Title: Pick Your Brain...Blown Head Gasket Symptom...Gift Card

Pan Cake Syrup Sweet Smell Under Hood of a V-6 1993 3.4 L Camaro and spewing out coolant near intake manifold isn't a for sure, definitive sign of a blown head gasket?

Why?

Is it because there's no coupling with a sputtering or vibrating of the engine and also no mentioning of a loss of power?

The steaming and hissing and high temps near the intake manifold and shooting out coolant giving off that sweet smell isn't a for sure or definitive sign of a blown head gasket because it has to be combined with... loss of engine power (i.e. pushing the accelerator to the metal on a straight away and only going 20 miles per hr.)

Who here agrees with me?

This is all the easy info. my trusty repair shop assistant mentioned is what can allay the fears of a blown head gasket....

asking me: "was there loss of power or engine sputtering?"

for whatever reason he did not.

Now if anyone here knows that those 2 symptoms must be combined: steaming out coolant at high temps near the intake manifold AND loss of engine power/sputtering at idle / sometimes shutting off at idle.... is A FOR SURE sign of a blown head gasket.

It seems what I have is just torn or burnt or old 93 Camaro hosing. I already spent 1100 bucks to repair a coolant leak near a timing chain cover which was labor intensive

It seems like an intake manifold gasket needs to be replaced a $500 auto body repair shop job on my type of car.

Also off hand, it's interesting to know depending on your state what autobody shops charge for repairing a blown head gasket. I've seen quotes here in So. Cal for $2,000 on my make and model.

What numbers off the top of your head have you seen to repair a blown head gasket on a 4th Gen v-6 Camaro....and what state are you in?

There may be a $25 gift card from me as a small token of my appreciation to anyone who knows confidently on this problem.

Thanks in advance members icon_photo:

 

Why do you take your car to a body shop? It has been my experience body men make the worst mechanics. I am sure there are exception to the rules. I have known body men I would not let change my oil but boy could they lay down a glass like finish right out of the gun.

There are several ways to check for a blown head gasket. In a real shop that does emission testing they have at least a 4 gas analyzer. If they know how to use it that can put it into the radiator and check the Hc content. Hydro carbons are a by product of burning fuel, it there is any in your coolant system you have a blown head gasket.

There is a chemical test you can buy at most parts stores that will test for Hc and change the color of the of the fluid from test kit. They are spendy at near $100.

You can use a coolant pressure tester to see if you have a blown head gasket. Search youtube for " check head gasket with a pressure tester" If the damage is small it can be a little hard to spot but if it is effecting engine power it is not small.

You can pull the spark plugs. When coolant gets into a cylinder it will steam clean it. Most of time you end up with one very clean plug with a green to orange tint to it.

As a general rule head gaskets that fail do not fail to the out side of the engine. They fail between coolant jacket and compression ring and into the cylinder. That is how they effect the power of the car. it is pretty rare for a head gasket to leak to the outside of the engine but I have seen a few cars do it. I have never seen on fail to the outside and the inside unless the car was insanly overheated. In those cases the engine was scrapped.

You described and failing intake gasket. If coolant is getting on your electronics you can cause a miss or loose power.

Any one asking for 2K to do head gaskets does not want to do it. I believe it is an 8-10 hour job. They most likely do not have easy access to deal with broken exhaust bolts. In a good shop a broke exhaust bolt is a small annoyance. In lesser shop it could mean a trip to the machine shop and the lose of a bay for another day.

If you take the intake off you are 70% of the way to the head gaskets.

If someone told me they "THINK" I had a blown head gasket I would not let them near my car with a wrench. They should "KNOW" if you have a blown head gasket. If there is anything in this post he did not already know, he is not a mechanic.

 

Very good answer, Gorn,
As Gorn suggested, easiest quick check is remove spark plugs and check the cleanest plug.


You might be able to inject shop air in the cylinder at TDC with both valves closed and check for bubbles at radiator cap.

 

yes thank you indeed. copied and pasted it. i meant auto repair shop as opposed to auto body...that was a typo or as opposed to a transmission repair shop. i accidentilly put in body after auto . anyway i do recall seeing some type of gauge put in my radiator almost a year ago. i might get a ethical discount by the mechanic who did my coolant leak seal near my timing chain cover almost a year ago.

it doesn't seem like a blown head gasket.

in addition to loss of power, it would overheat alot and often

i was able to drive it without any smoke and the gauge was nowhere near red

the hosing must be old.

ok Thank you, again to both of you.

 

Update: Upper Radiator Hose is Cracked. $110 to fix which includes their $95 an hour labor, probably takes 30 min. to install.

Mechanic told me he won't know if coolant has leaked into motor oil until he removes the parts involved, if it has then it's a blown head gasket or when he removes the parts involved he will know if there is a blown head gasket. Until then, he can't tell.

I'm on pins and needles, but he told me that the when the upper radiator hose is replaced at $110, I'll be able to drive my car

He also said that the lower radiator hose might crack also, so I could do both at a discount since everything is open anyway....but I will do the lower in 2 weeks.

Thanks in advnce yet again for all your help and I hope this was educational to those who viewed this thread / post.

 

He also recommended I get a new thermostat.

I told him I had the coolant temp sensor replaced,

he said that's a different thing

im not into diy, if anyone wants to add to what a thermostat will do to prevent any problems related to coolant leaks please weigh in on this thread / post

I do know that per Gorn and other Posters on this Forum, there are A LOT of Coolant Leaks for 4th Gen. Camaros.

Mine is a 93 but there are recalls and lawsuits against GM for year 2000's.

Coolant leak is a defect inherenet in the 4th Gen. so is the factory--issued long driveshaft that without notice falls apart and costs $620 to replace at a repair shop and after which replacement-- a person would never have to worry about a problem with the driveshaft again

I saved money Gorn will probably give me his paypal email address so I can pay pal him $25. I got you Gorn. just a matter of time LoL Thanks!! $25 buys lots of philly cheese steaks and some beer for a Philly Eagles game. haha

 

pray for me...if there is no blown head gasket there will be $25 in paypal funds as a gift to the most comforting answer which at this writing 10:42 am pst calif. time, is ....the leader in the game at the moment.... Gorn

 

"Shove it Up Your Doo Bop" --Mandrian Pace, Gone in 60 Seconds, 1974.

 

upper radiator cracked..... 110 bucks to replace....she's golden. these ******** if they had did a real effin' tune up 2 months ago like i made it clear to the dude at the front desk, i want a comprehensive tune up and am willing to pay more....all he had to do was replace ALL the rubber plastic and hoses..... if some of the coolant leaked into the motor oil i would have had a blown head gasket and would be screwed!!!! thanks for all ur help. what a relief.... sigh

 

oh yea no blown head gasket.... message me your email those who answered and maybe i can send you $25 via paypal to the winner of this contest.