Massive smoke billowing from the engine!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,477
Likes: 1
From: Albuquerque NM
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
Massive smoke billowing from the engine!
I think this may have solved my cooling problems. There is a lot of smoke coming from the passenger side somewhere. It looked like it was coming from behind the exhaust manifold. Would this be the coolant seeping in through the head gasket? I've been losing lots of coolant for a while now, and have been narrowing down the causes.
If this is the case, which gaskets do I need to buy to complete the job? The intake manifold has to come off, so that is one. There is also the exhaust manifolds, correct? And lastly, the head gaskets. Are there any that I am missing?
If this is the case, which gaskets do I need to buy to complete the job? The intake manifold has to come off, so that is one. There is also the exhaust manifolds, correct? And lastly, the head gaskets. Are there any that I am missing?
Last edited by Fartleker; Dec 26, 2004 at 12:35 PM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,204
Likes: 6
From: St Marys PA
Are yo sure its not coming from the small tube that is off the back of the manifold over to the heater line? This area is prone to connections coming loose. check it out real good. Let the car cool down, and then start it up. And with a light try to peek back there to see exactly where its coming from. You might need a mirror.
Sounds like you have a major leak, and its most likely not a head gasket if its pouring out that much. Just incase, check your oil to make sure it looks ok before doing the above.
Be careful, water on the exhaust causes HOT steam.
Good luck and hope its not the head gasket and just a loose fitting that will take a minimal amount of time to fix. Play with the hoses, it might promote more leakage and make it easier to see the root cause.
Sounds like you have a major leak, and its most likely not a head gasket if its pouring out that much. Just incase, check your oil to make sure it looks ok before doing the above.
Be careful, water on the exhaust causes HOT steam.
Good luck and hope its not the head gasket and just a loose fitting that will take a minimal amount of time to fix. Play with the hoses, it might promote more leakage and make it easier to see the root cause.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,477
Likes: 1
From: Albuquerque NM
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
I just checked the oil with the dipstick- it was far above full. Looks like there is a bunch of coolant in the oil, and this was causing the oil to come out of the dipstick area. This leaked down onto the exhaust manifold, and thus smoked. Therefore, coolant is getting into the engine. Sounds like a bad gasket, right?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,174
Likes: 125
From: Dunstable MA
St. Jude Donor '05
Change that oil, and don't use the car until you stop the leakage. Then find out a way to get the glycol off the lubricated surfaces. Coolant in the oil will ruin the motor. By the time you hear the lifters ticking, it's too late. JMO of course. Good Luck.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,594
Likes: 0
From: CALGARY ab
Originally Posted by Fartleker
I just checked the oil with the dipstick- it was far above full. Looks like there is a bunch of coolant in the oil, and this was causing the oil to come out of the dipstick area. This leaked down onto the exhaust manifold, and thus smoked. Therefore, coolant is getting into the engine. Sounds like a bad gasket, right?
Former Vendor
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,204
Likes: 6
From: St Marys PA
YEah you have a chore ahead of you now. Here is what I would do. First as instructed above do not use the car...AT ALL.
Second is I would try to locate the source of the leak.
It could be intake to block/heads or it could be a head gasket.
I would run a LEAK down test on the motor, each cylinder, it should quickly tell you if its a head gasket, among other things.
Next and you an do this one first also, is a leak down on the coolant system. This will possibly tell you were its leaking from.
Then start pulling it apart. I would seek a VERY VERY good flushing agent to rid the lower end of the coolant. It kills bearing very quickly, and you will get to do it all over again if a bearing goes.
If the motor has a bunch of miles on it, I would just opt to have it totally refreshed with new bearing and a good magnifux to make sure the problem wasn't in the block and start over with new rings etc.
A you are definately at a cross roads - might actually be cheaper to just pick up a new shortblock - or its an opportunity to go BIGGER and BADDER.
Good luck and sorry for the troubles.
Second is I would try to locate the source of the leak.
It could be intake to block/heads or it could be a head gasket.
I would run a LEAK down test on the motor, each cylinder, it should quickly tell you if its a head gasket, among other things.
Next and you an do this one first also, is a leak down on the coolant system. This will possibly tell you were its leaking from.
Then start pulling it apart. I would seek a VERY VERY good flushing agent to rid the lower end of the coolant. It kills bearing very quickly, and you will get to do it all over again if a bearing goes.
If the motor has a bunch of miles on it, I would just opt to have it totally refreshed with new bearing and a good magnifux to make sure the problem wasn't in the block and start over with new rings etc.
A you are definately at a cross roads - might actually be cheaper to just pick up a new shortblock - or its an opportunity to go BIGGER and BADDER.
Good luck and sorry for the troubles.
