Here is a little background and my quick diagnosis, I would appreicate some input from the experts.

I was out ripping on the car this weekend and everything was running fine. Afterwards when I pulled her back into the garage I noticed my catch can was puffing some white smoke and there was moisture bubbling from the breather filter. Once everything cooled I emptied it (the catch can) out and it was about 1/8 full of water (clear liquid). I'm thinking my headgasket(s) is leaking, or not sealed properly, which is allowing the pressure from the cooling system to get in the oil, and when the oil is getting up to temp its burning off that moisture and it winds up in my catch can. Other then a smoking catch can and the below mentioned coolant smell from the exhaust the car runs strong as hell I can still spin the top of 3rd on the nittos.

I didn't notice my coolant level as being low but there was only a small amount of liquid in the catch can, maybe a 1/4 cups worth. I also noticed this morning when I started up the car that the exhaust has a coolant smell to it. As far as I can tell I'm not leaking coolant externally from the headgasket, at least from what I can see by looking at the heads/block. There isn't any oil in the coolant from what I can tell either, and the car doesn't overheat at all. In fact I've never seen the coolant temps go past 188*. But the moisture has to be getting in the oil somehow and I can't think of another way.

The car has a forged bottom end w/AFR heads, ARP studs and I assume a MLS headgasket, could the studs just need to be cycle torqued?

My next question, if this is a headgasket issue, would be how hard is it to do headgaskets on an LS1? I've read about doing them on F-body cars and it looks like you have to drop the motor out in order to get it done, but on the vette it looks like there may be enough room to do everything in car. Any tips or tricks, links to a HOW TO maybe? is it really as simple as it looks; just removing the intake, associated wiring, coils, valve covers and rockers to pull the heads?

Thanks

 

you dont have to drop the motor in the ls fbody or vette to do head gaskets

http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=1


what color is the exhaust fumes?

white==head gaskets

this is after getting on the car
pushing water from coolant overflow

 

I read that artical, its a good read.

My exhaust isn't any color. actually, I take that back, on last start up it was white colored and did smell like coolant but once the car was fully warmed up it didn't have any smell and wasn't white. Only once the car starts up from sitting does it smell like coolant. When I'm beating on it all I see is black smoke in the rear view.

There is no coolant being pushed out from the overflow can and no sign of oil in the coolant either.

 

nobody else has any input?

 

I know you said there is no oil in the coolant, but is there coolant in the oil?

 

I don't know, I think there might be but I'll have to send my oil to Blackstone labs for analysis to be sure. Just from looking at the dipstick it looks like oil and there is no coolant smell. I am however starting to get a "milky froth" on the oil cap though...

 

i would venture to say you have a blown headgasket...