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Thread: A Wild Cloud Appears, Danger On The Horizon!

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    A Wild Cloud Appears, Danger On The Horizon!

    Well, yesterday on my way back from a photoshoot I think a head gasket let go or it's getting head lift.

    Over the last couple months I have been keeping track of a very slow loss of coolant, And yesterday my leak seems to have shown itself.

    I was pulling onto the highway and gave the car full beans up to speed and as the RPM passed 5500 under full load, I got a substantial amount of white smoke out the back.

    I gave it a couple more tests to confirm on the drive home and also found that when the smoke appears, My wide band goes wild and jumps lean. Under normal driving, there is no smoke and the AFR stays mostly normal though some anomalies are now presenting.

    This to me is indicating I am now ingesting water under heavy load.

    No major change to engine performance present, idles and drives fine. Though idle is now slightly rougher, No major vapor in the exhaust though. Engine understood to be unmodified/untuned.

    Seems to me its time to pull the motor and change the gaskets, head bolts and a few other repairs that are coming due.


    There any suggestions for tests that I should do before its opened up and what should be inspected while its out?

  2. #2
    Nick Mann's Avatar

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    Dave has done a write up recently of rebuilding an engine.

    I feel your pain - I am using coolant and getting some serious bubbling in the expansion tank when very hot. I am also smoking when driving like an idiot. (Apparently I am also smoking when driving gently, but it's not enough to see from the car.) I suspect I had some head lift before I fitted the ARP studs, but they have limited how badly the gaskets have blown.
    I will also be removing heads and having a little look over the next few months!

    As for tests - there are tests to check for combustion gases in the coolant, you can also do a compression test to see which cylinders may have a problem.

    Have fun - maybe we'll be comparing notes soon.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nick Mann;
    I feel your pain - I am using coolant and getting some serious bubbling in the expansion tank when very hot. I am also smoking when driving like an idiot. (Apparently I am also smoking when driving gently, but it's not enough to see from the car.) I suspect I had some head lift before I fitted the ARP studs, but they have limited how badly the gaskets have blown.
    I will also be removing heads and having a little look over the next few months!
    Mines not quite that bad, I've used only about 1L of coolant over a year. But now that i know there is an issue there i have to sort it out.

    Now I am mostly fighting between how much "Whilei'minthereitis" to do while Its engine out to replace the gaskets and go to ARP studs.

  4. #4
    Louis's Avatar

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    As Nick said, best place to start is a gas check in the coolant, quick easy and let you know.
    There are a lot of small house under the thermostat and they can start to go at the hose clips under pressure etc, difficult to see and get at but a possible source.
    Have you turned up the boost?, the head bolts should be fine under standard factory boost.
    I had head lift on a previous engine which was indicated by a slow coolant loss, and then in a head gasket failure.
    fitted ARP studs to the new engine and have had no problems since (1.3)
    Updating Soon!! 1998 Legnum VR4, fully serviced every 4500 miles. Fully Amsoil'd. Falken 453's, EVO 8 FQ320 rear diff.

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