Thread: 101 V8 Died (3.5l)

that is a stroke of bad luck mate, before you remove the heads do a compression check if you want to check the rings as this is the indicator for worn rings, although if you have a blown head gasket or slipped liner you will be low on compression on those cylinders.

If you cant check the compression, if it ran allright and had little blow by the rings should be ok, so work out if its the water pump or head gasket, get them machined as they will most likely be warped.

compression test followed by a leak down test. you might get lucky and have only done one head.

providing the block/head isnt RS and you dont take too long getting the rework started you might get away without ring problems.

in the mean time rip the plugs out and drop some oil down there.

I drove it home late yesterday and was driving OK with no indication that there was a problem - the temp was a little high but where it sits on a 40 degree day. Started this morning no problems then 300m later when doing a U turn she started missing and the white steamy smoke appeared. It will not run when hot but will start fine and run OK when cold - as it warms up it starts to run rough and the exhaust starts to become white. It is only then that the coolant starts to drip down from the engine.

The leak is not actually from radiator hose or the water pump but from the back of the engine on the passenger side so, have now checked where the leak is from - not from the pump or radiator hoses but is coming out of the LPG bit that delivers the gas to the air intake but it has no direction connection to the cooling system. On pulling a few things off, the coolant is coming through the gas hose from the thingy that heats up the gas which is connected to the cooling system. So as the engine is sucking coolant into the the engine via the air system - this sort of explains the symptoms of a blown head gasket as water tends to extinguish the fires inside the engine and come out the exhaust as steam.

I disconnected the gas hose so the coolant would not go into the engine and started up - after a bit of cranking it started and ran fine with no white smoke - however there does seem to be more blue smoke than usual but the engine was only warm and it does blow a little smoke when cold due to worn valve sealing.

So is the $64,000 question is whether the engine was actually damaged due to low coolant levels when running on a 40c day. I will plug off the coolant to the LPG heater tomorrow and go for a run - I guess the absence of a smoke trail will indicate all is OK and if I smoke everything out well I need to look further. I will try to do a compression test but it is hard to get at the spark plug holes with a a gauge.

Garry

Hi Garry,

How much coolant did it lose originally? If it was only a litre or so and you weren't flogging it I wouldn't worry about doing a compression test (they always seem to cause depression ) if it runs the same as it did before and is not pressurising the cooling system.

Gas convertors are pretty cheap. What sort is it? I think a new big Impco one for my POS is only about $150.

Your findings are making me think I should get a newy because the current one has done about 400,000.

cheers, DL

Originally Posted by 350RRC

Hi Garry,

How much coolant did it lose originally?

Gas convertors are pretty cheap. What sort is it?

Not sure exactly as I used the hose to fill the radiator backup but my guess is nearly empty.

Not sure what sort of converter as I have never actually seen it - it is hidden in a compartment up in the front wheel arch. I will remove both components and get the LPG guy to put kits through them.

Thanks

Garry

Id do the compression and leakdown tests...

if your lucky the worst youve done is shorten the life of the headgasket.

if unlucky youve started the process for the softening of the head/block.

Garry
You have a Impco gas convertor and they have a bad habit of
corroding though if coolant has not been used at some stage of the motors life.
Remove the two cooling system hoses running to the gas convertor at the gas convertor end and join them together with fittings and another hose.
Top up the cooling system and test drive.(On petrol)
If the convertor is corroded though, there is usually water drop lets present in the lowest parts of the large gas vapour supply hose to the gas mixer.
I hope it is the problem as it is a easy fix.

Garry, It is lucky you had a 3.5, can't kill them with a big stick

Drive it a bit more before making a decision, steam will clean heaps of carbon etc from the engine and the exhaust system, I would guess that the residual smoke could be that?

Good luck

JC