Head gasket just blew

[AngleT]

I hadn't driven the car since the IAP show and it was a beautiful evening, so I decided to take it out for a drive. I got about 2 miles from the house and the little "ticking" that I was straining to hear got very noticeable and all the power went out the window. Luckily, I was able to hobble it back home. Looks like I just found my winter project. Hopefully its just a head gasket and not something more serious.

 

[Black-Tooth]

Ouch... Ticking... like an exhaust leak?

But its the head gasket... that blew OUT the side?

So there was no temperature issue or loss of coolant?

If so... this is a strange one as I've not heard of this kind of failure on these engines ever...

Sorry for your trouble... but if that was ALL it was... then it need not be a winter project... but just a Saturday project.

 

[AngleT]

Temp stayed normal today,

But I did get it hot when I was at FFO this year on the Tail of the Dragon. I didn't investigate any further when I got it home and tried to salvage the evening by taking out the motorcycle instead.

It sounded like a header gasket leak, but it really lost power. I've got the compression bumped up quite a bit, so it's hard to say what has happened. I guess I should check the dip-stick for water. Would hate for water in the oil to make matters worse by sitting there for a week or two or three.

 

[Black-Tooth]

Yep... sounds like it blew out the side...

... and most likely you won't find water in the oil...

Just saying... MOST failures I've seen here with stockers is the gasket blowing out between cylinders 3 and 4 next to the water jacket with water filling up number 3 most of the time.

I think you may have one of the more "fortunate" failures... if there is such a thing... Again... sorry for your trouble, hope its minimal.

 

[eflexter]

!

Who really knows, but it may have been an over-tight valve that finally melted. The ticking would be compression blowing back into the intake manifold, or a spark knock in one cylinder from running lean.

Do a compression check.

 

[Rupunzell]

Image of the failed head gasket, where it failed and the associated block & head surfaces would be helpful to figure out what happened.

Don't wait too long to drain the pan and etc. If there is Mayo in the engine, it is possible more problems due to corrosion or clogged oil passages can develop.


Bernice

I hadn't driven the car since the IAP show and it was a beautiful evening, so I decided to take it out for a drive. I got about 2 miles from the house and the little "ticking" that I was straining to hear got very noticeable and all the power went out the window. Luckily, I was able to hobble it back home. Looks like I just found my winter project. Hopefully its just a head gasket and not something more serious.

 

[AngleT]

I did a little checking this morning

NO water in the oil! Thank goodness. I did a quick check of the spark plugs with no indication of the issue other than it has been running a little rich. Ran a vacuum check (like when balancing the the dual Weber's) and only #3 was low.

I ran out of time, but my next move is to check the compression. A little talcum power dust test to see where the leak is might hold some incite. Hopefully it's an exhaust/intake gasket leak and not a head gasket leak, but the compression check will answer that one.

 

[fiatmonkey]

NO water in the oil! Thank goodness. I did a quick check of the spark plugs with no indication of the issue other than it has been running a little rich. Ran a vacuum check (like when balancing the the dual Weber's) and only #3 was low.

I ran out of time, but my next move is to check the compression. A little talcum power dust test to see where the leak is might hold some incite. Hopefully it's an exhaust/intake gasket leak and not a head gasket leak, but the compression check will answer that one.

Fingers crossed Tom.

 

[RMarine]

bump for two reasons,

one to check your progress. Found any results?

Two, Playing around with my carb the other day, it started to run very funny. Looks like an internal coolant leak into the cylinders, none in the oil thank goodness. thought it was just a blown intake manifold gasket, so I went to put it in today, and sure enough, upon taking off the intake, there's coolant in the cylinders. So, I dried them out, cleaned all the gasket areas, put the new gasket it, tightened everything down and low and behold, IT'S STILL DOING!! So, I'm thinking I have a blown head gasket now. but, I don't understand how i blew a head gasket by just working on the carb. It seriously makes no freakin sense.

 

[JimD]

Did you put a new thermostat gasket in lately?

bump for two reasons,

one to check your progress. Found any results?

Two, Playing around with my carb the other day, it started to run very funny. Looks like an internal coolant leak into the cylinders, none in the oil thank goodness. thought it was just a blown intake manifold gasket, so I went to put it in today, and sure enough, upon taking off the intake, there's coolant in the cylinders. So, I dried them out, cleaned all the gasket areas, put the new gasket it, tightened everything down and low and behold, IT'S STILL DOING!! So, I'm thinking I have a blown head gasket now. but, I don't understand how i blew a head gasket by just working on the carb. It seriously makes no freakin sense.

Just a thought. On some heads there is an extra hole for the EGR (IIRC). If your head has this hole and the thermo gasket does not cover it, coolant will flow to unintended places. Check this thread:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/12159/message/1133320021/PICS+of+difference+in+stat+housing+gasket

 

[AngleT]

vacuum lines miss routed?

I haven't had a chance to do any further investigation into my problem, but the water in the cylinder problem has happened to me before due to a miss routed vacuum line into the coolant jacket in the intake (stock intake). Might take a look at that...

FYI... It'll take me some time to get to the car as my wife is due to deliver our new baby girl in 2 weeks! :grin: and I'm in the middle of building an extra bedroom.

 

[Black-Tooth]

WHOA Tom... Gotta rather FULL PLATE...

... going there...

Congrats... but other than timing contractions... you could stay and home and work on the car.

(hehehe!)

 

[AngleT]

just enough time to blink

I'm a stay-at-home Dad already and finding time to juggle it all seems almost impossible. I'll also be adding student to the list come January when I go back to school for my MBA. Somehow it manages to all get done, eventually. :music: