Black8Banger

iTrader: (9)

My friends 2000 WS6 was low on coolant and began blowing tons of white smoke out the exhaust and the car was over heating! We filled it back up with coolant and the over heating went away. He dropped the car off at my shop so I could have a look at it. From the white smoke out the exhaust my first thought was a cracked head or a blown head gasket, leaning more towards the blown head gasket. I drove the car around yesterday and could not get it to over heat or blow white smoke. On the street that the shop is on I dropped it into first and layed into it and it blew a ton of white smoke! It never over heated though!
What could this be? What do I need to check?
The coolant appeared to have that nasty oil/coolant gunk mix but I wasnt sure bc it was dark outside. Ill check it again today after I get off work but is there anything else I can check? Anything else that it could be?

Blk97WS6

iTrader: (19)

try a pressure test on the coolant system, that will tell you if its a head gasket or not.

GOaT Cheese

A pressure test isn't gonna tell you crap, pressure test only goes to about 16 psi., if a head gasket is blown it could take a hundred psi. to show up. You need to do a chemical block check and sniff for hydro-carbons in the coolant.

LS1>girlfriend

iTrader: (19)

check the dipstick, does it look oil with a little extra?

GOaT Cheese

Even stupider, I have yet to see oil intermix from a blown head gasket.

ErikElvis

iTrader: (1)

Im going off memory but cant they do a oil analysis and see if there is poss coolant contamination from the heads? Like potassium or something... And if the coolant was a chunky mixed mess it could have just temp plugged itself.

DBL_TKE

Try a compression test and then a leakdown test. The results from those can tell you whether you have a blown head gasket, cracked head, or cylinder, as well as a burned valve but that's not the issue here.

Psychopjv

iTrader: (16)

wow we're harsh today aren't we? it is entirely possible for coolant and oil to mix together in the crankcase. I've seen it plenty of times. No need to be so mean to people you don't even know. They are simply asking for help. As stated already do a compression test and leak down. Pressurizing the cooling system is mainly for finding leaks. They also make a tool that hooks to the radiator cap opening that can detect exhaust gas in the coolant.

Black8Banger

iTrader: (9)

well i took the heads off and the gaskets look fine but there is a noticable coolant like film over the last part of the passenge side gasket. Judging by the surrounding area it looks as if coolant has been blowing out around that spot. We are going to to heads and cam now and hopefully that will fix the problem. I hate to change the gasket and put the stock head back on and it be cracked. We also found that the seal around the water pump pulley was leaking bad! So we are down to a heads and cam package (since most of the work is done!) and a new water pump.

Vrbas

iTrader: (2)

Calm down.

Head/cam swap may help just cause you'll be down there and your diagnosis will be much more accurate. Just be sure to clean the "infected" area well and locate the exact spot the leak is coming from, seal up that water pump leak, etc (i know i'm not much help, but i like to try). What did your local shop say?

therobman

iTrader: (39)

ur lucky its only a head gasket i had white smoke took my heads off and found a nice cracked piston and noticed the gaskets were good so its prob the block thats cracked o well gl with fixing it

0utLawZ28

iTrader: (1)

that well probably fix your problem changing head gasket

GOaT Cheese

LOL, I appologize, it was late for me, after a hard day.

Psychopjv

iTrader: (16)

Tis okay we've all been there.....i mean c'mon we ARE car guys/girls.