Missing/backfiring and low cooant
#1
Missing/backfiring and low cooant
Random backfiring occurs when I increase throttle off 2-3k cruise. Pulled valve cover and there is a "snot" colored film on the inside of the valve cover. Checked coolant level and it is 6-8 inches below full level. This happened a few miles after I added sea foam, but tank was only 3/8 full. Service engine light comes on randomly for less than a minute. Thank you for any thoughts/advice.
#3
Just checked my catch can and couple inches of water.... this car has been driven rarely and not hard for the last couple years. Did a head swap in '04 with maybe 3K miles since. What would make a gasket blow out of the blue?
#4
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hold on, it cant be a gasket just yet, i remember when i used to drive like short trips like 3 miles a day with my car, my catch can and oil cap was all milkey with water, i soon found out that becasue i was driving short trips the condensation did not have enough time to escape out the engine since the engine never reached full temps. so then i started fully warming up the car b4 i went to school and problem solved, but on my car i dident loose coolent, also check your dipstick if it is really full of that much water it can be a possible head gasket.
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hold on, it cant be a gasket just yet, i remember when i used to drive like short trips like 3 miles a day with my car, my catch can and oil cap was all milkey with water, i soon found out that becasue i was driving short trips the condensation did not have enough time to escape out the engine since the engine never reached full temps. so then i started fully warming up the car b4 i went to school and problem solved, but on my car i dident loose coolent, also check your dipstick if it is really full of that much water it can be a possible head gasket.
#7
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sounds like a head gasket for sure, pull the plugs and tell us what they look like........you could narrow down which side is the culprit.
if you drive it very little, then the milky oil could be due to the condensation, but that's not going to cause you to loose coolant
Are you sure the coolant was full to begin with?
if you drive it very little, then the milky oil could be due to the condensation, but that's not going to cause you to loose coolant
Are you sure the coolant was full to begin with?
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#10
What are "brgs"? I am not positive on the level prior to this happening, but have checked in the last year and was fine....again I may have put 300 miles on it this year though. The coolant level low indicator has been on, but the radiator was full... figured it was a faulty sensor, which I know is common. How can taking off the plugs tell me if it is a gasket? I guess they should be wet? Also, this snot has coated the catch can pretty good so I am assuming the crap is every where in the engine... when I get this fixed what is the best way to clean the engine internals?
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What are "brgs"? I am not positive on the level prior to this happening, but have checked in the last year and was fine....again I may have put 300 miles on it this year though. The coolant level low indicator has been on, but the radiator was full... figured it was a faulty sensor, which I know is common. How can taking off the plugs tell me if it is a gasket? I guess they should be wet? Also, this snot has coated the catch can pretty good so I am assuming the crap is every where in the engine... when I get this fixed what is the best way to clean the engine internals?
#12
Thanks for the clarification. Yes, when I pull the heads I am going to have a specialist check them out and refresh the springs. i will pull the plugs and get back with findings. Thanks to all that have helped me with this.
#14
Got the plugs out and the plug for #7 cylinder is FUBAR. The ground strap is in total contact with the electrode and is twisted counter clockwise about 10 degrees. It completely covered with soot but no real evidence of water. What the heck would have caused the plug to be so screwed up. Again I did the seafoam on a low tank, which could have fouled the plugs. The other plugs are dry and are an amber/silver color, but the "rim" of each plug is blackened.
#15
Sounds like you need to pull the driver's head and see if the head gasklet is blown or if you have a broken piston/cracekd block. My valve covers were also covered in snot.
I was planning on changing headgaskets and instead got to buy a new motor:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...-mile-ls1.html
I was planning on changing headgaskets and instead got to buy a new motor:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...-mile-ls1.html
Last edited by 1CAMWNDR; 11-02-2009 at 03:08 PM.
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Got the plugs out and the plug for #7 cylinder is FUBAR. The ground strap is in total contact with the electrode and is twisted counter clockwise about 10 degrees. It completely covered with soot but no real evidence of water. What the heck would have caused the plug to be so screwed up. Again I did the seafoam on a low tank, which could have fouled the plugs. The other plugs are dry and are an amber/silver color, but the "rim" of each plug is blackened.
#17
Has anyone heard of a plug this f'd up? Don't get it... also no coolant leaking from the engine. It also idled fine and can run @ cruise. Will get the leak test done.