Hey guys i would like some help on this....I just want to be 1000% sure about this before i pay a shop 800 bucks to fix. I parked my car when i went to try and start it it went to start and then sounded like it got cloged up on the 3 turn of the key it started and thru white smoke from the exhaust also i had a leak on the headers and after reviewing it it was antifreeze. My mechanic looked at it and he said blown head gasket. We checked the radiator and it was really low and we turned off the car and then checked the oil and i was around 2-3 quarts above normal. Please help if possible. 1992 camaro z28 Heritage edition 5.7L thanks

 

Running any engine very low on coolant can cause it to overheat compromising the head gasket and warping either sealing surface (heads/block).

If whoever changed your oil last didn't severly overfill the crankcase, then the unusally high oil level is definitely a cause for concern. Does the oil appear milky or smell like coolant? Blowing white smoke and coolant appearing where it shouldn't be are typically warning signs of a blown head gasket, or even in the most severe cases, a cracked head or block.

Has the engine been running hot/rough as of late? When you fill it up with coolant, does the level drop down almost immediately or does it hold coolant for a while?

If you pull a spark plug are there any signs of coolant? While the spark plug is out, use a flashlight to get a look at the piston. If any of them are abnormally clean, coolant is probably getting in there and "steam cleaning" your combustion chambers. If any of these tests/symptoms are inconclusive, you can pay your mechanic, if you must, to "Block-Check" your engine. All this does is use a dye that reacts with HC/O2/NoX any exhaust gasses present in your cooling system, indicating the coolant is intruding into the combustion chamber.

 

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...scotty+kilmer+

 

If the antifreeze is low it has to go somewhere if it's not leaking externally it's leaking internally (oil or into the combustion chamber). It sounds like it's leaking into both to me. If it was in the oil it's probably either bad intake gasket [dumping coolant into the lifter valley] or head gasket. The smoke also I would probably bet on the head gasket though.

Depending on how mechanically involved you are it should only take a few days to fix it if you do it yourself. Most of the wait is usually to have a machine shop clean up the heads so they seal correctly again. Machine shop here takes 1/2 day or so after I drop them off to clean and check the surfaces.

 

$800? Geez - you could buy me plane tics cheaper and I could do them!

I hope included in the $800 is a valve job, new valve stem seals, and machining the head surfaces if warped!