leaking intake gasket

[stamar]

Well my car sat for a long time recently.

and when I started it it misfired, and white smoke came out.

Fort minutes and then it ran ok. Overheated a bit.

It consumed water while sitting there, maybe a half gallon.

No water in the oil.

some black in the coolant, not oil actually but black ( like gasket bits ?)

tan gunk on the overflow tank.

I think i blew a very small hole in it months ago and if its driven daily its not noticeable.


What products have you used that work?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QT9KO6/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details

I ordered this one because its antifreeze compatible.

What would any of you do short of taking the head off? ( my timing belt has only 15k miles on it) would you tighten the bolts, or rebolt them?

What products have you had luck with that pour in?

[CarsSuck]

if your car is blowing white smoke and using coolant you have a bad head gasket or a cracked head (caused by over heating). the most economical fix would be a good used head.

don't put that shit in your motor.

Is it leaking coolant from somewhere?

[StinkE30]

I would replace your leaking gasket.

[stamar]

well on v engines if the intake part of the head gasket is bad you can actually put it on without taking off the head just loosening the bolts. you cut the gasket and glue it.

as far as replacing the gasket, I will wait until it gets worse but believe me I am shopping.

The main advice Im looking for is ways to improve it for now.

The gasket blew or was weakened months ago when I left it to idle and it blew a hose.

at this point it leaks and fouls a plug or two, but doesnt have tons of white smoke unless it sits for a week.

I have no sign that a whole half gallon leaked onto the ground that is what is weird. I do not see a leak anywhere.


I am going to do a full system flush, and replace the hoses because I have them. see if that improves it.

[jlevie]

It really does sound like you have a head gasket leak or a cracked head. I've never see "head repair in a bottle" successfully fix this sort of problem, but I have see the mess it makes in the cooling system.

Pull the head and take it a shop for checks & machining. Put it back on and be done with it.

[stamar]

well it seems to have gotten worse over a span of months, it had no symptoms after overheating, other than... it was really hard to bleed the system of air for some reason.

Eventually if it gets worse Ill take the heads off.

Its such a waste bc the t belt and the water pump are newish.

I have had temporary help from bars leak etc. on certain cars.

All the bottles of stuff work actually you can look at reviews. but they all fail in the long run.

I believe the one i ordered softens the gasket to make it stop a small hole, but brings about its ultimate demise.

[stamar]

ya well the intake part of the gasket is leaking coolant into the combustion chamber.

Thats the kind of leak most treatable by bottles of stuff or tightening.

As long as coolant is not getting into oil there is no actual emergency the gasket is shared but its two different things. takes some monitoring though.

I have heard that the way m20s are made that normally oil leaks into coolant

I have a feeling the stuff I ordered will instantly fix it, like about 90% of purchasers claimed.

And not last very long. possibly gum up the radiator.

breaking news found a coolant leaking from a hose. white smoke is running rich.

misfiring cold is i dont know.

[dnguyen1963]

Trust me...do not put that stuff in your engine or you will spend many hours cleaning it up. Search YouTube to see some of the pictures inside the coolant system after someone put that stuff in. It is almost impossible to verify the 90% of "purchasers".

[jlevie]

well it seems to have gotten worse over a span of months, it had no symptoms after overheating, other than... it was really hard to bleed the system of air for some reason.

I suspect that the problems you had bleeding the engine were a symptom of damage. Namely air being pumped into the cooling system.

[CarsSuck]

I suspect that the problems you had bleeding the engine were a symptom of damage. Namely air being pumped into the cooling system.

I was thinking the same thing. The black shit that's "not oil" is combustion gases/product.