Blew a head gasket

[04RiceEater]

So about a week ago I started noticing a funny smell inside the car. I though maybe i hit a dead animal or a plastic bag had melted to my exhaust ( both I have had happen before). The smell got worse the next day and my windshield kept fogging up. I spoke to my buddy and he said my heater core must be shot.

The car sat for about 2 days and I topped off the coolent and was going to drive about 8 miles to a shop that was going to take a look at it for me. About 2 miles down the road I see the car starting to overheat and see steam/smoke comin through the AC vents. I shut the car down and pop the hood, there is coolent sprayed everywhere and smoke/steam coming from the engine. I got it towed to the shop and they say I have a cracked heater core and blown head gaskets.

My only mods are OR x pipe, catback. Intake and tune. Stock pulley. I hardly ever go WOT. Any one got any info on why this could of happened. BTW tune is a mail tune from bama tunes.

 

[Torrance]

Any smoke from the exhaust or milky oil?

If your heater core was leaking, losing coolant and you added coolant without proper burping, I could see the overheating issue, but not a blown head gasket.

Is this a shop you know and trust? Maybe loop/ bypass around the heater core, fill with coolant, burp it right and see if the problem persists, if no smoke from exhaust or milky oil.

 

[03cobraracer]

yeah i would def make sure before replacing head gaskets thats not cheap. could be a really bad leak somewhere plus core is cracked. sounds weird... would def check oil to milky look or coolant smell.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

So about a week ago I started noticing a funny smell inside the car. I though maybe i hit a dead animal or a plastic bag had melted to my exhaust ( both I have had happen before). The smell got worse the next day and my windshield kept fogging up. I spoke to my buddy and he said my heater core must be shot.

The car sat for about 2 days and I topped off the coolent and was going to drive about 8 miles to a shop that was going to take a look at it for me. About 2 miles down the road I see the car starting to overheat and see steam/smoke comin through the AC vents. I shut the car down and pop the hood, there is coolent sprayed everywhere and smoke/steam coming from the engine. I got it towed to the shop and they say I have a cracked heater core and blown head gaskets.

My only mods are OR x pipe, catback. Intake and tune. Stock pulley. I hardly ever go WOT. Any one got any info on why this could of happened. BTW tune is a mail tune from bama tunes.

Car never over heated before?
Is the electric cooling fan functioning? It should come on when the A/C is turned on, if it doesn't there is a problem.

Ask them how they determined it is a blown head gasket? In other words what method did they use to determine there is a blown head gasket.

A blown head gasket will over pressurize the cooling system and blow out older semi-weakened(from old age and corrosion) heater cores.

 

[04RiceEater]

He did a test and said that it was blowing coolent back out of the system and so determined it was a blown head gasket.

 

[04RiceEater]

I didn't have any smoke or milky oil.

 

[MysticRob]

I didn't have any smoke or milky oil.

Damn Jack, that sucks to hear. Sounds like the gasket was blown between a cylinder and coolant passage then. I agree with what Jimmy said about the 10yr old heater core blowing too. Change the heater core, slap a new head gasket on whichever side they discovered the gasket is blown on, and you should be good to go.

EDIT: Jack, how did you top off the coolant? And are you sure it was overheating, i.e. was the temp gauge indicating it, or were you only going by the steam escaping from under the hood? I ask because (and someone correct me if wrong) it might've NOT overheated if you filled the overflow tank and not the coolant cross-over line. It might've just been releasing the overfill from the tank IF that's how you filled it.

I'm thinking the heater core being blown makes sense, but it may have simply been old age, and not over-pressurization from a blown head gasket. I'd make damn sure the shop diagnosed it properly by pressurizing each cylinder to discover where the gasket is supposedly blown. And did they actually say both gaskets are blown? That just doesn't make much sense.

 

[Rick James]

What Jimmy said. I think the heater core replacement is actually more of a PITA than the HG in these cars. Good luck.

 

[04RiceEater]

So I topped off the coolent just with a few cups of tap water(didn't measure or n e thing) and yes the gauge was pegged so I knew it was over heating.

 

[MysticRob]

So I topped off the coolent just with a few cups of tap water(didn't measure or n e thing) and yes the gauge was pegged so I knew it was over heating.

Wells that sucks. It all fits then -- sounds like head gasket took out the core then. I was hoping for you. Keep us updated please. :uh oh:

 

[04RiceEater]

Yea I'm getting it fixed and getting ARP head studs and Felpro gaskets.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

Yea I'm getting it fixed and getting ARP head studs and Felpro gaskets.

Do you know WHY the head gaskets blew?

If not how are you going to prevent the next set from blowing?

It's not because of not having head studs that is for sure.

 

[04RiceEater]

I was told the heater core went out and the car over heated? As soon as the car is put back together I am going to get it on the dyno and get a good tune. Don't know what else to do?

 

[Rick James]

These cooling systems are some tricky F'ers to get air out of if it ever gets in there. Do a search on here for "burping coolant system" or something and read up on it. Make sure the shop burps the system correctly after all is said and done.....

 

[mysteed]

Did they run a block vapor test?

 

[hotcobra03]

are you sure shop burped it if bypassing heatercore..mine blew in pa heading to far south texas it ran hot with 4 adults and luggage..fog city..bypassed when home,drove 2 yrs more before valve issue,,

i dont trust anyone to touch ours,,the couple we did,still had issues after,,so i learned,,cant yell at myself