It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

[flamingchicken]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

op, you can buy a compression tester for really cheap or rent one from oreilly's or the like. just pull your fuel pump relay before you do it. or the engine will start. as far as the leak. pressure test it.

[Bird_Of_Prey]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

I'm really kind of annoyed at this point. This post completely contradicts your previous post on this same topic. You said the oil was milky before indicating a mixture with coolant. You said it was blowing tons of white smoke out of the exhaust indicating that water was being introduced into the combustion chamber. Take the car to a COMPETANT shop. Whatever cousin ****ing hill billy you have working on this doesn't know his ******* from a hole in the ground if he can't find a pouring water leak. I'll still lay 5-1 that the motor is blown.

[Mogobs30th]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

I'm really kind of annoyed at this point. This post completely contradicts your previous post on this same topic. You said the oil was milky before indicating a mixture with coolant. You said it was blowing tons of white smoke out of the exhaust indicating that water was being introduced into the combustion chamber. Take the car to a COMPETANT shop. Whatever cousin ****ing hill billy you have working on this doesn't know his ******* from a hole in the ground if he can't find a pouring water leak. I'll still lay 5-1 that the motor is blown.

There's the Tom we all know and love...:D

[espey_16]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

You could get some dye and add to your water then find the leak with a black light.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

I'm really kind of annoyed at this point. This post completely contradicts your previous post on this same topic. You said the oil was milky before indicating a mixture with coolant. You said it was blowing tons of white smoke out of the exhaust indicating that water was being introduced into the combustion chamber. Take the car to a COMPETANT shop. Whatever cousin ****ing hill billy you have working on this doesn't know his ******* from a hole in the ground if he can't find a pouring water leak. I'll still lay 5-1 that the motor is blown.

Getting annoyed isn't going to get my car running any sooner... I understand what you're saying though. The first mechanic who took a look at it inspected the oil and said it was milky... The guy who's currently looking at it, showed me it wasn't milky after draining it and finding no antifreeze. If coolant is leaking down a hot engine block at the rate it was, it could easily steam under the car while moving and APPEAR to be coming from the exhaust, when in reality is coming from under the car... I'm not saying there was never steam coming from the exhaust or that the headgasket ISN'T blown, but there's a chance it might still be intact.

We found the leak, or atleast what was most likely the primary leak. One of the coolant elbows behind the alternator was completely MISSING... thats probably where the leak to the ground was coming from.

Is the headgasket blown? I'm not sure yet because it still could have overheated and popped it.

I'll be finding out on Wednesday.

[96blackmaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

So, it was exactly as I said. Someone mentioned it in the other thread as well.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

So, it was exactly as I said. Someone mentioned it in the other thread as well.

Yeah, it's just the only other thing Im concerned about is, why it didn't crank... and also why it ran so sluggish after I got it back from the mechanic who installed my fuel pump. He said he had to modify my fuel bucket. It was a racetronix pump he installed and he was also supposed to install a sending unit for my fuel gauge. My fuel gauge still didnt work, and my car felt a bit more sluggish after I got it back. No 3rd to 2nd downshift, wasn't misfiring but it did bog down alot.

Do you think he could have installed it wrong somehow?

[Bird_Of_Prey]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

Quit asking the same question over and over and over and over again rainman. Have you done a compression check yet? No. It doesn't matter in the least how the fuel pump is installed right now if the motor is blown. Do a compression check and see if the cylinders are holding pressure. I swapped my V6 to an LS1 faster than you've identified what is wrong with your engine.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

Quit asking the same question over and over and over and over again rainman. Have you done a compression check yet? No. It doesn't matter in the least how the fuel pump is installed right now if the motor is blown. Do a compression check and see if the cylinders are holding pressure. I swapped my V6 to an LS1 faster than you've identified what is wrong with your engine.

#1. I already said, I am going to have to wait till Wednesday to do any further repairs and tests. I've found the primary leak wasn't due to a faulty headgasket, it was a coolant elbow that was draining coolant to the side of the head...but it wasnt the head that was leaking, I'm not saying there isnt a bad headgasket at this point, but the primary leak was definately the coolant elbow. When it overheated, it possibly COULD have taken a gasket with it... which could be one reason its not starting... but I wont know till tomorrow. If I had followed your advice without further inspection because you can't sit still until I can figure out what the heck is wrong, never would have found the missing coolant elbow, spent $200 on a new headgasket and guess what...I would still be leaking coolant all over the place...

#2. I'm not here to win any popularity contests, your LS1 swap time means nothing to me... If I could have got it done sooner, I would have but I'm budgeted for college.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

Okay...

Fuel Pressure tested good
Compression tested good
No Coolant leaks

First start, it CRANKED! Drove it around a bit but it still bogs down hard and no real power... Not sure why... It drove EXACTLY the way it did before the incident happened, right after I got it back from the mechanic who installed my fuel pump.... Also btw I wasnt detecting any pressure on my evap line... this is normal right?

Second start, The starter turns but the motor will not run period. It will crank and crank but as soon as the starter hands it over to the engine, it will either not run period, or idle very rough for a second and die instantly... Also the engine bay smells like gasoline... But this could also be from unburned fuel from trying to crank it and failing after priming so many times...

I'm not sure whats wrong here... Maybe I do have a blown gasket but the thing is, if I blew it, it could have only been blown from overheating, but I was having symptoms like these before I overheated...

[Bird_Of_Prey]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

#1. I already said, I am going to have to wait till Wednesday to do any further repairs and tests. I've found the primary leak wasn't due to a faulty headgasket, it was a coolant elbow that was draining coolant to the side of the head...but it wasnt the head that was leaking, I'm not saying there isnt a bad headgasket at this point, but the primary leak was definately the coolant elbow. When it overheated, it possibly COULD have taken a gasket with it... which could be one reason its not starting... but I wont know till tomorrow. If I had followed your advice without further inspection because you can't sit still until I can figure out what the heck is wrong, never would have found the missing coolant elbow, spent $200 on a new headgasket and guess what...I would still be leaking coolant all over the place...

#2. I'm not here to win any popularity contests, your LS1 swap time means nothing to me... If I could have got it done sooner, I would have but I'm budgeted for college.

You missed my point by a country mile. If you stopped playing around on the internet and asking the same questions repeatedly until you got the answer you wanted to hear, you could have fixed it.

#1. I'm not there in person. I can only go off of what you post to HELP you identify what's wrong with your piece of **** car. If you don't want people to offer HELP and DIRECTION, don't post.

#2. We aren't having a popularity contest you miserable prick. I was making a point that you're wasting time looking at the wrong problem.

#3. Have fun taking the bus douchebag.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

You missed my point by a country mile. If you stopped playing around on the internet and asking the same questions repeatedly until you got the answer you wanted to hear, you could have fixed it.

#1. I'm not there in person. I can only go off of what you post to HELP you identify what's wrong with your piece of **** car. If you don't want people to offer HELP and DIRECTION, don't post.

#2. We aren't having a popularity contest you miserable prick. I was making a point that you're wasting time looking at the wrong problem.

#3. Have fun taking the bus douchebag.

lol I love how you're calling me the miserable prick and you're the guy calling 3rd grade names on a message board.

As far as my questions go, I was asking them at the point to figure out what I needed to diagnose. I couldn't work on the car every day, and I really couldnt start working on it until just recently. It wasn't near me at all. It was never sitting in my driveway and I'm more often than not too busy to get tied up into it.

What if I go and spend the money on the headgaskets to find out that wasnt the problem... I can't afford that right now... I have to move in a week and I also have to pay for college on top of that... I'm trying to pinpoint exactly whats wrong because I can't afford to bounce between problems...

and so far without your help at all, I've already fixxed one problem...

I've already stated I can only go by what I know. And from what I see, there IS a possability my headgaskets could still be intact and I'm not wasting $300 - $500 to repair them if I don't have to do it...

btw - sounds like you need to take heed to your own advice on #2... ...if you dislike of my posts, you don't need to respond to them...

[Cool81z28]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

I doubt it is a head gasket if the compression is good on all cylinders. How did you check the fuel pressure. You can have fuel pressure without fuel volume. If you checked while sitting at idle you may have enough volume reaching the injectors to show pressure but when you put it under load and the engine requires more fuel you may not have enough volume to sustain the pressure and thus you starve the engine of fuel.

There may be a blockage or restiction in the fuel pick up, lines, or filter. Also since there was work done on the fuel system there may be debris in the injectors also.

I'm no expert. But it is just food for thought.

[Need4Camaro]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

I doubt it is a head gasket if the compression is good on all cylinders. How did you check the fuel pressure. You can have fuel pressure without fuel volume. If you checked while sitting at idle you may have enough volume reaching the injectors to show pressure but when you put it under load and the engine requires more fuel you may not have enough volume to sustain the pressure and thus you starve the engine of fuel.

There may be a blockage or restiction in the fuel pick up, lines, or filter. Also since there was work done on the fuel system there may be debris in the injectors also.

I'm no expert. But it is just food for thought.

I was thinking of the fuel pickup line aswell. I was told Racetronix fuel pickup lines arent very friendly to install and the mechanic could have kinked it during installation... While being less major than a headgasket, is still going to be a ***** to repair. I'm thinking of cutting a hole to the tank this time...

[Rob Bell]

Re: It turns out my headgaskets didn't blow... but whats this leak from?

I would definitely try doing the pressure test under load before anything else.