Bugdewde's 2300 Blown head gasket ... or worse!!!!!

[bugdewde]

I can't seem to win..........

The Dreaded White Smoke (Steam smells like antifreeze)

Blown head gasket.JPG

blown head gasket rear.JPG

Here's the odd part........ I noticed steam coming from under the hood when I got home. Noticed water coming out from under the engine compartment!!!!!
External leak!!!!!!!!
Never seen a head gasket leak outside..... could this be head damage?????????????

head gasket leak.JPG

Head gasket leak1.JPG

Just before getting on the interstate for the 40+ mile trip home.......... I notice a puff of white smoke out of the exhaust. Made it home with no problems of overheating or any white smoke on the interstate...... high rpms around 3000.
but when I got off the interstate, and the car idled a second, it would white smoke badly....... then once I'd get under way again (high rpms 3000) the smoking would quit.
It only smokes at low rpms.

Get home and see the external leak.......... oh brother!

[rpoz-29]

The external leak COULD where the intake coolant meets the head. The leak seems to be in that vicinity. I have seen head gaskets leak externally, but not as recently rebuilt as yours.

[Kev442]

Well, the head gasket has blown on the side from the cylinder, through the water jacket, all the way to the outside. Whether the head warped too won't be known until you take it to a shop, or put a straightedge on it yourself.
Tough break, had almost the same exact thing happen to the 1.8L in my wifes old '85 Firenza.Head gasket popped between two cylinders and the water jacket. Puffing out the tail pipe at idle, slow to pick up speed, then drivable above 30 MPH. She came home and said "the tranny's shifting funny".
I always thought the 2.3 Vega motor morphed into that 1.8 OHC.

[BillPappy]

One of My 1st cars was a 72 vega. With a blown head gasket. I pulled the stat ran a rad cap with out the rubber. put 2 bottles of glass into the rad. and drove that car for a year, before i dropped a 350 into it... I just had to add water into it eery week. It even seem to have more power. water injection:P
the car allways has a bad knok when warm. I bet you Never guess what it was.

[rpoz-29]

A bad intake gasket could also allow a small amount of water into the intake, therefore into the cylinder. I doubt you have blown a brand new head gasket in both directions. Clean that side of the engine, fill it with coolant and watch for the leak. It's a good place to start.

[spyder_xlch]

I doubt you have blown a brand new head gasket in both directions.

Unless the head was warped or not torqued down properly. Was the head checked?

[rpoz-29]

I think he just had the head worked.

[spyder_xlch]

I saw the post on the head work that was done but I didn't remember how in depth the work was.

[bugdewde]

Yes.... head was just rebuilt.
I torqued the head to 60 lb-ft in the correct inside-out rotation sequence......
I torqued the intake to 30 lb-ft from the inside out.....
I used new gasket set by Rol.....

See video of the leaking coolant under the manifolds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXma61KjT9o

Here's the coolant coming from the exhuast after sitting overnight and restarting it after work this evening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngSz7z8HTIg
LOTS OF WATER...........
I'll pull the intake Friday after work..... maybe the head, too.

[spyder_xlch]

Definatly sounds like an exhaust leak but a blown head gasket could sound like that too.

[NixVegaGT]

It's not a crack is it? Block or head?

[rpoz-29]

Have you pulled the plugs and spun the engine over? What exactly did the machine shop do to the head?

[bugdewde]

Got the plugs out today...... I was under the weather yesterday so I didn't get anything done.

Spark plugs.JPG

Spark plugs side.JPG

Didn't turn the engine over... what would I have looked for? Gushing coolant? I suppose I could have pressureized the radiator and see which cylinder filled up first, eh? Then if there were any crossover between the cylinders....Hmmmm......

[bugdewde]

Here's the head once I got it removed........ didn't see anything out of the ordinary.... besides the oil/coolant goop coming out of the cooling holes. Maybe just from coolant leaking past the rings?????? Hopefully.....

Head.JPG

Head combustion chambers.JPG

And a close up of where I suspected the external coolant leak

Combustion chamber 1 and 2.JPG

Notice the damp area under cylinders 1 and 2

Block side view.JPG

[bugdewde]

Here's the block after removing the head...... nothing looks bad to me... except maybe the gasket between cylinders.

Gasket in place top view.JPG

Gasket in place side view.JPG

Gasket in place Cylinder 1 and 2.JPG

Gasket in place Cylinder 3 and 4.JPG