spurts of water from tail pipe

[billygeg]

I have a 85 I am restoring. I got the car running good with no codes but notice that there is a awful lot of white smoke from the tail pipes and water dripping even after the car is warm. When I hit the gas hard the water actually spurts out of the pipes and leaves a small puddle! The water is clear but like I said, It does it even after the car is warm Is this normal or do I have a head gasket problem?

 

[wagon]

One of the things that comes out of your exhaust is water. It is usually in the form of vapor and is not seen. If you have only run the car for a little while at a time, it may be accumulating more than normal in your exhaust/muffler. If the water is clear, then it will probably all evaporate out once you run it for a while.
But, if you are running straight water instead of antifreeze, then who knows, maybe a head gasket leak.

 

[1dollardog]

Wagon summed it up. All cars will throw out a little water but it is only condensation in the pipes. I wouldn't worry unless it is a huge amount and there is alot of steam from the pipe. Keep an eye on your coolant level and if it seems to be going down then it may be something to worry about but I don't think so at this point.

 

[billygeg]

Thanks guys..Yeah its got me alittle worried because I bought this car not knowing any history of it. I got it for a steal so I didnt ask too many questions...Anyway, The car has not been driven in god knows how long..I got it running and let it run almost everyday for 5-10 minutes. I cant drive it yet till I fix a brake line leak. I do get white smoke and clear water but I am running antifreeze. If it was a head gasket wouldnt the water be black or greeen? or a mixture? The thing that worries me is that it will continue to drip water after its fully warm. Like I said, I let it run for 10 minutes or so and it still drips. The coolant level is low but I have a thermostat housing leak that I have to fix first in order to be able to check if its going down because of a head gasket. Any other symptoms that I should look for if the head gasket is blown?
Thanks again!
Bill

 

[wagon]

Fix the leak, and watch to see if the level drops. Even without bad head gaskets it may continue to drop for a while if you have air in the system. Does the exhaust smell sweet? No, the water coming out wouldn't be green. It would have to be a MAJOR leak for that. If it is clear, and you aren't driving it, it is still probably just water. You may have alot in the exhaust, and without driving it, you just aren't getting it hot enough to evaporate all of it, and also as long as it is running, it is making more.
Get the brake line fixed, check out everything else and start driving it. If it continues after that, then you'll know.

 

[burnout]

My car pours out water when cold and I also questioned it.. Get the car running good and let that be the least of your concerns. Keep an eye on coolant level for cracked block issues.

Dave

 

[novaderrik]

you have to get the car nice and warm- and idling in the driveway for 5-10 minutes will not do that. you need to get it out on the road for a good 20 mile cruise to get not only the engine but also the entire exhaust system up to temp and evaporate all the water in the pipes and muflers.

 

[chrisgarrett]

Starting the car and letting it idle for 10 minutes is probably the cause of the water puddling. Water is released as part of the combustion process. When you let the car idle for such a short time, you're not giving the system sufficient time to heat up and burn the water off. When you turn off the car after only 10 minutes, the water is remaining in the exhaust system.

 

[O SO LO]

you have to get the car nice and warm- and idling in the driveway for 5-10 minutes will not do that. You need to get it out on the road for a good 20 mile cruise to get not only the engine but also the entire exhaust system up to temp and evaporate all the water in the pipes and muflers.

x 2 ...

 

[novaderrik]

also, grab a drill and put a couple of 1/8" holes at the lowest points in the mufflers and exhaust pipes- this will allow any water to drain out instead of causing things to rot from the inside out. any decent aftermarket muffler will have the drain holes these days.
just make sure you put a little dab of high heat paint in the freshly drilled holes to stop rust from starting there.

 

[billygeg]

Hi
I have 2 aftermarket mufflers on the car no. Dont know which brand they are but they look like flowmasters. Hopefully not because I heard flowmasters arent that great of a setup for this car. Anyway, Where should I drill the holds? At the lowest points on the sides of the mufflers near the inlet and outlets or on the bottom?
Thanks! Bill