HELP KA24E Blown Headgasket?

[SilviaT]

So... i recently bought my 2nd 240sx. I am currently having a rebuild done to my Silvia SR20DET. Meanwhile, i picked up a stock 89 ka24E and the day after i bought it, i noticed (while driving) my engine began to overheat. There was a major loss in coolant, and basically my radiator emptied itself through a leak. I was driving home and the engine started smoking/steaming, shut off (at a very high temperature) and would not start again ever since.... The engine is not seized, but i now believe i blew my head gasket.. My compression is about 30lbs on cylinder 1 and 4. I put oil in it, and water as soon as i got home and parked it in the garage. What do i do now?!?!
Please any experienced advice will help.. I am aiming towards replacing my head gasket and having a valve job done. Help a brother out?

[misterdumby]

is there coolant in the oil?

[SilviaT]

No by the time i got home there was like nooo oil. so i put oil in it and coolant because they were both empty. it hasnt been able to start since it turned off when it dried up..

[SilviaT]

Somebody help me out?

[airman]

Dude, if you only have 30psi in one or more of your cylinders, you KNOW that you have a problem that EITHER way will require removal of the head - regardless of what the issue could be (warped head, bad head gasket, blown rings). On top of that, your car is consuming loads of oil and coolant, and you're still not sure of the issue (aka head gasket/rings)? 30psi in 2 cylinders is why your car is not starting.

Pull the head, check the gasket. Check both the head and the block for flatness. You probably warped the head; both cylinders 1 and 4 being at the edges you can think of the head being shaped like a banana if it's warped...it's not going to get good contact at the end points (or in the middle). Also, if you cooked your engine enough to warp the head, your cylinder walls are probably nice and glazed over and rings are probably annealed.

Another possibility is a pinhole in a hose somewhere causing a depressurization of the cooling system and having it turn to steam rather than liquid and escape without you knowing. This could be evidence of the "steaming and smoking from the motor" unless you meant that was coming out of the tailpipe instead of the engine bay. If it was out of the exhaust, then yes, head gasket is bad, head possibly warped and rings annealed/walls glazed from the overheat. Also running with low/no oil the bearings are probably toast, block could be cracked (least probable), etc.

Either way, not a good situation...

[EhrikETFG]

so you're car starts over heating and shutting off and you still continue to drive it?

[WaWa]

Dude, if you only have 30psi in one or more of your cylinders, you KNOW that you have a problem that EITHER way will require removal of the head - regardless of what the issue could be (warped head, bad head gasket, blown rings). On top of that, your car is consuming loads of oil and coolant, and you're still not sure of the issue (aka head gasket/rings)? 30psi in 2 cylinders is why your car is not starting.

Pull the head, check the gasket. Check both the head and the block for flatness. You probably warped the head; both cylinders 1 and 4 being at the edges you can think of the head being shaped like a banana if it's warped...it's not going to get good contact at the end points (or in the middle). Also, if you cooked your engine enough to warp the head, your cylinder walls are probably nice and glazed over and rings are probably annealed.

Another possibility is a pinhole in a hose somewhere causing a depressurization of the cooling system and having it turn to steam rather than liquid and escape without you knowing. This could be evidence of the "steaming and smoking from the motor" unless you meant that was coming out of the tailpipe instead of the engine bay. If it was out of the exhaust, then yes, head gasket is bad, head possibly warped and rings annealed/walls glazed from the overheat. Also running with low/no oil the bearings are probably toast, block could be cracked (least probable), etc.

Either way, not a good situation...

i agree with this guy... dude your best bet just get rid of that motor and buy a new one with all the bs work you're gonna have to do for just a pos KA... and besides you can get a different KA anywhere, shit i whipe my ass with those things!

[SilviaT]

I drove it just to get out of the way of traffic, then it shut off and was smokin like a mother effer.. Yeah i kinda figured i should just replace the longblock and do the same engine swap.. I just need to find a good one. i know they're pretty cheap, but im hesitant because i dont want to buy a bad motor. even though it couldnt be worse than what i have! ha. stupid single slammer. im probably going to just do that. craigslist...

[airman]

I gave away my full SOHC long block and auto trans for $100. I'm sure you can find one.