One last post before i let the macanic rob me blind

[niik000]

Ok, so my car (3.4 camaro) is broke. I will now tell you a long story, to see if anyone can give me any advice before i take it to the macanic and they do this to me and my empty wallet::spank:

It started making a knocking sound in the low and mid RPM range. It got worse, my car started having a burning smell every time i drove it. and it felt more and more sluggish as the sound got louder. then one night it conked out in my friend's driveway, with wight smoke. I struggled and got it home, it was real rough. the next day i messed around with one of the spark plug connections, it started driving fine for a day and the sound slowly came back, until it stalled out on me again. So i thought maby i have a bad spark plug connection, so i changed all the spark plugs and all of the wires. the old ones were gaped all wrong. I test drove it afterwords, and after a while the sound came back and i had wight smoke coming out of the hood. Haven't drove it scene. and i'm sick of driving my dad's piece of crap ford truck.

The mechanic is probably going to want to pull apart my top end, and charge me at least a grand right? can anyone give me some advice?

[hockeyman]

Re: One last post before i let the macanic rob me blind

Where exactly is the white smoke coming from? I know it's from under the hood, but when you pop the hood, where is it's source?

Any pics?

[Blizzard242]

Re: One last post before i let the macanic rob me blind

My guess is LIM or head gasket. Learn how to change it yourself? That'd be an excuse for me to get some new heads or to at least get the old ones off to PnP.

[niik000]

Re: One last post before i let the macanic rob me blind

Where exactly is the white smoke coming from? I know it's from under the hood, but when you pop the hood, where is it's source?

Any pics?

it was coming out of the intake, and leaking through the ERG's gaskets (i had to take the ERG off to get to the plugs, didn't change the gaskets, now i think i should have)

[niik000]

Re: One last post before i let the macanic rob me blind

My guess is LIM or head gasket. Learn how to change it yourself? That'd be an excuse for me to get some new heads or to at least get the old ones off to PnP.

yah, i would love to put a 3400 top end on it actually.

[97rs4life]

Re: One last post before i let the macanic rob me blind

yea a head gasket or intake gasket let loose on ya. the knocking sound is never a good thing and you are probably messing your bottom end up with the coolant getting in there.

it drives alright for a bit as the coolant hasn't entered your engine yet. Once the thermostat opens you have your issues...

[niik000]

Re: One last post before i let the macanic rob me blind

yea a head gasket or intake gasket let loose on ya. the knocking sound is never a good thing and you are probably messing your bottom end up with the coolant getting in there.

it drives alright for a bit as the coolant hasn't entered your engine yet. Once the thermostat opens you have your issues...

so you think it's deffinantly not something wrong with a lifter or something? just the gasket?

[hockeyman]

Re: One last post before i let the macanic rob me blind

so you think it's deffinantly not something wrong with a lifter or something? just the gasket?

A gasket would be my guess.
If it were me, I'd replace the lower intake manifold gasket, upper intake manifold gaskets, and head gaskets.

[Choppers]

Re: One last post before i let the macanic rob me blind

yea i would say replace the lower,upper intake manifold gaskets along with head gaskets. Hopefully the bottom end will be fine.

[niik000]

Re: One last post before i let the macanic rob me blind

if i had a second car i would find a 3400 FWD top end and just do the top end swap while the old top end was off, but i cant, my dad needs his daily driver back so the vette can chill in the driveway like usual. So i think i'm letting the macanic do this one.