CCCP

Well now that I've refilled my cooling system there seems to be a substantial leak. After the car has run for about 15 seconds it starts smoking A LOT from the exhaust manifold. From the 3rd cylinder pipe to be exact. It's white smoke and does not increase in volume when I give it gas so it is not a crack in the pipe. And the temp needle climbs steadily into the red. I got a pressure tester and pumped up to 14 psi. After a few min. I noticed a line of coolant on the underside of the exhaust manifold from the 3rd cylinder, but I can not see where it is leaking from. The two heater hoses seem to be fine at the connection to the heater core. I orginally thought it was my waterpump that was failing, but now I am begining to fear I have a crack in the block. Any thoughts?

Steve PH

I hate to say but maybe its the head gasket. A compression test may help show up wether this is the case.

jonnybgood

Pulling the spark plugs may give you a good idea if it is a leak in your head gasket. #3 plug would be very wet.

CCCP

Well if it is the head gasket, then isn't it possible that it is only cracked from the cooling passages outward, and thus no coolant would get into the cylinder, plus, if it did get into the chamber, wouldn't it just burn off?

jonnybgood

Yes it would burn off and make white smoke out your tail pipe. Is the smoke coming from your tail pipe or from off of the outside of the headers in your engine compartment?

edit: re read your post. you should look for a leak around the gasket area where the head meets the block. If it is not around the gasket area then perhaps you have a crack in the head somewhere. Perhaps removing the exhaust header would reveal the source of the leak.

CCCP

Yea tomorow I will pull the head and examine it and the block. Now I am hoping it is the head gasket that's blown. Is it even possible for the block to crack enough to have a sizable amount of coolant leak out? And any tips for tomorows head removal?

Dilberto

Inspect for bloated, bulging hoses, at the clamp ends. You can be assured the hose can be hand-peeled like a banana now.

Zach

The Hammer

Can you let us know what the problenm was in the end.

75ohm

Check the underside of the heater tube to see if it's got a hole in it... once the fluid pressure builds up it may be hitting the manifold over the exhaust manifold and steaming off of there...

MR951

Any report on where the leak is?

I think I have the same problem. I'm afraid it might be the head gasket but I'm hoping its the heater tube. Have they (the heater tube) been known to fail?

austin944

The coolant drain plug for the block is in the area below the exhaust manifold, but it's more towards the #4 cylinder.

Granite 944

My guess would be to take a good look at the waterpipe that goes from firewall (heaterhose) to the waterpump. I may have a fracture in it, thus spilling coolant on the manifold?

Its that, or the headgasket. Think positive!