I was there to help install the heads, Telfon pipe dope was used on the lower head bolts. New ARP head bolts were used along with the special ARP head bolt washers. The upper head bolts and the washers for the lower head bolts got a coat of Never-Seeze. I have used the telfon pipe dope before and it has worked well.PoopDawg said:
PoopDawg said:
Good point.
It sounds like a head gasket issue to me but until you do a compression or leak down test its just a guessing game. They will show you if you have a problem and where it lies.
To me it sounds like you have a leak between a cylinder and water jacket and you the engine compression is pressurizing the coolant system and and causing it to bubble and give you that smell. You can also have a products of combustion test done on the coolant and that will also let you know if you have a bad headgasket.
Only use a compression tester with a screw in adapter for the spark plug hole. The other type leaks too much to get an accurate reading.Your local auto parts store may have a compression tester to rent. If you do mechanic work on your own car on a regular basis, it would be a good tool to add to your collection.
With the engine warmed up, remove all spark plugs and prop the throttle wide open, crank the engine until it the gage reading stops increasing. On a cold engine, it will be hard to tell what's good & what's not. Some of the recent posts have numbers ranging from 140-170 psi. If the compression is low, squirt some oil in the cylinder and do it again – if it comes up, the rings are worn. There should be no more than 10% difference between cylinders. Use a blow down leak test (puts compressed air inside cylinders) on cylinders that have more than 10% difference.
I generally use a big screwdriver handle stuck in the TB between the butterfly and the TB to prop the throttle open. The plastic is soft enough that it won't damage anything and won't get sucked down the intake either.
A battery charger (not the trickle type) is a good thing to have if you haven't driven the car lately or if you have any doubts about the battery's health. Connect it up while you are cranking the engine and it will help keep the starter cranking at a consistent speed from the first cylinder tested to the last cylinder.
As always, give me a call if you need some help.
With the engine warmed up, remove all spark plugs and prop the throttle wide open, crank the engine until it the gage reading stops increasing. On a cold engine, it will be hard to tell what's good & what's not. Some of the recent posts have numbers ranging from 140-170 psi. If the compression is low, squirt some oil in the cylinder and do it again – if it comes up, the rings are worn. There should be no more than 10% difference between cylinders. Use a blow down leak test (puts compressed air inside cylinders) on cylinders that have more than 10% difference.
I generally use a big screwdriver handle stuck in the TB between the butterfly and the TB to prop the throttle open. The plastic is soft enough that it won't damage anything and won't get sucked down the intake either.
A battery charger (not the trickle type) is a good thing to have if you haven't driven the car lately or if you have any doubts about the battery's health. Connect it up while you are cranking the engine and it will help keep the starter cranking at a consistent speed from the first cylinder tested to the last cylinder.
As always, give me a call if you need some help.
Mavrick said:
i find it hard to believe the coolant is "Boiling" from being vaporized. A 50/50 blend of coolant and water in a coolant system sustaining a 15lb cap will boil around 265 degrees. When you see the coolant boiling, put your finger in it to see if it is hot or not (should be able to tell by vaporization if it is really 265 degrees, this will determing if your coolant is overheated or not)
His problem is there is pressure getting into his coolant system causing "bubbles" which is gas escaping from the system. This gas is most likely combustion fumes leaking through the head gaskets. I've been through 3 blown head gaskets and my last one sounds EXACTLY like yours. Coolant bubbling and coolant smelling like gasoline or "alcohol".
It is well worth the investment to get your heads "milled" to be sure the surface is flat. I think it might cost $40 tops to get this done. If indeed your headgaskets are blown, it is probably because of this or your block deck is not flat either. Chances are your heads are warped and unfortuantly, you gotta spend more $60+ on new gaskets, plus $40 for getting them shaved. Not to mention all the work involved but you do get good at it after a while.
I've been through this 4 times and learned new tricks each time. The good part of all this is you learn from your mistakes!!
Good Luck!!