Blown Head Gasket?????please Read

[jeff*k]

I HAVE AN 86 GN. ABSOLUTLEY STOCK, NO MODS AT ALL. I AM GETTING A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER VAPOR COMMING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE TAIL PIPES DRIP WATER AND LEAVE PUDDLES. THIS IS NOT "WHITE SMOKE". IT LOOKS LIKE AN EXHAUST WOULD ON A VERY COLD DAY, ONLY MULITPLIED. I RECENTLY RESCUED THIS CAR FROM A TRUE "HILLBILLY". THE CAR SAT FOR ALMOST A YEAR BEFOR I FOUND IT. I DO NOT THINK IT WAS STARTED IN THAT TIME PERIOD. I HAVE ONLY RAN THE CAR FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT 25 MINUTES AT IDLE. MY GUESS IS IT NEEDS HEAD GASKETS. I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS HAPPEN TO THEM. IF SO, IS THERE A WAY TO CHECK FOR INTERNAL COOLANT LEAK????? AM I WRONG IN THINKING LEAKING HEAD GASKET???

PS. THERE IS NONE OF THE WHITE MILKY STUFF ANYWHERE IN THE MOTOR.

THANKS, JEFF

 

[Grumpy]

is the car skipping???? HG can blow in the intake area...

 

[John Larkin]

I would have to lean toward you NOT having a blown HG. My car when first started out of slumber a few weeks ago, produced alot of water out the pipe, several times. If you are experiencing varying weather (cold morning, warm day), this could be completely normal. How big is this puddle? Have you checked your coolant level to see if it's dropping? Does the puddle have anti-freeze in it?

 

[6PacktoGo]

turn of the caps lock, please

If there is water/coolant getting in a cylinder, you'll see rust or discoloration on the plug. If you are using antifreeze, you should be able to smell it in the exhaust if you have a leaking headgasket. Does it have a miss or rough idle?

I would suggest you actually drive the car to see if the vapor goes away. Check all of the vital fluid levels first.

 

[jeff*k]

THE PUDDLES ARE NOT BIG. THE TALPIPES DRIP ABOUT EVERY 5 SECONDS. THERE IS NO ANTI FREEZE IN THE PUDDLES. EXHAUST DOESN'T SMELL STRANGE. THE CAR DOES IDLE A LITTLE ROUGH AND STUMBLE. I DO NOT YET KNOW IF I AM LOSING ANTI FREEZE. I HAVE NOT RAN IT LONG ENOUGH.

 

[REDS HOT AIR]

long as its not in the oil and you have coolant in the radiator its not going to kill it ...let it run or take it down the treet

 

[MeanBuicks]

When you say no mods, then I assume it still has a catalytic converter? The cat will generate more water than a car w/o one.

 

[jeff*k]

YES IT DOES STILL HAVE THE CAT. IT IS THE VOLUME OF VAPOR THAT CONCERNS ME MOST. THIS DOES NOT LOOK NORMAL!!

 

[uwillose2]

The idle on the Gn's stumble most of the time anyways, its normal

 

[Rogue Leader]

Said its been sitting, probably a TON of moisture trapped in the cat and the whole exhaust system. give it a few drives and some time to get it all out...

 

[disco stu]

You could verify a problem by using a coolant system pressure tester. If you don't know anybody that has one, Autozone has them in their free loaner tools progam. If it holds pressure for at least ten or fifteen then you can call it good.

 

[TurboMike]

First, drop the caps, it's considerd YELLING

Second, sounds like the car needs some highway driving time. You can let it idle all day, but your exhaust temps will never be high enough to burn all the moisture. Get it road reading a plan a hour long trip, then report back.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Actually when I took my TTA out of it's 6 month slumber it did this, but after my long day trip drive, it was fine...

 

[Drthv8r]

Man kill the caps.

 

[jeff*k]

first, i'm sorry about the caps. i didnt know.

just fired it up again. i let it run about 10 minutes then took it out for a quick drive (no tags or ins.). got into the throttle a few times to try to build up some heat .

the virdict:

the vapor is GONE!!!. i suspect the cat or the muff (it still has the single behind the axle muff )was holding the water. i am amazed, i would have never thought all of that "vapor" was just water in the exhaust.

this car did sit in a field for almost a year before i found it. the guy i bought it from told me he wanted to "get rid of that computer 6 banger and drop in a 350". some poeple will never learn!!

i guess i bought it just in time.

thanks guys,

jeff

 

[Drthv8r]

Cool Jeff glad this worked out for you.

 

[UNGN]

On a cool morning my car would do this for 15 minutes if I let it idle that long. Steam would pour out of it. I've had no headgasket problems, ever, so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[WFO]

Originally posted by jeff*k

this car did sit in a field for almost a year before i found it. the guy i bought it from told me he wanted to "get rid of that computer 6 banger and drop in a 350". some poeple will never learn!!

i guess i bought it just in time.

thanks guys,

jeff

good job,another turbo car saved from the clutches of a retard.

but think of how fast it would've been with that tree-fiddy!!!

later,sean