New Engine Problem - Any Ideas?

[TurboJunky]

First and foremost I've owned these cars for the better part of 25 years but am not a tech guru.

Last night after a couple hard runs my car seemed to lose a cylinder and it was blowing white smoke as I drove and applied some power. After limping it home the car idled but was clearly missing on one cylinder and when revving it up would blow a significant amount of white smoke clearly from burnt oil out of the valve cover breathers. It's not acting as if I have a blown head gasket as they normally let go outward and I have no external leaks or cylinder compressing exiting externally. It was also making a high pitched noise possibly out of the turbocharger as the car idled. A friend of mine suggested the internal turbocharger seal(s) may have let go.

I've been WAY too frustrated with the car to look at it today since I got it home late last night. Being tongue-in-cheek I'm ready to take this car to the local scrap yard and crushed it since it's been such a pain in my ass.

For you experts out there, do you have any ideas what might be causing this condition?

 

[haywire4130]

I would bet your head gasket is blown into the lifter valley between cylinders 1 and 3... the squeaking would be compression leaking into there, which would rhythmically poof white smoke out the breather. I hope im wrong but i would pull the intake and look there.

 

[TurboJunky]

That was my first thought. I know head gaskets can let go theoretically in any direction but if it goes internally it could cause exactly what I was experiencing.

 

[TT/Ameasap]

Check the oil for mixture and if that is OK......Do a compression test.
Smoke out the breathers is a sure sign

 

[haywire4130]

Ask me how i know... previous owner of my car ran the alky tank dry at 27psi- and flattened the rod bearings in the process, knock is bad... very bad! Also, i had zero coolant in the oil which i found shocking considering the cometic gasket is damn near cut in half.

 

[haywire4130]

 

[TurboJunky]

I'll start with the compression test guys, thanks for the info. After talking with my buddy who was with me when this happened last night we both agree it's most likely a head gasket after digesting all this input.

It popped a head gasket a while back and was told Cometic gaskets were installed. Are those still the gaskets of choice or is there something better on the market today?

 

[haywire4130]

I replaced mine with cometics when i built it, theyve been good to me for 25k miles. The weak link isnt the gaskets themselves, its the lack of bolts holding the heads down if youre tuned to the ragged edge of knock.

 

[machinegun]

It sounds like a head gasket.

I use the cometics with good results.

Some complain about them but if the surfaces are prepped I have not had any issues.

 

[TurboJunky]

I'm convinced it's a head gasket. Question now is which Cometic head gasket to buy? I wasn't aware they come in different thicknesses, what gives?

I didn't do these modification but here's what's been done to it:
John Craig TE-45 Turbo, Seimens 55 lb. injectors, Mark Jackson (17 row) stock location intercooler, Houston SS 3" downpipe, straight pipe with dump, HD waste gate actuator rod, full 3” stainless steel exhaust with stainless 3” ID/OD Pit Bull mufflers, Translator Plus MAF (Mike Licht chip), Aluminum radiator (3 row), 160 stat, manual and auto activated electric fans, hidden torque converter lock-up switch, Cross-drilled front brake rotors, Direct Scan (computer included), 210/205 Reed cam (flat tappet), forged pistons(.030 over), steel (center two) main caps, KB oil booster plate, Kirban body brace struts (trunk), hot wired Walbro 340 fuel pump

http://www.jegs.com/p/Cometic-Gaskets/Cometic-Buick-Cylinder-Head-Gaskets/1288712/10002/-1

 

[TURBOELKY]

You should probably replace the head gaskets with the same size (thickness) as whats in there now, so you don't lose or gain compression.

 

[whitehot1]

I'll start with the compression test guys, thanks for the info. After talking with my buddy who was with me when this happened last night we both agree it's most likely a head gasket after digesting all this input.

It popped a head gasket a while back and was told Cometic gaskets were installed. Are those still the gaskets of choice or is there something better on the market today?

You might want to check with whoever you had replace the head gaskets for you to verify they did use Cometic head gaskets. I don't have any experience with those gaskets, just what i have read about them. And from what i have read you can't just replace old gaskets with them on an engine without the head and block surfaces having the proper finish for them to be installed. That could have been the reason for the head gasket failure,and replacing them again will probably end with the same result. Unless you have the surfaces of the heads and block machined with the proper finish to use them.

I'm just trying to save you some grief and money from having more head gasket problems. Do some research on what has been done and what needs to be done to your heads and block to see if you can use the Cometic head gaskets before you make up your mind and buy them and having installed without knowing for sure.

Cometic head gasket info.

• Installation Notes

• Not designed for use on engines with O-rings or receiver grooves

• Always refer to the fastener manufacturer to determine accurate torque values

• A surface finish of 50 RA (roughness average) or finer is recommended for proper gasket seal

• Cometic Cylinder Head Gaskets go on dry because they're coated with a sealant (adding another sealer can hinder gasket performance)

 

[TT/Ameasap]

Measure the center steel shim for thickness with a pair of calipers. Otherwise, when the head is off, go the TDC on #1 and put a depth mic on the deck and check piston to deck clearance. Then get the head CC'd ( $10) at local engine shop. Plug your numbers in at summit and you can determine if you want to go up or down in CR.

 

[hensleyt]

Have you removed the head? Gaskets are just a day away see what was there first.the condition of the block and head will determined what gasket you need.

 

[TurboJunky]

It's my understanding Cometic gaskets were used in the past. The heads are not off the car yet, in fact I'm in the information gathering stages at the moment so no work has been started on it at all. I was so frustrated after this happened I wanted to drive it to local scrap yard and have it crushed so it's difficult to even look at it for now....

 

[TurboJunky]

Thanks much for all the replies and info....it's invaluable.

 

[hensleyt]

Don't DO IT ! I lost three sets of main bearings and it toke almost a year and a half to get it right.
Im in Hawaii where there are no parts and shipping is $$$$ .All I had was this board and they got me running again

 

[TTipe]

First and foremost I've owned these cars for the better part of 25 years but am not a tech guru.

Last night after a couple hard runs my car seemed to lose a cylinder and it was blowing white smoke as I drove and applied some power. After limping it home the car idled but was clearly missing on one cylinder and when revving it up would blow a significant amount of white smoke clearly from burnt oil out of the valve cover breathers. It's not acting as if I have a blown head gasket as they normally let go outward and I have no external leaks or cylinder compressing exiting externally. It was also making a high pitched noise possibly out of the turbocharger as the car idled. A friend of mine suggested the internal turbocharger seal(s) may have let go.

I've been WAY too frustrated with the car to look at it today since I got it home late last night. Being tongue-in-cheek I'm ready to take this car to the local scrap yard and crushed it since it's been such a pain in my ass.

For you experts out there, do you have any ideas what might be causing this condition?

White smoke is a coolant leak more than likely blown out at the intake Manifold side of the head gasket.