weird coolant/ exhaust problem, maybe head gasket. Please read.

[astronut1885]

What's up guys? Around three weeks ago I finished the big build up on my motor, and it is now as you see in my sig. I also installed a new Pep Boys 2 core radiator and a new cap, and all my hoses were in good shape. Anyway, I've been having some strange problems. Three times when I've been out driving, I've had this big white cloud come out from behind the car. It's obviously water vapor. It lasts for maybe three or four seconds, is big, but then dissipates quickly. When I pull over to check my motor each time, there's coolant all over the engine bay and hood on the driver's side, except for the headers.Also, there'd be a small amount dripping from the overflow bottle spout/ cap area, but I'm not sure from which. Thing is, the last time it happened, my cousin said the white "smoke" was coming from my tailpipes, not from under the car. The other day my friend was following me and he said my exhaust looked a little white. I checked my oil on the dipstick, because I was told that if I lost a head gasket it'd be all gross like coffee milk, and it looked nice and golden. It was all there, too, so I know there's no oil in my exhaust. I have been loosing a little coolant after I refill the rad to the top and burp the system, but my radiator hangs around 3/4 full after a few days. My heat works fine, the car temp goes up to the third line, and then the tstat opens and it stays around the second line on the stock gauge when driving. Here's the thing: every time this cloud thing has happened, it's been after a few minutes of driving, right when the Tstat is about to open, or maybe while it;'s opening, and it happens at WOT or right after when it's idling down. I checked my exhaust today, and it was clear and smelled pretty normal, no sweet smell, and I had just gotten done driving hard (no cloud today, either). The car doesn't feel like it has any significant power loss, so basically I want to know what's going on. My assumption is that it's coming from the overflow bottle, spraying around the engine bay in the fan wash, and hitting the headers, making vapor, and coming out the rear. If anyone has any ideas, hit me with them.

 

[astronut1885]

A few other things that may be important:
right when the motor got done, the oil pump broke and the next day I overheated on the highway. The temp never got to the red line, but it got close, about 1-1+1/2 lines below. I kept cooling the car to half, driving it a few hundred feet, cooling it again to get it home. I think this problem started that day right before the car started to overheat, as far as I can remember right before all of that was the first "cloud".
Also: my passenger floor is fine, and the heat works good, so I don't think it's a heater core.
like I said before, when it happens, there is coolant mix all over my driver's side engine bay, on the battery, cap, motor, and fenderwall. it looks like it's getting blown by the fan. I'm hoping it's just overflow.
Tomorrow I'm hopfully going to find a way to get a compression test done, and that should shed some light.

 

[astronut1885]

Well, it seems it's not a head gasket. The power loss was because my MAF sensor was crapping out, I swapped it and my car came to life and then some. Also, the coolant was coming from the overflow hose that runs from the radiator cap area to the overflow bottle. Apparently it wasn't on tight enough at all. Thank God I don't have to tear it apart again.

 

[Idwitheld-1`]

just a fyi

this weekend I bought a stant pressure tester for 105 bucks. I have been fighting a slow leak and needed help finding it. Basically, the system is very versital.

I tested my rad cap. It was a 16lb stant that wouldn't pressurize above 8psi. I then charged the system using the tester and it wouldn't hold 16psi at all. The pressure dropped to 8 psi in about 10 seconds. But, by pressurizing the system I could then trace where the drips were comming from (without the heat of the motor burning my hands). Turns out the thermostat housing had a leak on the underside. Sweet! new gasket, thermostat, rad cap and substituted stainless steel bolts (the old ones were rusted badly)...and now the system charges to 16 psi and falls to 15 psi after 10 minutes. Plus the system can be used to test for a blown head gasket. If the display needle vibrates with engine rpm the compression chamber is connected to the coolant passages.

Great tool. very helpful and well worth the 100 bucks. Just wanted to let you fellas know about this tool...

 

[IndyBlk5.0]

yeah didnt sound like a bad head gasket even though it had a few symptoms, but not enough to make me think it was a head gasket either

 

[astronut1885]

well, today it acted up again. I was driving, and the Tstat was opening about 15-20* hotter than normal, so I brought it home and let it cool all day. I went out after like ten hours to check the coolant, and when I removed the cap, pressurized (lightly) gasses came out. the coolant was hanging around 3/4 like normal, and the overflow was about 1/2 full. The only thing is, it smelled like exhaust when I opened the cover. I smelled inside the rad, and it smelled like exhaust a little bit too. I topped off the antifreeze, and I'm gonna take it out tomorrow and see what happens. A friend is loaning me a compression gauge, so hopefully late tomorrow or Monday I'll test that.

 

[Michael Yount]

I suspect you do have a head gasket issue, or something cracked (hope not) - and coolant's getting into the cylinders somehow. Cylinder pressure may be overpressuring the cooling system, and it accounts for the ocassional steam in the exhaust. I'd stop driving the car until you get it sorted out - you're risking bigger problems by continuing to drive it. Sorry about that - good luck with it.

 

[astronut1885]

Well, I did a compression test, and I got 150 psi on all cylinders. I'm not loosing any more coolant right now, and my oil is still clear. I'm running out of ideas.