In the old days this was called hydrolock. The cylinder gets more and more coolant in it after shut down. When you start up the next day, in the early stages all you get is rough running for a few seconds and a cloud of white smoke. Then you reach the tipping point when there is so much coolant in the cylinder that it doesn't boil-off at start up and thar she blows.

While a new headgasket is the proper approach, you might try some block sealant like alumaseal and if lucky you might seal up the leak. If you have no intention of a DIY gasket replacement <$300 for parts including machine shop planing, a pro job for $1000 may not be worth it.

So why not try the alumaseal/barsleak. However, since you already know that there's alot of coolant seeping into the cylinders, definitely pull the plugs and precrank the engine before firing to get the coolant out. Then add the sealant and run the car to plug the leak(s). I'd try two doses of the stuff folowing the plugs out precrank procedure both times.

If it works, I'd then go through the coolant replacement ritual again to get the remaining goop out. I once filled a gasket leak with alumaseal and drove the car for another 75k miles.

posted by 208.208.152...

• Worst Fears Confirmed - Head Gasket, MichaelH, Mon, 24 Jan 2005 20:53:54
  • Re: Worst Fears Confirmed - Head Gasket, MichaelH, Tue, 25 Jan 2005 17:32:37
    • Re: you can do the Head Gasket, johnK, Wed, 26 Jan 2005 08:07:58
      • Re: you can do the Head Gasket, MichaelH, Wed, 26 Jan 2005 20:39:21
    • FWIW ..., RS , Tue, 25 Jan 2005 17:38:36
      • RUSTBURG....&Saabu, MichaelH, Wed, 26 Jan 2005 04:35:03
        • Re: RUSTBURG....&Saabu, RS , Wed, 26 Jan 2005 04:48:20
      • & the Twinsaab.com site , too. n/m, bj, Tue, 25 Jan 2005 20:05:05
  • hydro-lock, maybe try some sealant, JohnK, Tue, 25 Jan 2005 09:59:03 <-- Viewing This Message
  • Not the end of the world, JD From LA, Mon, 24 Jan 2005 21:53:10
    • Been driving with bad HG over a year, PJ Cats, Tue, 25 Jan 2005 02:02:34
      • start saving $$$ for a new engine..., Saabu , Tue, 25 Jan 2005 20:20:22
        • New old saab cheaper than new engine n/m, PJ Cats, Thu, 27 Jan 2005 03:17:32
          • DITTO THAT!, MichaelH, Thu, 27 Jan 2005 15:56:09
      • Re: Been driving with bad HG over a year, berkeleybull, Tue, 25 Jan 2005 09:14:16
        • Head Gasket Replacement........., jhelhorst, Mon, 7 Feb 2005 03:39:24

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