OK, I decided that I wated to see my passenger side valve covers last weekend. So I relocated theheater control valve. I guess I forgot to tighten one of those clamps or something, because I was missing quite a bit of fluid when I checked it today (Friday). The car was only drove once, and that was only for about 20 minutes. There was no speeding going on or anything.

Anyway, I notice a little coolant that looks a little fresh under my car. The tank was empty, so I checked the radiator itself. It was missing about 2 inches of coolant from it.

So I add some thinking it was just the part I had lost from when I had relocated the valve. So after I fill it up, I decide to start it up and drive a little to see if I need to add more. I added enough because I finished filling the readiator, plus about half the tank, so it would have more for the block.

After it is started, I notice a bunch of smoke coming from under the car. I think, no biggie, it's just the little bit I spilled.....Well, when it's also coming from the back, and there is a pool of coolant back there, you know there's a real problem. So I shut it off as fast as I can.

I checked all the connections around the valve, and I found one I had not completely tightened. So, now I am thinking that from the coolant I had lost, somehow there was a spot on the pass side head that was missing coolant, which caused the head gasket to go. I don't know what else could have caused this. I am hoping it didn't crack one of the heads, or part of the block.

I am doubting that anyone else is this stupid, so, please help me out here. I would really like to get this fixed. Also, is it going to be bad if one of the cylinders is full of coolant?

I'm going to go out and double check the heads. I'm hoping it's the driver's side since it's the easiest to fix.

 

Sounds vaugely similar to a problem I still have since I did a few modifications, one of which being changing the heater control valve. Check out <a href="https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/showthread.php?s=&threadid=102386">The Thread</a> maybe both our problems can be fixed.

 

Sounds pretty close, only I have a pool behind my car, not a wet spot. PLus, it is coming out the side of teh cat as well.

 

Alright, problem fixed I guess. Turns out, I forgot to tighten the hose clamp that is on that metal coolant pipe. Anyway, since it was loose, I guess coolant dripped out of it all week or something and ran down part of the frame, and somehow got into the exhaust. ??? I don't know how, so don't ask.

I was still thinking it was a head gasket, but after disconnecting
Y-Pipe, and both disconnnecting coil from distriutor and cranking it for a second,and running the car with open headers for a good minute longer than it took for all the coolant to come out before, I assumed that it was not a head gasket. Unless the head gasket slowly lets coolant into a cylinder and it all emptied out that first time I started it. There is only one way to find out if it will have aproblem again I guess....wait until next weekend.

I reved the engine up to about 3k, so it doesn't only do it at high RPMs.
Thanks for any help you guys could have given. I guess this post is now solved.

Also, it's great to hear open headers again.

 

dude get rid of the glasspack and get a flowmaster or hooker aero chamber, glass packs are crap..........and with exhaust technology today you actually get more hp with a muffler than an open pipe..............least from what ive seen..............unless your runnin a blower

 

Wanna bet?

I not only wrote the book on "Stupid - A Way of Life", but I hold the copyright and several patents regarding "Stupid". Please send the royalty check to:

Vader
c/o ThirdGen.org
Scottsdale, AZ
USA

Anyway, If you've had coolant in the chambers for whatever reason, you should drain the oil as soon as you can (like tomorrow). Antifreeze (glycol with silicates) has a real affinity for the cadmium and soft metals in engine bearing shells, and can etch them in pretty short order. Change oil and filter, and keep an eye on the oil level AND condition for a while.

 

Thanks Vader, but the problem has been solved. I guess some strange thing happened, where spilled coolant somehow was dripping all week long and filled up the exhaust. I had forgotten to tighten a clamp, so the hose was just stuck on the pipe, and not clamped on. But the problem has been solved. I drove around for a good 10 minutes, and got most of the coolant out of the exhaust. I am betting that after this, the cat is not good. Hehe. It was probably almost full. I saw some coming out of the seams of it. Must be a hole I guess.

Oh, and Wasp...I have the glasspack in there for sound until I get the whole thing upgraded to 3" Then I am going to go with a muffler then. I wanted something louder than the stock muffler, while going as cheap as possible. Thanks for the tip though.