HELP!!! White Smoke and Water!!!!

[anadaron]

Ok so i have not had my buick more than a montha nd a half maybe. It has a fully built engine in it to many mods to list. I recently took to looking around it and noticed a fuel pressure guage at the end of the fuel rail. The other disturbing thing i noticed was it was at only 33 PSI at idle. So i found the AFPR on it, Big billet unit, had a screw with a allen type head to screw in and out and i could get the pressure to lower but not increase more than 33 PSI.

Well i had not done enough research so i just did my best to stay out of boost,because this is my only car and daily driver. Well yesterday i came across ideal offline pressure to be 43 at idle, because i was looking to get a guage to mount in my window so i could watch fuel pressure.

So this evening i was in the car messing with some elctrical stuff and started the car and noticed white smoke coming from my tailpipes, also water had jut coated the inside of my pipes and it would create a huge puddle on my hand in seconds.

My question is this: Did i just blow a Headgasket??????????? How hard is it gonna be to replace them?????

I shut the car down immediately and almost started crying lol.

I think it is my AFPR that killed it as the screw is stuck now and won't even move. I am gonna pull sparkplugs when it gets light out again and check for white.

If i did blow a headgasket what new headgasket would you recommend for a semi radical setup wanting to run 20-25psi of boost.

Also i am ordering the fuel pressure guage that mounts so you can see it in the window. Any recomendations on where to get this?

Also i am gonna just junk my old AFPR and get a new one. Any suggestions on a good AFPR?

The car has a new fuel pump from what the previous owner tells me with a hotwire kit but i am prolly gonna yank it and get a new one. Once again any suggestions??

God that is a freaking book. Thanks for the time guys.

 

[LV GN]

do you know what kind of head gaskets the motor has?

 

[anadaron]

Head gaskets.

From what i can tell from the reciepts they are fel-pro lock wire headgaskets? Part number is 1007. The engine is bored .030 over as well. Dun know if that makes a difference i do bodywork so my engine knowledge is somewhat limited.

The engine was supposed to be bulletproof according to the guy i bought it from adn the shop that did it says the same thing. I have receipts for all the work done if you need to know anything else.

 

[Royal-T-Ltd]

Was the car sitting for a little while before you started it up? Was it cold outside... it could be just condensation from the exhaust pipes ... which any car will do when you first turn on.... does it continue to have white smoke after the engine has reached operating temp? Have you checked your oil? are you losing coolant?

 

[anadaron]

Car drove all day

Nah the car had been driven and noticed white smoke when i started the car again after installing a power steering reservoir. This was at the end of the day and the car was at operating temp. There were huge puddles at the exhuast tips as well after maybe 5 mins of running it. Although it was chilly outside. Checking oil and coolant levels today to verify if the head gasket is kaput.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Sounds like what Royal T said, just condensation from starting a cold car up in cool weather.

 

[Ormand]

You know, if you had a scan tool, you wouldn't be so short on information. You wouldn't have to guess if the engine is running lean, you would know if you had detonation, you would know a LOT more, and it would be easier to solve problems.

 

[anadaron]

thanks for the almost useless information. I have turbolink and my o2's the last time i checked two days ago were at 820. Then there was a random drop in fuel pressure that i noticed on my guage. So i looked at everythign to verify it was all working and turned up the FP by my AFPR. Next thing i know i have a blown head gasket.

So before you thorw around accusations like your GOD why do you not try answering some of my questions and tryign to help.

sorry to come off mean but i am very distraught over my car and i do not appreciate rude people that do not help.

 

[acoen]

I ran into the same situation. On a chilly (colder than usual) night I started my car (first time in a few days) The darn car seemed to steam forever....I was in a similar state of panic. But after a couple emails to Lou (of Lou's Automotive in CA.) and a post or two on this site, I was convinced that it was just condensation and atomospheric conditions that created my fog machine. The conditions were perfect for creating a ton of steam. Check your oil, radiator and overflow tank for conamination. Inspect your plugs and give her a compression check.....My bet is that the cold weather and hot exhaust created a temporary smoke/steam screen.....HTH Oh and don't forget to smell your exhaust, if it smell like antifreeze you have your answer...I doubt you have a problem.

Aaron

 

[anadaron]

Thanks for the response!

The exhaust smells like exhaust. The antifreeze is a lil cloudy but besides that there is no oil in it. The engine oil is not milky and is in good looking condition. Sparkplugs are a slight brownish color, but are dry azs a bone no oil or gas on them. I believe that the anitfreeze is a lil cloudy cause it is old i am gonna get it drained once i order a new AFPR and fuel pressure guage so i can check my fuel pressure properly.

Keep the responses coming i am very new to buicks and need all the help you guys can give.

 

[TurboDave]

As they said, you just experienced a lot of exhaust system condensation, that's all.

 

[Welby]

thanks for the almost useless information. I have turbolink and my o2's the last time i checked two days ago were at 820. Then there was a random drop in fuel pressure that i noticed on my guage. So i looked at everythign to verify it was all working and turned up the FP by my AFPR. Next thing i know i have a blown head gasket.

So before you thorw around accusations like your GOD why do you not try answering some of my questions and tryign to help.

sorry to come off mean but i am very distraught over my car and i do not appreciate rude people that do not help.

Way to bite someone's head off that was trying to help. Unfortunately for him, he didn't state it ever so gently enough to not get your panties in a bunch. You said you had your car for a month and a half, and were new to Turbo Buicks, how was he supposed to know that you had Turbolink or knew anything about using it?
It took you over a month to even notice that you have a fuel pressure gauge on your car, but you're a Turbolink wizard. How many more opinions saying that it was just condensation do you need?

Go ahead an post an angry response, I'll just read it and laugh. "Sorry to come off mean" but when you accuse people of acting like they're GOD when they're only trying to help out is ignorant.

 

[anadaron]

To Welby.

Sorry to have offended you so deeply.

I was busy trying to diagnose my car and as i stated was distraught over the possiblity of blowing a head gasket. He offered zero help but just assumed I had no idea what i am doing. I knew i had a FP guage the entire time but never bothered to look at it as my Turbolink always gave me a very high O2 reading. I then went on to check other things and noticed that on here many people say 43 is what line off pressure should be and mine only read 30. Never said it took me a month to find it(another assumption on your part this time). The only thing i said that took anytime at all was me coming upon the information of correct pressure. But on to more important things.

I appreciate the help given. By those who posted constructive items. I don't know if this added to the problem but i found a substantial exhaust leak. But everyone was right i just overreacted thinking my baby had bit the dust. Also it was helpful because i did learn that my Fuel pressure guage is of and not working and the AFPR was stuck and is unadjustable.

Thanks again guys.

 

[Royal-T-Ltd]

Better safe than sorry... its fine to baby your baby.. just go through and check everything and make sure they are functional - then if you dont have them get : a good fuel pump - hotwired [walbro 340/XP....], a good AFPR, a good FP gauge, a good Boost gauge, EGT Gauge, Scanmaster.... than read all you can... go to gnttype.org and read, before you post here do searches, almost anything you want or need to know has been covered. HTH

 

[TR Custom Parts]

As someone already posted, just do a compression test. This will alleviate or confirm your fears of a blown HG.

 

[Steve V]

Just like every place else in this world there are helpful guys,dicks,scarcastic people. It's funny to watch sometimes. Good luck with your turbo buick

 

[Ormand]

thanks for the almost useless information

Sorry I offended you. When you post a question, you will get better help if you share more information, and don't force us to guess at what you have/don't have. If you have eliminated some of the possibilities, it would help us to help you if you put that information in the first post.