Okay, I posted before about water coming from the passenger side exhaust pipe before, and recieved a few comments regarding condensation and such...but, this is not condensation.

When I first start the engine, after its sit a day or so, no matter what the outside temp is, I get a good amount of water blast out of the passenger side exhaust. And for probably the first 5 minutes of the engine running, I feel a mist coming from the pipe, which disipates after the 5 minutes. Then, I get a small puff of white smoke from the same side when I give it strong rpms, and continues for however long the engine is running. Then after letting it sit a day or so, once I start it, out again comes a good amount of water blasting out of the passanger side pipe.

The heads are pre '69 461 double humps. I have checked the oil repeatedly and there is no water present. The mix is 50/50 in the radiator right now, and the complete cooling system is all brand new. The engine stays at 200 degress at all times.

My questions are can a blown head gasket do this? Or would this be a sign of a cracked head? How else could water be coming from the exhaust? I need some ideas before I decide yank the head.

HELP!!!!



------------------
T-Bone
65 Chevelle Post Model - 350/350
A work of art in progress...

I hate to be the barrier of bad news but you may very well have a blown head gasket. Get the engine up to operating temp and then do a leak down test this should tell you if really have to remove the cylinder head. Good luck!

Pull and take a close look at your spark plugs. If any are very much cleaner than the others, that is a sign it has been "steam cleaned" by the water coolant leaking into that cylinder. If 2 plugs are "clean" the head gasket between those 2 cylinders may be leaking.

Better a gasket than cracks. Good luck.

Also, check your coolant level in the radiator.....if you do have a blown head gasket or crack, etc.,you should notice the level getting lower after awhile.

also check the color of your oil...if it looks like chocolate milk the coolant is mixing with it and your head gasket is shot.

------------------
70 Chevelle
83 C10

If it's coolant and you have the proper anti-freeze/water mix in the radiator, you'll notice the sweet anti-freeze smell at the exhaust pipe. It's unmistakeable.

One more thing you could try is to run it without the radiator cap and see if the problem goes away. If it does then you do indeed have water making its way from the cooling systen into the cylenders.

Will

As Terrys said, checking the plugs is a good way to detect a leak. Have to add that I have also seen fouled and/or rusted plugs in cylinders with leaks.