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I am losing coolant, no leaks, and smoke is pouring out of the tailpipes! My computer through me a code 14. I filled the coolant and started it up, still smokes (smells like coolant). as long as I keep putting coolant in it, it is not overheating either. The oil is fine, no water. I am totaly clueless.:confused: any ideas?
same thing happened on my car two weeks ago. Head gasket leak by number 7 cylinder. Car ran fine, never overheated, just lost coolant.
Quick test.... take the radiator cap off overnight, and see if a cylinder fills with water. I'll put money on number 7 or 8. You'll need to pull the spark plug out the next day to let the water out. You probably won't be able to turn it over the next day either.....
Let it sit overnight, pull all the plugs and turn it over, if water comes out one of the cyl's you have your problem identified. You can also drain the oil, the dip stick did not have any water on it with mine but when I drained the oil there was clearly water in the oil. Good luck.
Just did the head gaskets on my 88 --same thing exactly -- and it was #7 where it was blown. Do not pressurise the system without the engine running. :nono: If you get coolant in the cyl and crank it with the plugs in it you can spit a rod out the side!! Also chances are you don't see any water in the oil on the dipstick as I didn't either --but when I took the valve covers off --yuk!!
Weekend??? This is a 17 hour job by the mitchell manual. You should send your heads off to a machine shop and have em checked cleaned etc. That cost ya 1-3 days at the machine shop easy. Also, when you get the complete gasket set --send the valve seals to the machine shop or they will charge you for new ones. Have them check your valve springs and guides. Try to save the gaskets for the egr tube and air pump as they don't come in most sets. Mark you rotor position and dist position for an easy start afterwards --and once everything is apart do not move the crank. You can set the engine to tdc before hand and that will save you some greif. Do remember to clean your head bolt threads and apply approved sealer to them on re-assembly.
same thing happened on my car two weeks ago. Head gasket leak by number 7 cylinder. Car ran fine, never overheated, just lost coolant.
Quick test.... take the radiator cap off overnight, and see if a cylinder fills with water. I'll put money on number 7 or 8. You'll need to pull the spark plug out the next day to let the water out. You probably won't be able to turn it over the next day either.....
I wouldn't try to turn it over either. Just pull the plug and turn the crank by hand. If coolant comes out with after 4 full rotations, then you've found your problem. Compressing liquid in your clyinder is NOT good on your engine :eek: :eek: :eek:
Like the others, don't plan on a one-day or even one-weekend job. I did mine in an extreme rush, and it still took 6 days.
Day one was tearing the motor down, day two was finishing tear down and dropping heads off at machine shop. Day three was picking heads up from machine shop. Day four was rest. Day five was putting it all back together with the help of two friends... working from 9am to almost midnight! Day six was finishing up the intake and accessories, then finally starting the car.
Just a question, I am getting ready to do this procedure as well and have been adding up the costs on parts and was wondering what some of the shops have charged for working on the heads, valves and so. Just so I can get a true ballpark figure on the budget.
there are many different things they can do to the heads.
Just guessing off the top of my head, these should be pretty close:
Surfacing = $35 per head
valve guides = about $5 per guide = $40 per head
valve job = $50 per head
if you need new valves = about $5 each or $40 per head
valve seals = ??? can't remember!
if you need springs = ????
Maybe they just shim the springs... less $$$
best thing is to call a local machine shop, they'll tell you everything.
when I did my heads recently, I didn't have time to leave them at the shop for the works, I just had them checked, cleaned and surfaced. Cost me $90. I had to get the car back together within a week, and if they did a valve job, I would have missed my deadline.
Total cost for me to do the work on my own car was about $500 and that inlcuded a new Delco water pump, and a new timing chain/gear set. Of course, a full top end TPI gasket set was in there too, along with all kinds of little things.