I recently replaced a water pump and thermostat. When replacing the pump, I covered the bolt threads with blue RTV sealant. I did not use any sealant on the gasket or block itself. I'm guessing I did it wrong, as I'm losing coolant at a rather alarming rate. Should I have applied anti-seize on the bolt threads and RTV on the gasket? if so, in what fashion?

Also, would taking a propane torch to a broken thermostat bolt cause a leaky head gasket or make valve seals worse? I start the car on cold mornings (sub freezing) and It seems as though the car wants to smoke (antifreeze) for nearly 5 minutes.

My 305 is going. I'm nearly positive (though I have no way to verify) the sounds/signs my engine is producing upon startup point to a failing engine. She seemed to perform better with a higher viscosity oil (15w50 or something to that effect). I've read about a smoke treatment you can add to the oil, but everyone on this forum seems to be against it.

Since I do not have a garage to work on the camaro, I will have to wait until spring before attempting any serious engine work (short of replacing a few simple gaskets).

 

1st thing to establish is where the coolant is going. If the water pump and thermostat housing aren't leaking, then your lack of use of gasket sealant isn't the issue. (Personally, I don't use RTV on gaskets, preferring brush or spray-on gasket sealer.)

Oil use, if the engine has had reasonable oil changes, is typically associated with the valve stem seals. You didn't do anything to them by using the propane torch on the broken bolt, but the typical petroleum-based engine oils out there aren't kind to GM valve stem seals. Replacing them takes a few hours with an air compressor and on-head valve spring compressor. Usually adviseable to use a different type of seal than the stock o-ring that goes in the retainer for best results. If oil changes haven't been regular, then it may be something other than the valve seals, like rings. Some solvent/detergent type additive/flushes can help un-stick oil control rings, but other than that, the typical oil additive you see on the shelf is more of a bandaid than a "fix".

If you're smoking antifreeze on start-up, you most likely have cracked heads. There are two fixes to that, both involving removing the heads. Sometimes coolant stop-leak type products will help, but like oil additives, shouldn't be considered "fixes".

 

thanks five7, I figure if its not as simple as the water pump leaking, then it probably is cracked heads. I've got the car on ramps now pending a spark plug change, so I'll go ahead and degrease the beast and see if I can find any noticable leaks. I did however smell antifreeze from the engine area upon startup. If the pump is leaking, would the fluid draining down the engine block heat up fast enough for me to smell it with the engine on for only a minute? could you suggest any places to look for external leaks aside from head/waterpump/tstat gaskets and hoses?

And finally, I don't have a gapper and would rather save a drive to AZ and a buck on a guage. The Bosch Platinum plugs I have (Pt #4207) say "Factory Set Gap. Once the Gap is set, there is no need to regap. blahblahblahbla" Does this mean the plug is gapped @ .035 OEM specs?

Thanks, looking forward to getting out in this cold weather for a little hand scraping.

 

actually on the specs at bosch's website says "gap = ".035""

Does this mean the plug is already preset @ 0.035 or does that mean i have to gap it to that setting?

 

Intake to head, all 4 corners.

 

thanks, didn't find anything out of the ordinary, with the exception of a crusty dark "gel" somewhere above the starter and below the #8 plug... I started the car w/ the 4 new plugs in and it didn't seem to smoke as badly. I'm hoping the new plugs will effect the rich smell of gasoline, else adjustments will be necessary. Could that "gel" i mentioned be leaking oil? It seemed rather fresh. Thanks

 

I think your just seeing condensation when you fire it up in the cold...

 

If you're losing coolant at an alarming rate then it has to be going somewhere. Where is it going?

 

yea I think you're right.. I think initial starts/smoke in the morning consist of more condensation than actual coolant burning. As far as where it's going, you've got me. Seems like every few days when I've got the hood open I'm adding coolant. Always just a few drops in the resivoir. I'm thinking it has something to do with either the thermostat or the water pump. I just replaced both, but I'm fairly sure the thermostat is not to blame. As for the water pump, I RTV'd the threads to the 4 bolts, used the paper gaskets, and torqued it down to 30 ft lbs. Did I do something wrong at that point? She probably leaks about 1/2 a quart every few days, so while it's not terribly alarming, it is rather annoying that the coolant system isn't in total running order. I'll let it sit for the night, and in the morning (since it's already on ramps) I'll start it up, crawl underneath, and attempt to observe any leakage. Thanks

 

Maybe youve already done this and i didnt see it in the post but have you pulled the dipstick to check for coolant in the oil?

 

I'll have to take a picture and post it tomorrow. It's dark, "chocolate-milkshake-colored" as far as i can tell, but I'd rather like to believe that it's all oil. I really couldn't differentiate between "good oil" and coolant/oil cocktail on my own. I'll leave it up to you folks.

 

the way you describe it, it does sound like the coolants getting into the oil.

Post a pic of the oil before you run the motor anymore, the bearings dont really like antifreeze for lubricant!