My '88 IROC is using about a gallon of coolant every couple of weeks. There are no visible exterior leaks or puddles, not even a single drop. There is no evidence of any coolant in the oil. I don't notice any evidence of moisture in the exhaust when I start up or run. The heater core is just fine.

I am kind of suspecting the head gasket, but don't know for sure what to check or have tested. Any ideas? Thanks.

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IROCnRoll.com
'86 Camaro Sport Coupe and '88 IROC

 

A gallon every couple of weeks? Thats alot! Its goin somewhere, probably into the combustion chamber would be my guess, unless there are puddles or other leaks you arent seeing.

That or someone is messin with ya and taking some out of the radiator every once in a while Never done that to anyone before, nope...

 

Do compression check on the motor.
You'll probabily find 1 or a pair of sideby side cylinders that are low. (head gasket).
Other posabilitys are a cracked head, leaking
intake manifold etc.

 

Check your dipstick, if there is any trace of coolant, NO GOOD. All the cars I have had with blown head gaskets have had this symptom.

 

how excactly can u see a trace of coolant ?

 

THe dipstick looks like you just pulled it out of a milkshake. Any traces of white milky stuff and you're getting coolant in the oil.

 

There is no water in the oil. I filtered the oil after my latest oil change just to make sure there wasn't any sitting on the bottom of the pan either.

Whether water gets into the oil when the head gasket goes depends on where the break is. In one of my musclecars the head gasket blew out between the water jacket and cylinder causing water to escape out the exhaust, but when that happened I got constant steam out the exhaust which I don't get with the IROC, and it lost less then the IROC. I wasn't sure if that might be because of the cat, or if there might be somewhere else it might be escaping.

I'll do a compression check this weekend if possible. BTW, my IROC doesn't burn any oil at all which isn't bad considering the engine has about 240K on it.

 

i would check the tranny fluid also

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90 RS 305 tbi, 4 3/4" cowl Hood, Edelbrock TES headers, Flowmaster exhaust, Crane roller cam, comp roller rockers, vortec heads/intake, ported tbi, w/new injectors, MSD probillet Distributer/ coil, 1 inch tbi spacer, air foil, 14x4 k&n flat base air cleaner, Rebuilt 700r4 w/ B&M shift kit, B&M Megashifter, 3.23 posi, 2 12 RF's with mtx amp, top of line alpine cd player, soon to have 90-91 gfx, z-28 wing, new paintjob, rims, and all new lowered suspension.

 

Water can leak out the intake manifold passages and evaporate off. Definatley check your oil but don't immediately look to a blown head gasket. A weeping water pump can be hard to detect at first. How about water dripping down the heater hoses and evaping off the exhaust manifolds? Check things very carefully before pulling the heads!


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Rob P
89RSconvtZZ4TPI Edelbrock Intake
SLP Dual Cold Air Intake 1 5/8" Headers Semi-Siamesed Runners, IROC
suspension, alum shaft. Numerous mods.
92Z28convt5spd (stock)
71Impala convt 402BB
BETTER DRIVING THRU SUPERIOR HORSEPOWER!

 

I couldn't find my leak for the longest time until I wanted to change my rear main seal. The freeze out plugs in the back of the engine were leaking. Maybe take down your inspection cover and see if there is any coolant in it.

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1988 Camaro Sport Coupe: Orignally: 305 TBI 700r4
Now: 1974 355CI, 2bolt, Badger Flat Head Pistons w/ valve relief, Melling high performance street cam, GM Cast Vortec Heads, Edelbrock RPM Air Gap Intake, Edelbrock 600cfm w/ electric choke, GM HEI w/ vacuum advance, Weiand Low Profile Air Cleaner, Mallory 5 port Fuel Pressure Regulator, 3.73 Posi, Mr. Gasket Throttle Cable Bracket, Corvette Shift Servo, 16" IROC Wheels Best Times:60ft 2.26 1/8th 9.68 @ 73.63
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tranny fluid?? the coolent does not come anywhere close to the tranny fluid other than the radiator but i dont belive it would really mix there

[This message has been edited by firbird (edited November 21, 2001).]

 

I've seen antifreeze in cars before because the tranny cooler in the radiator busted and when the car was shut off the tranny pressure stopped and the coolent still had pressure and found the hole and leaked in. Needless to say within a a few days the tranny was toast.