For a few months, I've heard a bit of gurgling after I parked my '95 pickup with 22RE...just assumed it was the normal sounds of the coolant redistributing. I checked the coolant 2 days ago and it was brown and oily. Pulled out of the driveway today to to get new coolant and the truck was stumbling...felt like it was running on 3 cylinders. Parked it and noticed white smoke pouring out of the exhaust.

Think maybe the bad coolant ate through the head gasket? What else should I check? I'm going to go pull the plugs right now.

Thanks!

 

Yes! Check your oil dipstick and under the oil filler cap, does it look like a chocolate milkshake? If so, coolant and oil are mixing.

Or the timing chain guide failure, but this does not explain the white smoke in the exhaust.

 

The timing chain guides were replaced by a previous owner with metal-backed ones.

Here are some more updates: Oil doesn't look too bad. Maybe a little milky, but it is not obvious. The front 3 spark plugs are a little white and even have some green on the white rings surrounding the posts. The furthest back spark plug is a nice light brown. Also, it appears that coolant has been leaking from the overflow tube of the overflow container...could this be a result of the coolant being pressurized?

 

Certainly could be from pressurized coolant. Are you going through more coolant than normal? Does the white smoke come out continuously even after the engine is at operating temp? Some white smoke this time of the year is normal as the condensation that collects in the engine/exhaust burns off as the engine warms up.

 

Check out is seems very similiar to your situation:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...ubbling-89559/

Post 15 confirmed the blown HG on tear down.

 

I don't seem to be losing any coolant. I haven't added any in at least a year, but these symptoms are pretty new. I didn't run it long enough this morning to see if the white smoke went away, but it's definitely not smoked like this before...even during the winter.

 

How many miles on motor, was it ever rebuilt or has the head gasket ever been changed?

"A little milky" in respect to the oil, is not good. It shouldn't have any milky look

If it feels like its running off of 3 cylinders, then thats a good indication you've blown a head gasket because that cylinder, or a combination of 2 cylinders are not getting the correct compression.

I'd definitely get a compression gauge and check compression in each cylinder.

 

Definitely not condensation haha. When I cranked it up this morning to drive to the mechanic, I couldn't even see my roommates car through the white smoke. It disappeared after a couple minutes, but it was thick for a while. Motor has 150k, but I think the head has been off before when a previous owner did some work.

Shop quoted me $550 and it should be done later this week.

 

Just spoke with the shop...it was indeed the head gasket. They said it was blown in 3 different places. Price did not include timing chain and guides as they were replaced by a previous owner. Metal-backed guides already in place. I did tell him to look around for anything else that caught his eye as far as needing fixing.

I know I could have thrown a few more parts at it, but I have 2 more years in graduate school (read: living at the poverty line) so I think I'll take my chances and use that money to pay off the credit card haha.