1999 S80-T6 Blown Head Gasket? Timing Belt Slip?

SimLyons · Post by **SimLyons** » 04 Jan 2014, 16:57

After replacing the timig belt and all associted pieces (tensioner, idler, etc) The car ran like new. It sounded like that proverbiable sewing machine. Not being to type the leave well enough alone, I thought now is a good time to take care of other 'not-so-important' issues. It seemed less important anyway.

My wife and I both detected the smell of raw gasoline, weak at first. So we assumed it was the old pickup i front of us. But it turned off and we kept going and the gasoline smell stayed with is.To make a long story shorter, i turned out to be the gas feed hose to the rack. I replaced the hose, orings on all injectors and the new supply line.

Back togehter and it sounded horribl. Think Chitty-chitty bang-bang"!!". It was popping out the rear of the engine by #6. It seemed to be in the area of the head gasket but could be anything in that area, I guess. But since I replace the timing belt within 100 miles, I thought of something coming off the track up there, too. I got no codes, but it ran too short to get a code.

Don't know if I should go after the head gasket, the timing belt or something else entirely.

Bluevanacd2005 · Post by **Bluevanacd2005** » 04 Jan 2014, 18:25

Any fluids leaking or mixing with each other? I would compression check it as a first step. If its not too much trouble you could pull the plastic timing cover to check that the belt hasn't jumped.

SimLyons · Post by **SimLyons** » 04 Jan 2014, 20:06

Thanks for that! It is next after one I thought of: Since it began out of the blue, AFTER I changed the rail (Which was a recycled special....auto recycler yard) I am suspecting there was junk/water in the rail which had to go in the injector(s). I'll pull them all out/off and put my old rail on, clean out the injectors and try that. If no action, compression check and timing belt check.

SimLyons · Post by **SimLyons** » 05 Jan 2014, 16:48

Checked and OK'd Fuel supply line, injectors, rail, MAF, Vacuum hoses. Next is compression check and timing belt. This is getting potentially serious!!

SimLyons · Post by **SimLyons** » 05 Jan 2014, 21:51

I sort of gave up a while ago. I checked the compression (without blocking the throttle open....a real PITA in this car) and it was great. 175 across all 6, plus or minus a couple of psi. Timing was dead on. Plugs were all black and sooty, gaps perfect (they should be, as I replaced only 500 miles ago). I can't really find anything wrong. So I'm having it towed to my indy guy to reprogram the 'new" used ETM and then run the diagnostics. Hopefully it won't be a bank-buster.