I have a problem with coolant getting into the #1 cylinder. It's not getting into the oil and it's not giving me white smoke but when I took the plug out due to hard starting, the plug has coolant on it, not much but it's there. I smelled the plug and it had the distinct smell of coolant on it and not much fuel odor. In the winter time the car starts with no problems but I loose coolant ever so slowly to where I need to fill the reservoir oh so often but in the summertime I have hard starting and never have to fill the coolant. Anyone else ever had this problem before? I'm guessing it could be a head gasket but I was wondering if anyone else had answers before I begin the teardown? The engine is a 350.

 

seems like alot of coolant in cyls tonight. Anyhow. like alot of people have said in another thread. you could check your intake to make sure it is sealed all tight and such and check to make sure no coolant is getting into the intake and dropping into the engine that way. if you had a bad head gasket ussually there is water in the oil then too. Or at least that is my experience with head gaskets going bad.

 

If it is just the #1 Cyl., it is definitly the intake. Remove the intake and replace the gaskets with the fel-pro ones, and if the head and/or the intake arn't warped, it should solve the problem. If it continues to leak after the manifold gasket has been properly replaced and torqued to specs, you either have a warped head or intake, easy to find out with a macinist's rule.

 

Thanks for the info everyone. I will replace the intake gaskets. It's just the #1 cylinder. I checked all the other plugs and it was the only one with coolant on it. I believe the engine has been rebuilt or replaced before. I don't know much about its history. It has 144,000 miles on the odometer and doesn't leak oil and the exhaust gaskets extend out further than the mating surface. I've never seen that from the factory before.

 

most exaust gaskets you buy in a store will extend past the actual mating surface of the two parts. at least the ones i seen did. As for engines. mine has 198k miles on it and runs rather well although she does leak a little oil, but that is my fault i am sure. replaced the timing chain and that is when it started. heh. oh well.. need to replace the cam too, so i will take care of that problem later since it is not leaking a great deal of oil. just enough to be annoying.


can't wait till I have a 1pc rear main 350 to through into it.. that will be nice since i have far far more 350 parts than 305.... heh. Removeing parts from previous engines i have had is handy lol.

 

Just a little update on the leak. It was the intake gasket and the bolt. The second bolt on the left hand side going aft had come loose. I also noticed that all of the bolts had sealant on them except the one that had come loose and was causing the leak.
Good call Berlinetta00.
Now I just need to get a torque wrench. No problem. Thanks again everyone.