east302
I'm Awesome
Truck is my son’s 1998 K1500, 350 with 240k on it. He got home yesterday saying it was smoking out the exhaust but didn’t overheat (per the dash gauge).
I started it yesterday within a few minutes of him getting home, saw no smoke but coolant was low. It took 1/2 gallon to top it off. The coolant in the reservoir was bubbling while running and continued for a minute or two after shutdown.
I let it cool down for a few hours and went to start it, intending to open the cap, warm it up and see if it was bubbling in the radiator neck. It was seized, wouldn’t turn over at all with the crank pulley and a breaker bar (belt off).
Pulled the starter and tried again. Wouldn’t turn with the belt off. Pulled plug #7 and got it to turn. It then started and now smokes like a chimney. There looks to be fluid dripping out of the driver exhaust flange.
The front and back of the intake manifold seams are wet. The sides against the valve covers are dry. This wasn’t leaking a week ago and I replaced the gaskets with the metal backed Felpro a year or so ago.
The rear left corner at the block/head seam is wet with coolant as well but it could be dripping down from the intake. Can a head gasket leak be external?
Not sure where to go with this, honestly - could a head gasket leak cause the intake to start leaking so suddenly? Any suggestions on how to confirm if it is a head gasket? I’m now hesitant to run it to operating temperature to see if it’s bubbling in the radiator but it may be a moot point by now.
Oily looking fluid leaking from exhaust flange bolt:
Cold start, 70 degrees outside and it’s smoking pretty good:
Oil looks ok to me:
I started it yesterday within a few minutes of him getting home, saw no smoke but coolant was low. It took 1/2 gallon to top it off. The coolant in the reservoir was bubbling while running and continued for a minute or two after shutdown.
I let it cool down for a few hours and went to start it, intending to open the cap, warm it up and see if it was bubbling in the radiator neck. It was seized, wouldn’t turn over at all with the crank pulley and a breaker bar (belt off).
Pulled the starter and tried again. Wouldn’t turn with the belt off. Pulled plug #7 and got it to turn. It then started and now smokes like a chimney. There looks to be fluid dripping out of the driver exhaust flange.
The front and back of the intake manifold seams are wet. The sides against the valve covers are dry. This wasn’t leaking a week ago and I replaced the gaskets with the metal backed Felpro a year or so ago.
The rear left corner at the block/head seam is wet with coolant as well but it could be dripping down from the intake. Can a head gasket leak be external?
Not sure where to go with this, honestly - could a head gasket leak cause the intake to start leaking so suddenly? Any suggestions on how to confirm if it is a head gasket? I’m now hesitant to run it to operating temperature to see if it’s bubbling in the radiator but it may be a moot point by now.
Oily looking fluid leaking from exhaust flange bolt:
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Cold start, 70 degrees outside and it’s smoking pretty good:
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Oil looks ok to me:
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