical reaction. Make sure the car is warm enough to have the t-stat open to get an accurate test. You can do all the other tests to determine where after a failed test. No sense in chasing ghosts!!