Head Gasket blown? Coolant low...Help!
Head Gasket blown? Coolant low...Help! Crap! After reading this thread I started wondering because I had a similar problem. I first noticed it in this cold weather. My catch can had a yellow liquidish foam that didn't really resemble oil. I figured it might be okay because I had recently changed the oil which is amber color. I cleaned it out and soon after it came back. I never cleaned it out again, but its not there anymore. I thought this was because the weather warmed up. I figured the cold weather does something funny to the oil in the catch can. Also, in the cold, my passenger side exhaust tip will sometimes smoke a lot more than the other side. Sometimes they smoke the same. Today, it was warm and my exhaust didn't smoke at all. I checked my catch can, it was normal as I said above, the oil cap is fine, dip stick looked normal, but my radiator was at least 5" low!!!!! So now i'm worried. 
This would be a real crappy time if i really do have a major problem. I need an entire clutch setup, hydralics and all because I want to replace everything as they are old. Most importantly and costly is my car is half stripped down for a complete repaint!!!! I can't afford all 3 major things! I really need a clutch before I tackle this problem because if I do have major problems, I'm doing full H/C with basically new everything like the oil pump, water pump, lifters...ect. My clutch can't handle a H/C setup.
This would be a real crappy time if i really do have a major problem. I need an entire clutch setup, hydralics and all because I want to replace everything as they are old. Most importantly and costly is my car is half stripped down for a complete repaint!!!! I can't afford all 3 major things! I really need a clutch before I tackle this problem because if I do have major problems, I'm doing full H/C with basically new everything like the oil pump, water pump, lifters...ect. My clutch can't handle a H/C setup.
Last edited by HotWhipT/A; Jan 25, 2007 at 03:58 PM.
Damnit....My coolant is going down, but no leaks on the ground. Looks like H/C for me real soon. Is their anywhere else the coolant can leak into the engine besides the head gaskets? Anything common on these motors? Might the block be cracked?
i have a very similar problem on my car too, but no where near as drastic as yours. I think its just the head gaskets that go bad from the dex cool stuff. Im saving right now to do a heads/cam to eliminate that problem and to just have the more power i feel the car should have. I really wouldnt worry too much about it unless it gets to the point where you really have to add coolant everyday. I maybe put about a cup full in my car every 2-3 months.
Yea, this is just a good reason to do a H/C swap, but didn't really plan on doing this so soon. I've come to my senses and made up my mind. I'm gunna check the easy things first. I'm deffinately doing a pressure test sunday. I can get a used stock radiator and cap from a friend dirt cheap. I'll more than likely buy a new water pump and gaskets for the hell of it too. I'm even gunna take the overflow tank out and check that bitch real good. How would I check the heater core? Thats a pita to get to.
Hey Eric, i feel your pain. As you know i jsut took my car in for the cam. the guy said that there was about 20 oz in the radiator.. He said that there was a spot on the head which looked like it could be coolant.... Maybe a blown head gasket But i told him that before i out the ta in stoarge that i did a coolant flush and maybe not all the air pockets got out, but when they did get out that cuased the coolant level to drop. When they drained the oil, they said that it was crystal clear. I to have no leaks anywhere where i have the car stored. I jsut think that it was air pockets, that is what i am hoping for. He wiped the head clean, the car is pretty much back together and it has been there since yesterday night, dropped it off at 6. he siad that he will keep an eye on it. Espically where he wiped it clean.
But my catch can, the oil was a milky/tan color. i only drove the car 20 miles, so i am thinking that it was water in the crankcase that never evaporated...
Good Luck let me know what happens. I read that it could be the dex cool too i have no idea. there is a thread about dex cool floating around here somewhere.. Do a search on it
But i told him that before i out the ta in stoarge that i did a coolant flush and maybe not all the air pockets got out, but when they did get out that cuased the coolant level to drop. When they drained the oil, they said that it was crystal clear. I to have no leaks anywhere where i have the car stored. I jsut think that it was air pockets, that is what i am hoping for. He wiped the head clean, the car is pretty much back together and it has been there since yesterday night, dropped it off at 6. he siad that he will keep an eye on it. Espically where he wiped it clean.But my catch can, the oil was a milky/tan color. i only drove the car 20 miles, so i am thinking that it was water in the crankcase that never evaporated...
Good Luck let me know what happens. I read that it could be the dex cool too
i have no idea. there is a thread about dex cool floating around here somewhere.. Do a search on it Trending Topics
I replaced my water pump, the gaskets, and put in a stock radiator with much lower miles. I obviously flushed all the coolant and refilled it too. So far, so good. I don't think I've got all 12 quarts in the system though and everything is full. Any ideas on that one?
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i had to replace my h/g at around 65,000 miles. same stuff going on: yellow milky **** in fill cap, low coolant, and it knocked when it was cold. i think it was just trying to compress the coolant in combustion cambers. after i changed the h/g the knock, low coolant, and milky **** went away. i would check the compression to let you know for sure. if you have white smoke coming out pretty heavy, that's a sign of a h/g problem.
Originally Posted by HotWhipT/A
I replaced my water pump, the gaskets, and put in a stock radiator with much lower miles. I obviously flushed all the coolant and refilled it too. So far, so good. I don't think I've got all 12 quarts in the system though and everything is full. Any ideas on that one?
i jsut think that mine was low on coolant from the coolant flush i did. i mean i did it the day that i put it away for storage and never watched it... so i think the air pocekts got out and that is what lowered the level of fluid....
