Pretty sure I blew a head gasket this morning....

[projo198]

This morning was her maiden voyage to go get a state safety inspection so I could register her. Inspection place was 20 minutes away. I had it about 10 when I started to lose power, the truck quit and white smoke (or steam?) started billowing from the hood. Temp gauge was maxed out, admittedly I was not monitoring it as closely as I should have been.

Initial inspection before I had to start walking was white smoke EVERYWHERE but seemingly from both the sides of the motor and overspray from the coolant reservoir tank who had blown its cap and was bubbling like crazy. The truck would crank after that but not start.

Going to have to tow her home after work today. Any recommendations on where to start looking? I have not looked at the oil yet and have no idea if anything was coming out of the tailpipe. When rebuilding the truck I had already replaced the thermostat, flushed the radiator, replaced the water pump and 2 front freeze plugs.

UGH.

 

[Tonimus]

Eeeesh. Sorry to hear it. If it was that far gone, I'm pulling the heads and the oil pan. Checking cylinder walls and giving rod bearings a wiggle. Maybe even check the mains.

 

[Bextreme04]

This morning was her maiden voyage to go get a state safety inspection so I could register her. Inspection place was 20 minutes away. I had it about 10 when I started to lose power, the truck quit and white smoke (or steam?) started billowing from the hood. Temp gauge was maxed out, admittedly I was not monitoring it as closely as I should have been.

Initial inspection before I had to start walking was white smoke EVERYWHERE but seemingly from both the sides of the motor and overspray from the coolant reservoir tank who had blown its cap and was bubbling like crazy. The truck would crank after that but not start.

Going to have to tow her home after work today. Any recommendations on where to start looking? I have not looked at the oil yet and have no idea if anything was coming out of the tailpipe. When rebuilding the truck I had already replaced the thermostat, flushed the radiator, replaced the water pump and 2 front freeze plugs.

UGH.

My first thought is that you should make sure you didn't lose a hose somewhere. All of your symptoms could have been from an air bubble in it from when you filled it back up or a blown/loose coolant line somewhere. If it had just gotten up to temp and the system pressurized for the first time, then it is entirely possible something old and brittle let loose. As soon as all that hot coolant lost pressure, it would have immediately started to boil and steam. Check your oil for milkshake and look for loose or split hoses first. Coolant blowing all over the distributor and spark plug wires could cause it to suddenly not fire as well.

 

[Craig Nedrow]

Good advice from Eric, also sounds like a head gasket leak. You can check this when you get it home. Fill back up with water, start it, (may have to pull the dist., cap and dry it out,) and leave the cap off. Look for bubbles in the water. If you gun the motor, and water gushes out, and the oil is milky, could be a cracked block.

 

[SquareRoot]

If that's the case: Part Number: 19540155.

 

[projo198]

If that's the case: Part Number: 19540155.

You buy it for me and I'll put your sticker on my window as a sponsor!

 

[Edelbrock]

Ya, with any luck the coolant shorted out something in the ignition system causing it not to run. Generally speaking though, if an engine stops running or runs poorly due to low oil or low coolant, then that condition is permanent until mechanical repairs are performed.

Speaking of which, I know someone that NEVER changes their oil. And when the oil level gets so low that the oil light comes on, they open the hood, put 1 quart of oil in the engine, and then drive on. They don't even check the oil level, they just use the oil light as an indicator as to when its time to add 1 quart of oil. Can you imagine? Once the engine started running really poorly, they had a mechanic check it out. He was told that the engine has low compression (surprise surprise). He decided that the best way to have it fixed was to pay someone to take the engine out and replace all the oil seals and gaskets and then put the engine back in the car. For some reason, the engine still ran bad after spending all that money. I know, go figure - right?


Click on pic:

 

[projo198]

Well quick update. Wife and Injust finished pulling her home. I just looked under the hood With just a visual inspection all the hoses look good.

Truck actually fired right up, I ran it just long enough to pull up to my shop door.

Radiator is empty but resevoir was full. Is it possible that this motor literally hiccuped strong enough to cause all the coolant to blow up and out of the resevoir? And if so what would cause that?


My initial thoughts are a jammed thermostat, but it is brand new.

 

[Edelbrock]

Well quick update. Wife and Injust finished pulling her home. I just looked under the hood With just a visual inspection all the hoses look good.

Truck actually fired right up, I ran it just long enough to pull up to my shop door.

Radiator is empty but resevoir was full. Is it possible that this motor literally hiccuped strong enough to cause all the coolant to blow up and out of the resevoir? And if so what would cause that?


My initial thoughts are a jammed thermostat, but it is brand new.

I think that based on all of the info so far, I would suggest this:

Remove the thermostat.
Run the engine with the radiator cap off, and top off the fluid level as needed over the course of a few minutes.
Replace radiator cap.
Drive as normal for a week or so.

Do the problems return?

 

[edgephoto]

Do you have a cooling system pressure tester?

 

[Ricko1966]

It could be as simple as a bad radiator cap,did you inspect the rubber gasket on the cap? As edgephoto suggested pressure test the system.

 

[projo198]

Thanks all. I plan on borrowing a pressure tester from Oreilleys and taking the steps you guys have suggested. Will update!

 

[Bextreme04]

Thanks all. I plan on borrowing a pressure tester from Oreilleys and taking the steps you guys have suggested. Will update!

Make sure to test the cap and the radiator separately. Make sure to test the engine side with it filled up with water. Attempting to pressure test an empty cooling system is a bomb waiting to happen.