I need some insight...here is my story from tooners

The story begins when I bought my 99 GSX and began to swap over my mods from my GST . I went to install the cams and found a gouged cam journal. So I pick up a re-manufactured from a company out of WV. After some time I finally get the new head installed with bc cams, bc springs, ARP studs and a Mitsubishi composite gasket. All the torque sequences were followed properly with ARP moly lube and proper tension. I start the car while still on the jack stands and let it to run through the heat cycle. I re-torque the studs and let it run again. All of a sudden white smoke pours out of the exhaust. I check the plugs and they are soaking wet. Check oil and sure enough it has coolant in it. I pull the head thinking I must have screwed something up with the studs the first time.

I get a new head gasket and start the process over. After getting it put back together I decide to torque the studs down a little harder and pray. Run through the first heat cycle and re-torque. Start it back up and i'll be damn if it doesn't push coolant into the cylinders again. The car never saw the road or was under boost.

Fast Forward to today:
I just picked the head up from the machine shop where they pressure tested it and checked for warpage. They said there is nothing wrong with the head at all. At first thought I think its the block, but the car was running fine before the head was removed and hasn't seen a lb of boost since. Also, all of the cylinders have coolant in them so I don't believe any of them are cracked.

Name that problem.....

 

i have no DSM experience,so if this doesn't apply,never mind.has the head been milled at all?are there dowel pins that align the block and head?if so,did you check that they're not bottoming out and not allowing the head to seat?
also,check the block for warpage.check for cracked cylinder?
Chris

 

He has a good point.

Also, this might sound stupid, but it wouldn't be the first time i've seen it happen - you have the correct head gasket on and it's not on backwards right?

 

thats true, and also you sure the machine shop really did their job?


WHATS UP DAVE,ILL BE CALLING YOU SOON!

 

Yeah that is a good point that I haven't checked yet. Yes the head has been milled.

I figured the head would warp before an Iron block would. But yes I have checked for cracks and warpage on the black and I saw nothing out of the ordinary

According to Extremepsi, 6-bolt and 7-bolt engines use the same OEM headgasket. I did check and make sure it was not on backwards.

The shop I took it too is pretty reputable in the area. I asked around and they seemed to be the main one people recommended. Also, I pm'd you back Landry

 

ok is it all of the cylinders of just 1 or 2, and if so what cylinder? also landrey is right, theres a couple maching shops around here i wouldn't trust for shit.but...asuming they did what they said...if the head is good we have to look at where else coolent can come from. there can only be a couple places....headgasket,warped block, cracked cylinder(only if it 1 cylinder that is wet) what gasket are you using, are you sure it's seated all the way down on the block before you torque it down, those dowel pins can be tricky sometimes. as mentiond above are you sure your putting the gasket on right? and lastly but im sure this is not it, check all your coolent lines to make sure you didnt hook them to a vac line or something crazy, check the inside of you intake mani and see if it is wet, again highly unlikely but worth looking at that before yanking the head again. im not insulting your intelengence what so ever but looking at all the possablities. we will get it man and if all this dosn't work i have a badass ffwd stroker motor looking to a new home....and a 35r!!!

 

Good points as well Brian. I've seen where people got the TB coolant lines mixed up with the PCV valve line. Quite a mess. However, that does not explain the coolant in the oil. Coolant in the oil means that coolant is mixing with oil in a low oil pressure location, so it would have to be mixing somewhere from the head gasket up. Also, I've seen where heads cracked on the inside passages. However, this can be ruled out, since the fluids are getting into the cylinders. The fact that the cylinders seem to be the central mixing area really points to head gasket not sealing for some odd reason. I can't think of any other explanation for such a situation. Also, I've seen where people got stuff caught under the head and started to bolt it down before they realized there was a wire or something in the way.

 

When I removed the head there was coolant in all of the cylinders. I got the work done at Baldwin Performance in Christiansburg. Supposibly they are good with machine work. Alot of the 1/8th mile racers get work done there, but they were just checking the head.

Im using an OEM Composite head gasket. As for seating down, I didn't double check but when I was removing the head I know it took 2-3 of us to pry that bitch off. I'm pretty positive that I didn't get the lines mixed up but doesn't hurt to double check. I'll keep that stroker in mind tho

I have the lines to the throttle body recirculating for the time being so I know its not that. I made sure all material was removed from the head and block with brake parts cleaner.

 

i agree, it almost has to be headgasket for some reason, weather it's the head gaskets or block is the real question. its highly unlikely that you have 2 bad gaskets that push just at idle. again if you said the head was checked i would start turning to the block.
9as much as i know you don't want to hear that)

 

thinking about this more it HAS to be the gasket for whatever reason. theres no was you can get coolent in the cylinders, and on top of that mix coolent/oil at the same time. you would have to do something REALLY crazy with the lines for this to happen, mix an oil/coolent line and a coolent/vac line at the same time hahah. which is why i say hg, now as to why it's pushing is the real question.