Coolant (lots!) in Exhaust

[eurolife]

If coolant is leaking into a cylinder with an open valve, it will run out of the exhaust if the leak is large.

Care to explain this further?

[EthirtyIS]

if the engine will not turn over, its most likely hydrolocked, pull the plugs and look in the cyl, if theres puddles of coolant, its done. you probably bent a rod, and the whole rotating assy needs to come out. at this point, you are better off tring to find a good Ix M20, or striping down your block and rebuilding it with a normal M20's intearnals. im aware i cant spell for shit, but thats why im a mechanic, not a english teacher. lol good luck

[jlevie]

Care to explain this further?

I really should have said that "it can run out of the exhaust".

If a piston is near the top of it's stroke with the exhaust valve partially open and there is a large leak on that cylinder, coolant can fill the cylinder and drain out the exhaust port. You don't see that too often, but it can happen. The other, similar, case is a pretty good sized leak allowing coolant to be sucked into the cylinder and pumped out the exhaust port. Most of the exhaust is pretty level so coolant can collect there and slowly drain out once the engine is shut off.

[SmokeE30]

Are you sure it's coming out of the exhaust? Like others have said its possible but not likely that the car would run pumping coolant through the cylinders to the exhaust, could it be that it's simply leaking under the car ?

[eurolife]

Are you sure it's coming out of the exhaust? Like others have said its possible but not likely that the car would run pumping coolant through the cylinders to the exhaust, could it be that it's simply leaking under the car ?

It's definitely coming out of the exhaust, and literally has a small stream come out of the exhaust tips.

[eurolife]

So just an update on this, and another question....

I finally pulled the head yesterday. From what I can see, both the head and head gasket look good, but I'm no expert. So I'm getting the head checked by a professional this week.

So I guess my question is...

If the head is fine, and the head gasket was fine, what else would have caused such a large coolant leak?

[jlevie]

A cracked block is a possibility, but that is highly unlikely. The head or gasket is the most likely cause.

[eurolife]

This look like a crap Victor Reinz headgasket to you guys?

[nando]

My vr headgasket did the same thing - puked all my coolant out the exhaust, and quite quickly. I happened to be lucky enough that i was only a couple blocks from home.

But, on mine the cylinder that went bad was steamed perfectly clean. I don't see any evidence of that in your picture. Maybe cylinder number 6?

[eurolife]

Cylinder 6 definitely dumped a ton of coolant out when I lifted the head, I think there was a little bit in 3 or 4, cant remember which though.