Need Help On The Puller So I Can Work On The Mustang

[rdharper02]

So I get home from my latest 7 month vacation and found that all five of our vehicles need work. The most important being my 01 ram that pulls the Mustang across the country every three years. The motor in it had what appeared to be a spent ring (wet test diagnosis) and I decided to cheat and replace it with a low-mileage used motor. Got one out to put the other in and "PING", I actually heard the head crack. Replaced both heads with aftermarket castings and started to blow some white smoke. Initially thought it was an intake gasket, so pulled and replaced it. No joy. All 8 cylinders are running between 141 and 150. Tested the coolant system with the bulb tester and no exhaust gases are found in the coolaant system. So hey, its got to be the exhaust that received some coolant 9oRight?). So I replaced the catalytic converter and still have white smoke. I'm at a loss as it doesnt seem to be using any coolant out of the radiator or overflow. Any suggestions would greatly help my chances on getting the Mustang back on the road. Before some super individual suggests it....I have posted on ram forums and received no ideas. This is probably the best of five forums I am part of and truly need some "out of the box" thinking at this point.

 

[Sour Fabrications]

did u check the surface on the heads when u installed em ? or the surface on the block . did u deck the block ? also is it overheating or just has white smoke? .. what kind of muffler do u have? did u change the muffler? .. check the plugs and see if they have some orange on the ceramic that will tell u that your gettin coolant into the cylinder

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

One mans' white is another mans' blue. Coolant burning through the exhaust still smells like coolant even after it's burned. If you have tail pipes (so you can truly be apart from the front of the car as far as possible) try to determine if you smell that "smell". Engine oil, or transmission fluid getting sucked into the intake through a faulty vacuum modulator (if you even have one of those old assed things) will smoke at idle when vacuum is at its' highest.
I'm no technician, (not a real one at least) but I'd think that a coolant leak, getting into the combustion chamber would be doing some weird stuff to the water in the radiator ( bubbles and the like) so if it not too hot, I'd look at that too.

The 460 I had in one of my "stupid stories" had a compromised head gasket/head surface, and was actually sucking the lower radiator hose closed, but wasn't visibly smoking when I jabbed the throttle. That car ended up pressurizing the water jacket, and blew freeze plugs out at the track. (That was a bad thing)

Things aren't always as they seem. Look to be sure it's not engine oil/transmission fluid too. If oil got into the exhaust from some previous failure,..it will take more than a minute to burn it out. Ever had a set of new headers backed by new exhaust, and new mufflers? (That shi t smokes like dogs playing cards for about 5 minutes)

 

[rdharper02]

did u check the surface on the heads when u installed em ? or the surface on the block . did u deck the block ? also is it overheating or just has white smoke? .. what kind of muffler do u have? did u change the muffler? .. check the plugs and see if they have some orange on the ceramic that will tell u that your gettin coolant into the cylinder

The heads were definitely good with newly machined surfaces. i couldnt pull the block due to resources, but compression is good cross the board. No overheating and the only fowling of plugs I found seemed to be the never seize I coated the threads with. I do plan to take another look at the plugs to see if there are any other indicators.

One mans' white is another mans' blue. Coolant burning through the exhaust still smells like coolant even after it's burned. If you have tail pipes (so you can truly be apart from the front of the car as far as possible) try to determine if you smell that "smell". Engine oil, or transmission fluid getting sucked into the intake through a faulty vacuum modulator (if you even have one of those old assed things) will smoke at idle when vacuum is at its' highest.
I'm no technician, (not a real one at least) but I'd think that a coolant leak, getting into the combustion chamber would be doing some weird stuff to the water in the radiator ( bubbles and the like) so if it not too hot, I'd look at that too.

The 460 I had in one of my "stupid stories" had a compromised head gasket/head surface, and was actually sucking the lower radiator hose closed, but wasn't visibly smoking when I jabbed the throttle. That car ended up pressurizing the water jacket, and blew freeze plugs out at the track. (That was a bad thing)

Things aren't always as they seem. Look to be sure it's not engine oil/transmission fluid too. If oil got into the exhaust from some previous failure,..it will take more than a minute to burn it out. Ever had a set of new headers backed by new exhaust, and new mufflers? (That shi t smokes like dogs playing cards for about 5 minutes)

I'm learning here Mike, but I can say that it doesnt smell like oil being burnt. I have checked the coolant system after the thermostat opens and /i cant detect ant air pushing through, I even purchased the chemical tester that draws air through a test fluid. If CO2 is found it turns green from blue. No joy. I had thought it could be the oil previously burnt, but replaced the cat and let it run for awhile (couple of hours). If it hadnt gotten the stang from New mexico (when loss of oil noticed) to Southern California (stopping point) I would have traded it in on a diesel. At this point I am about to call it a day and start the rebuild of the other 360 I have on a stand. Only problem is that I actually need it to pull the Mustang around.

 

[90lxwhite]

? (That shi t smokes like dogs playing cards for about 5 minutes)

Ha!

 

[DTARS]

does it smoke on start up , or after it warms up a bit ? or it just does it all the time

 

[rdharper02]

does it smoke on start up , or after it warms up a bit ? or it just does it all the time

Smokes on initial start up then lightly upon acceleration.

 

[DTARS]

i once had a issue with those plastic intake manifolds , had a crack in the coolant passage and would only leak after warm up / when the thermostat opened.

does this motor by any chance have a coolant block going to the throttle body, ive ran into a few of those before that acted up ,

could also be a stress crack near a coolant jacket in the block and once the motor starts to warm up the block could expand just enough to get coolant into your cylinders but once cold it could close up enough to still get a accurate compression test .

thats the best ideas ive got

 

[rdharper02]

The block crack could be a possibility at this point. Intake is aluminum and theres no flow through the throttle body. I'm working from 4:30 am to 6:00 pm lately so I have had no time to play with it lately. Hopefully i can get at it this weekend. I've had it torn down and put back together enough that I am still trying to think of something wrong without the need to tear it down. Sadly, I think the Mustang could be purring in three to four days if I get to it. Priority goes to the puller, so I'm looking to rebuild the motor on the stand. i'm in C A and cant stroke it or anything...likely the second least exciting rebuild I've done. The other was an 88 Accord.

 

[revhead347]

I had a friend who ran into the exact same problem with a 360 Durango he inherited in a marriage after replacing the rearend and the transmission twice. I'm really not trying to be smart ass here, but you are pissing into the wind with a Dodge. Pour a bunch of mechanic in a can into the engine until it stops smoking and then drive it up to Ford and trade it in for a Ford truck; even a Chevy if it comes to that. If you get the engine back to useable condition now, it's just going to blow a rearend, or a transmission, or fry the wiring harness soon. Better to cut your losses now than let this vehicle frustrate you for another few years.

Kurt

 

[revhead347]

I had a friend who ran into the exact same problem with a 360 Durango he inherited in a marriage after replacing the rearend and the transmission twice. I'm really not trying to be smart ass here, but you are pissing into the wind with a Dodge. Pour a bunch of mechanic in a can into the engine until it stops smoking and then drive it up to Ford and trade it in for a Ford truck; even a Chevy if it comes to that. If you get the engine back to useable condition now, it's just going to blow a rearend, or a transmission, or fry the wiring harness soon. Better to cut your losses now than let this vehicle frustrate you for another few years.

Kurt

 

[A5literMan]

I had a new 99 318 Durango that started using/burning coolant in the first year. I agree with revhead completely. If you can afford it move on to another truck. Dodges suck. I've seen a lot of them burn through trans after trans

 

[rdharper02]

Not getting upsett here, but I continue to live in the past with cars. In high school I wanted a foxbody and the "new" 1994 ram. I own both. Both are in great shape for their age and both are less efficient than any car on the road today. It comes down to personal preferance. If I were to get rid of the truck it would be for a diesel. I use mine to pull and the cummins is about the best power plant out there. Since it comes in a dodge, it would probably be the best way to go. Long story short, I could have had better, but got what I wanted, so its getting fixed. Time and trust are the factors, not money.

 

[DTARS]

ive havnt had any problems with my dodge ram ever, i have 98 12valve cummins, i beefed up the tranny a bit tho, deep sump pan with a cooler built in , a bd diesel valve body as well, and of course a tranny temp gauge helps alot lol.