Same Problem after head gasket replacement...

Post by **mrreilly** » 03 Sep 2008, 21:37

We over the past few months i finally got the head gasket replaced and everything back together. I made very well sure that I put everything back how it should be. after starting the car up and letting it run to normal temps it started blowing white smoke out again... Still not drivable... Now it looks like it time to get rid of it. I could try some of that stuff to stop and possible leaks from a cracked head or block, but that's too good to be true I'm sure.
Any last suggestions before I can this one?
Anyone want it as a fix up car?

Post by **vegasjetskier** » 04 Sep 2008, 05:25

Try a can of this stuff. It worked well on my stepson's old Pontiac Sunbird. Be sure to follow the directions exactly or it won't work.

http://www.barsproducts.com/1100.htm

instarx · Post by **instarx** » 04 Sep 2008, 14:33

Looks like you might have a cracked head or a cracked block. Try a product called Thermagasket. I had a blown head gasket in my diesel truck and as a last resort tried it and it worked! The other things I tried, like Barrs, didn't do anything. On the downside, the repair only lasted six months, but it was on a high-compression 6.5 liter diesel engine with a very bad gasket leak (it would blow all the water out within 10 miles).

I suspect on a low compression gas engine like in the Volvos the Thermagasket repair might really be permanent.

However, I would never do a repair that I thought was temporary just to foist it off on an unsuspecting buyer. I'm not saying you would do that, but I would only use a product like Thermagasket if I were going to keep the car at least a year after treatment..

madorion · Post by **madorion** » 04 Sep 2008, 19:01

Got any coolant in the oil? Milk Chocolate colored oil? (It seem like it's in the low pressure/suction side of the engine(water jacket averages 11-13psi) pushing itself into the combustion area). Is it white smoke all the time or just on start? Is the engine temps higher than normal or normal? Got any oil in your coolant?

bobsnow100 · Post by **bobsnow100** » 04 Sep 2008, 19:09

Make sure it is not just leftover coolant evaporating out the exhasut and muffler. It can take a while for it to burn out. The anti freeze in the exhaust can wreck your O2 sensor. Did your coolant level go down?

Post by **mrreilly** » 04 Sep 2008, 23:38

vegasjetskier wrote:Try a can of this stuff. It worked well on my stepson's old Pontiac Sunbird. Be sure to follow the directions exactly or it won't work.

http://www.barsproducts.com/1100.htm

I look and see if autozone has some tomorrow. Thanks for the advice!

instarx wrote:Looks like you might have a cracked head or a cracked block. Try a product called Thermagasket. I had a blown head gasket in my diesel truck and as a last resort tried it and it worked! The other things I tried, like Barrs, didn't do anything. On the downside, the repair only lasted six months, but it was on a high-compression 6.5 liter diesel engine with a very bad gasket leak (it would blow all the water out within 10 miles).

I suspect on a low compression gas engine like in the Volvos the Thermagasket repair might really be permanent.

However, I would never do a repair that I thought was temporary just to foist it off on an unsuspecting buyer. I'm not saying you would do that, but I would only use a product like Thermagasket if I were going to keep the car at least a year after treatment..

I did inspect the head when I had it out of the car, and also checked the block as much as I could. No signs of cracking. But I'll check out that Thermagasket too. Thanks!

madorion wrote:Got any coolant in the oil? Milk Chocolate colored oil? (It seem like it's in the low pressure/suction side of the engine(water jacket averages 11-13psi) pushing itself into the combustion area). Is it white smoke all the time or just on start? Is the engine temps higher than normal or normal? Got any oil in your coolant?

I'm not too sure about any coolant in the oil. I did just put fresh oil in, but I'll check that out tomorrow as well. The white smoke doesn't start coming out until the engine has run for a little while. Maybe about 10 or 15 minutes when I started it last Saturday. The temps looked normal to me as well. And lastly I didn't see any oil in the coolant.

bobsnow100 wrote:Make sure it is not just leftover coolant evaporating out the exhasut and muffler. It can take a while for it to burn out. The anti freeze in the exhaust can wreck your O2 sensor. Did your coolant level go down?

That is possible that it is leftover coolant. How long do you think it would take to pass? And I don't think there was a drop in coolant.

Thanks for everyone's advice and suggestions. I'll have some time to work on it and check things over tomorrow evening, so I'll get back here and post my findings. More help/suggestions are very welcome!

instarx · Post by **instarx** » 05 Sep 2008, 03:41

White smoke after it warms up doesn't sound like a cracked block or head to me. Usually the smoke tends to lessen or go away as the block heats up and the crack closes. Did you ever check the compression in the cylinders?

I suppose it could be coolant in the exhaust that will eventually go away. I'd run the engine and let it smoke while keeping a close eye on coolant level and temperature. If it is still smoking after ten miles of highway speed you still have a leak (take your cellphone and a couple of gallons of water with you!). It can be embarrassing driving the car down the highway like that, so put on some sunglasses.

The way to check for coolant in the oil is by looking on the dipstick. If there are small white beads on it that is bad. Also, check to see if the oil level is rising. As coolant leaks into the oil, it settles to the bottom and makes your oil level look higher.

BTW, the Thermagasket I mentioned can only be gotton online from autorx.com

madorion · Post by **madorion** » 05 Sep 2008, 08:22

Hi All,
For the white smoke to start after 10-14 minutes, that would be indicative
of a pressurized leak from the now heated cooling system. You can try running the vehicle with the coolant cap loose to keep the system from pressurizing(be advised that these systems are designed to run pressurized) To see if the white smoke issue still occurs. Carry extra coolant if you do try to do this(try it on a cool day).
Compressed exhaust gasses in the coolant system can be checked by overfilling your coolant reservoir and after a sufficient warm up, bubbles will appear and as you add rpm, increase in rate. Be warned the coolant will expand and overflow as it is heated.

sony2000 · Post by **sony2000** » 05 Sep 2008, 09:52

Add a new coolant tank cap to your list of things to do, to prevent over pressurization.

Post by **mrreilly** » 07 Sep 2008, 20:52

I decided to go with some Bar Leaks Head Gasket Repair. I've got the cooling system flushed but now I just need to do the rest of the job. I probably won't get to it til Friday, but we'll see how busy I am with school and work. I'll let everyone know how it works. This is my last resort...