S14 SR20 Motor Problems

[Curb King]

So i finished my swap and was starting it up. It started fine but was idling around 2k but smooth wasn't too woried about that. I noticed a leak coming from one of my turbo lines It was a milky brown color. I immediatley shut off the engine and pulled the dipstick. Crap the oil was a milky brown color. I also was runing it without the raiator cap and i had coolant shooting out the radiator. This led me to believe that i had a blown head gasket. I took the head off, and the gasket looked fine. There was no blow by on the head or block. I measured the head and it wasn't warped. I couldn't even fit .010 in any spot. I turned the crank over and checked the cylinder walls. I couldn't see any cracks or holes. Anyone got any suggestions on other things i could look at or other tests i could run?

[KA-Owner]

u sure its not transmition leaking or Brakes lines or any fuel lines or injectors??

[S14DB]

You sure the Turbo wasn't blown?

[Curb King]

If the turbo was blown would that cause the radiator fluid to shoot out of the radiator cap. I know the turbo needs to get rebuilt cause it doesn't sound healthy neverhad a turbo car before.

[Curb King]

Also does it matter if the metal straight edge reaches all the way across the head or not?

[S14DB]

Did you do a leak down test?

[Curb King]

Not yet but once the head goes back on i will. I was thinking if i did that i with the turbo off i could rule out the engine as the culprit.

[jskateborders]

Your headgasket might just be thinner in some spots from overheating. You have to get a new headgasket anyways, so see if that fixes your problem. If not, dare I say cracked block? Is that common with the sr aluminum blocks?

[reflexdb]

Well, definitely sounds like you've got coolant in your oil, hence the milky color. That shouldn't be there. I would also guess blown HG. Replace.

[Max_PSi]

You replaced all the fluids b4 you started the car correct?

How long was the car running for? The only time you'll really have water shooting out of the rad is if its already overheating.

[Z U L8R]

i agree on the hg being the problem. put it back together /w a new gasket (might as well go commetic or something spiffy + arp studs), don't reuse the headbolts. however it wouldn't cause you too much headache to take your head to a machine shop and just have them pressure test and deck the thing. not that much money at all. i think you'll be fine once you reassemble if the head is ok.

i would have suspected hg as well if it were me...however i wouldn't have a pulled the head until i did a leakdown & compression test. gl man
Dave =]

[Curb King]

There was no blow by that me or my buddy could see on the hg. I have an apexi hg waiting so im ok in that area. The car was only running for a total of a minute and thats not continuos just made sure all the cylinders where firing and had oil pressure. Is it still possible that the hg was blown or thinned out even tho there wasn't any blow by.

[GabeS14]

i agree on the hg being the problem. put it back together /w a new gasket (might as well go commetic or something spiffy + arp studs), don't reuse the headbolts. however it wouldn't cause you too much headache to take your head to a machine shop and just have them pressure test and deck the thing. not that much money at all. i think you'll be fine once you reassemble if the head is ok.

i would have suspected hg as well if it were me...however i wouldn't have a pulled the head until i did a leakdown & compression test. gl man
Dave =]

totally agreed....get ARP headstuds since your doing HG!!:stupid:

[Koopa Troopa]

So i finished my swap and was starting it up. It started fine but was idling around 2k but smooth wasn't too woried about that. I noticed a leak coming from one of my turbo lines It was a milky brown color. I immediatley shut off the engine and pulled the dipstick. Crap the oil was a milky brown color. I also was runing it without the raiator cap and i had coolant shooting out the radiator. This led me to believe that i had a blown head gasket. I took the head off, and the gasket looked fine. There was no blow by on the head or block. I measured the head and it wasn't warped. I couldn't even fit .010 in any spot. I turned the crank over and checked the cylinder walls. I couldn't see any cracks or holes. Anyone got any suggestions on other things i could look at or other tests i could run?


My car with 270 cams doesn't even idle that high..... :tweak: I'd play it safe and get the head decked anyways.

[obsolete]

Old thread bump!

If there was air in your system, would the radiator be shooting out coolant? I was bleeding my system the wrong way and it started to shoot out coolant after a while. stupid me.

1. turn car on
2. add coolant
3. engine reached operating temp.
4. coolant started to bubble a bit in the fill hole
5. little bit later, smoke started coming out and then coolant gushing out

I will bleed it properly, but wanted to see if what i did will cause coolant to gush out. if not maybe something else is wrong.

[95KA-Turbo]

This is a mighty old thread to bump...but good job searching.

When I first put my motor in w/ new turbo lines and what not it shot coolant all over the place, haha. It was not continuous though, it was like one big bubble and was over.

I'm not so sure about your coolant "smoking" though. Do you just mean it was hot and steaming? That seems bad - because that means you're creating vapor and not cooling efficiently.

[obsolete]

well, it was almost all water actually. there was considerable amount of steam coming out. what could cause this? temp gauge stayed in the middle. do radiators ever go bad? how could i tell?