found source of white smoke!!

82 GT · 09-23-2002, 04:42 PM

For those of you who remember my previous post about smoke out the breather and white smoke out the tailpipe, I found the problem today. It's a blown head gasket! I pulled the dipstick and the oil didn't look quite right, I check the coolant and that was low...again...after I just filled it yesterday, then I pulled all the plugs on the side the smoke was coming from and saw a drop of antifreeze on the #5 plug. Anothe thing was the fact that my engine just didn't seem to idle quite right either.
Anyway, is there anything I can do while I have the heads off?

Kamaro Killer · 09-23-2002, 07:33 PM

while the heads are off, but congratulations on finding your problem, sometimes it just takes a little patience to find the problem. Take care, Keith.

88workcar · 09-23-2002, 08:48 PM

Have them serviced, checked for cracks, rebuilt. AND a 3 angle job, shaved .030, and do a little home porting, get a set of gaskets mark the ports and start cutting. You will be a happy camper when you finish.

82 GT · 09-23-2002, 09:50 PM

I started tearing the engine apart tonight. All I have to do tomorrow night is to remove the heads.
When I removed the intake, I noticed antifreeze down in the lifter galley and then started to wonder if it was a blown intake gasket and not a head gasket.
Would there still be coolant in that area if the head gasket blew?
That's part of the reason I didn't take the heads off tonight because I wanted to be sure I didn't take them off for nothing.

I just replaced the intake gaskets last summer when I took the intake off to paint it. I'm thinking that if I got a bad seal then it would have blown out by now.....wouldn't it?
What are some things that cause a head gasket to blow? It's never been overheated.

82 GT · 09-24-2002, 02:34 PM

Sooo..should I go ahead and pull the heads off to see if it was actually a head gasket and not just the intake gasket?
Any thoughts?

WADS56 · 09-24-2002, 02:47 PM

When you pull of the intake you will always get a few drops of coolent in there. Even if your head gaskets are fine and it was the intake it will only take a little more to get the heads off to be sure.

jim_howard_pdx · 09-24-2002, 09:45 PM

Absolutely! gasket match port your heads and intake. I am using the 1262 gasket set as my guide and performance is awesome.

If you blew the head gasket, you need to find what is making you lean out. It could be your ignition timeing is way high, it could be a carburetor issue. It could be poor gas. I just spun a bearing. When I tore down the engine I found 4 broken top rings. DETONATION. So I will cut back my ignition, run better fuel, and richen up my jets when I race.

Cut your double plain intake to match what Edelbrock does with their RPM air gap unit. They notch the divider to get better cylinder to cylinder mixture at high RPM. You can do this with a dye grinder and a bit, but make sure to smooth everything. No sharp edges anywhere around the air fuel system or you will get fuel separation issues.

I would gasket match the exhaust ports too. You might consider using a hooker competition style header in order to up your exhaust flow. Hopefully they ported the exhaust side really well. That is the weak point of a stock small block windsor head.

09-23-2002, 04:42 PM	#1
82 GT Import Slayer Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 2,241	found source of white smoke!! For those of you who remember my previous post about smoke out the breather and white smoke out the tailpipe, I found the problem today. It's a blown head gasket! I pulled the dipstick and the oil didn't look quite right, I check the coolant and that was low...again...after I just filled it yesterday, then I pulled all the plugs on the side the smoke was coming from and saw a drop of antifreeze on the #5 plug. Anothe thing was the fact that my engine just didn't seem to idle quite right either. Anyway, is there anything I can do while I have the heads off? __________________ '82 GT 351W (.060)Comp Cams 274* Extreme Energy cam, ported & polished heads w/ 1.94/1.60 valves 10.3:1 flat top pistons,stealth intake, Mallory dizzy,Holley 750dp carb, BBK shorties,Flowmaster exhaust,C-4 with 3700 stall converter, B&M pro shifter,8.8 rear, 4:10's, subframes, electric fan, powermaster alternator, 4 core radiator.

09-23-2002, 07:33 PM	#2
Kamaro Killer Mustang Enthusiast Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 528	I'm not sure of what you could do while the heads are off, but congratulations on finding your problem, sometimes it just takes a little patience to find the problem. Take care, Keith. __________________ 1993 GT 5.0-My Stang Rice Hater's Club Member 22

09-23-2002, 08:48 PM	#3
88workcar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Pierre Part, La. U.S.A. Posts: 1,850	Have them serviced, checked for cracks, rebuilt. AND a 3 angle job, shaved .030, and do a little home porting, get a set of gaskets mark the ports and start cutting. You will be a happy camper when you finish. __________________ 88workcar 1988 Mustang LX 342. 417rwhp @ 6800. 28 X 10 ET Drag, 4.30s, 10.69 @ 126.43 1.42 60ft. 11.13 @ 127.7 on BFGs 1.72 60ft Rice Hater # 42 To be old and wise, You must first be young and stupid I'm somewhere in tthe middle.

09-23-2002, 09:50 PM	#4
82 GT Import Slayer Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 2,241	I started tearing the engine apart tonight. All I have to do tomorrow night is to remove the heads. When I removed the intake, I noticed antifreeze down in the lifter galley and then started to wonder if it was a blown intake gasket and not a head gasket. Would there still be coolant in that area if the head gasket blew? That's part of the reason I didn't take the heads off tonight because I wanted to be sure I didn't take them off for nothing. I just replaced the intake gaskets last summer when I took the intake off to paint it. I'm thinking that if I got a bad seal then it would have blown out by now.....wouldn't it? What are some things that cause a head gasket to blow? It's never been overheated. __________________ '82 GT 351W (.060)Comp Cams 274* Extreme Energy cam, ported & polished heads w/ 1.94/1.60 valves 10.3:1 flat top pistons,stealth intake, Mallory dizzy,Holley 750dp carb, BBK shorties,Flowmaster exhaust,C-4 with 3700 stall converter, B&M pro shifter,8.8 rear, 4:10's, subframes, electric fan, powermaster alternator, 4 core radiator.

09-24-2002, 02:47 PM	#6
WADS56 gear banger Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: CHICAGO Posts: 1,144	When you pull of the intake you will always get a few drops of coolent in there. Even if your head gaskets are fine and it was the intake it will only take a little more to get the heads off to be sure. __________________ 79 Hatch: NA 347, Stage 2 Canfield Heads, Victor JR. Intake, Blueprinted Holley 750 HP, Solid Roller Cam, Shooting for 10's on motor 93 LX: Tremec, dual friction clutch, fms flywheel, Hedman shorties, O/R H-pipe Ricer hater's club member #49

09-24-2002, 02:34 PM	#5
82 GT Import Slayer Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 2,241	Sooo..should I go ahead and pull the heads off to see if it was actually a head gasket and not just the intake gasket? Any thoughts? __________________ '82 GT 351W (.060)Comp Cams 274* Extreme Energy cam, ported & polished heads w/ 1.94/1.60 valves 10.3:1 flat top pistons,stealth intake, Mallory dizzy,Holley 750dp carb, BBK shorties,Flowmaster exhaust,C-4 with 3700 stall converter, B&M pro shifter,8.8 rear, 4:10's, subframes, electric fan, powermaster alternator, 4 core radiator.

09-24-2002, 09:45 PM	#7
jim_howard_pdx Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Portland Oregon Posts: 247	Absolutely! gasket match port your heads and intake. I am using the 1262 gasket set as my guide and performance is awesome. If you blew the head gasket, you need to find what is making you lean out. It could be your ignition timeing is way high, it could be a carburetor issue. It could be poor gas. I just spun a bearing. When I tore down the engine I found 4 broken top rings. DETONATION. So I will cut back my ignition, run better fuel, and richen up my jets when I race. Cut your double plain intake to match what Edelbrock does with their RPM air gap unit. They notch the divider to get better cylinder to cylinder mixture at high RPM. You can do this with a dye grinder and a bit, but make sure to smooth everything. No sharp edges anywhere around the air fuel system or you will get fuel separation issues. I would gasket match the exhaust ports too. You might consider using a hooker competition style header in order to up your exhaust flow. Hopefully they ported the exhaust side really well. That is the weak point of a stock small block windsor head. __________________ 1966 Customized for daily street and highway domination. 358 Windsor running 425 HP C-4 Auto and 3.25 Posi

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