So I swapped the engine on my 89 camaro. Newer engine is off of a 93 caprice 305ci TBI. I changed the oil gasket, valve cover gaskets, intake gasket, distributor washer, fuel line o-rings, water pump gaskets, hoses, thermostat. Did not mess with head gaskets. Installed a probe thermostat to the radiator for the fan to turn on. Ran the car. Yesterday noticed a leak, looks like coolant coming from passanger side exhaust. Checked the oil, thinking maybe i didnt seal the water jackets right. I heard that if the coolant does mix in with oil, it turns a (brown-chocolate) color. But the oil looks new, and at the correct level. The car does throw white smoke. What could I have done wrong. what did I do wrong? Or what could be wrong with this stubborn car?

 

It sounds like it could be the head gaskets. If there's coolant smell coming from the exhaust, then coolant is somehow getting burned off. That'd be my first suspicion since you said that's basically the one thing you didn't touch.

 

CHave you ever heard of "Steel Seal". I got a blown head gasket that's causing the leak. I don't, I can't afford to have the head gaskets replaced the right way. I came across that product. Is it good? What can I use? Or do I have to do the more costly repair?

 

anything you pour into the cooling system to seal a leak is a temporary fix at best and usually a bad idea since it can clog the radiator and heater core.

it the leak coming from the exhaust, or from a sensor in the head on that side? or a freeze plug? can you see where the coolant is really coming from?

 

I'll look at it again, but it looked like the headgaskets, where the head, meets the block, running down the block. When the engine is on, the leak is coming from the exhaust, where the header meets the exhaust. It throws out White smoke from the exhaust too. But I will recheck.

 

update: bought a pair of rebuilt heads, with valve jobs, head bolt set, head gasket set. Looking for new header bolts, and intake bolts.