tristan89

So I just put in a thermostat, car didn't have one in before I bought it, ran fine before I replaced it oil looked fine, now the oil looks a little milky and there was white smoke/steam coming out of the exhaust, not sure which since it's 30 degrees out. Is this a blown head gasket?

tristan89

It's in a sr20 if it makes a difference

jr_ss

Pictures of coolant?

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tristan89

What would coolant look like, why would you need a pic to tell?

sil14zenki

compression test? does the exhuast fumes/smoke have a sweet/bitter smell to it:?

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tristan89

It smells kinda sweet but I also run e85 so it always smells a little sweet, the oil just started getting milky after I put a thermostat in, could I have overfilled it and belw the HG?

sil14zenki

E85 smells good once burned, coolant does not. Try to do a compression test. And are you having to keep adding water?

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tristan89

I don't know I just fired it up and had it running for a few minutes and checked the oil once I noticed the white smoke

jr_ss

I meant oil, my bad... When was the last time you changed the oil?

Like others have said, compression test motor or get a hydrocarbon tester, that'll tell you for sure.

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tristan89

Changed the oil maybe 3-4 weeks ago

tristan89

Also how do you post pics to this forum

Javi802

You could check your coolant as well. If you take the radiator cap off is the coolant a milky color?

Should only be the color of the coolant mixture. Not milky looking.

97nismo

Compression test takes 10 minutes

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tristan89

All cylinders are reading about 175ish with the engine cold

Javi802

you need to test compression when the engine is at operating temp. As well as making sure the throttle is open all the way.

Is it smoking non stop? Or on a cold start only?

tristan89

I haven't driving it, is it okay to drive if the head gasket is blow? Because I don't want to fill my oil with coolant while driving it to see, and yes throttle is wide open

tristan89

So I started it and no smoke was coming out, then after a minute white smoke was coming out? Why would it do that?

s&tcustoms

http://www.autozone.com/loan-a-tools...er/391378_0_0/

Go to autozone and rent one of those, it tests for combustion gases in your coolant...(caused by a blown headgasket.)

97nismo

I am not saying you did the compression test wrong but I have a had a few sr's some built some stock and I haven't had one read over 165 across all four and usually they are 150 across...

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jr_ss

My SR reads over 180 across the board...

Just as I suggested and someone recently repeated, go buy a hydrocarbon test and test your coolant.

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tristan89

Well the compression test was on a cold engine so it's going to read higher, I need to re do it just don't know if it's safe to drive it how it is

Javi802

Maybe its actually oil that is burning?

Turbo seals shitting out...?

I don't know man

tristan89

Better not be the turbo! It only has 1000 miles on it!

Javi802

Could be the valve cover spark plug well gaskets seeping oil into the cylinders.

Javi802

Then again, the fact it didn't have a thermostat in it is kind of suspicious. Ive heard of people removing the thermostat because they were too lazy to find out why their car was overheating.

Overheating can and will cause a failed head gasket

tristan89

The guy I got it from lived in Vegas and said he didn't need it because it was so warm down there, I wanted to put a metal head gasket in just wasn't planning on doing it this soon haha

Javi802

do a compression test with the engine at operating temp.

I would think you'd for sure have low compression if the head gasket was done for

Unless the gasket is just now starting to go..? Not sure if head gaskets can go slowly or if they just flat out fail when they do.

You can also get a head gasket leak tester as stated from someone above.

jr_ss

Sounds like another excuse to me. Every car needs a thermostat to run properly, except say a drag car. You don't efficiently cool the engine without one. The coolant needs time to stay in the radiator to dissipate heat. Not to mention engines and their Ecus are designed to run at a specific temperature. If it's constantly running outside designed parameters it uses more fuel and is in the end less efficient. Put a thermostat back in it.

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tristan89

Thermostat is in and staying in, I live where it gets below zero so I definitely need one!

tristan89

So I did a block test and another compression test, I got about 118 psi for all cylinders, the block test didn't do anything, the solution stayed blue the whole time, depending on when I check the oil it looks like coffe with a bunch of cream in it and other times it looks alright, I did notice some steam coming off my radiator though, and the radiator fluid is the color of rust, I use green coolant to fill it.