Took it to the track & broke something?

[hamonkeiser]

I took the Stang to the track this weekend for the first time. On my third run I think I blew a head or intake gasket. She'll blow smoke out of the right tailpipe that smells like antifreeze but it'll only smoke for a minute or 2 & then nothing. I don't hear any miss so it's running on all cylinders but the temp skyrockets up to about 290. I was able to limp the car home from the track. Also, the car won't shift into OD until about 3500-4000rpm. I don't see how the 2 problems are related but it seems odd to me that I would have an engine & trans problem occur at the same time. Any ideas on what might be wrong

 

[jaymac]

you could definitely have broken two things at the same time
Anyway, have you checked the oil/ opened the filler neck? If it's covered w/ white/yellow mucusy snot. Most likely head gasket. You can check to see if the colant's down (most likely), pull a valve cover to see if you see the snot (most likely), do a compression test to see if there's a cylinder losing compression. It will still "fire", but will be allowing coolant in the oil.
I did the same thing at the track. I hope that 290* is from a stock gauge, cuz really bad things happen at 290*. I think the car actually goes into self-defense mode and starts shutting things down around 245*.
Either way, my guess is Head Gasket.
Good lucK man!

 

[hamonkeiser]

I didn't pull the valve covers yet but I checked the coolant & it looks fine (not like chocolate milk). No visible difference in the coolant level either. I'm thinking that if it's a head gasket, that it might not be that big of a tear & that it's mostly blowing exhaust into the coolant. I'm really hoping that it's just the intake gasket but it won't be any surprise to me if it is the head gasket. Any idea what might have gone wrong with the trans? I was just putting it in drive & going (no 1-2-1 shuffle because I heard it burns out the OD).

 

[RYC CUKR]

On the trans check your TV cable adjustment. If it is out of adjustment it will throw the shift points off and if left that way can lead to damage in an AOD. And yes the 1-d-1 shuffle will burn out your OD like you said, as will trying to mess around with someone while in OD, don't ask me how I know .

On the overheating and smoking. More than likely you blew a head gasket. Intake gaskets aren't really under that much pressure so I would look towards a head gasket. Sounds like you blew from a water jacket into a cylinder. That would account for the smoke or steam from the tailpipes and the dramatic rise in temp. Best thing to do is check your oil for coolant contamination and then run a compression check on the car at a minimum. It would probably also be wise to run a leak down test as well as a products of combustion test to check the coolant.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

Most likely its a head gasket but read this.....

It was published in the 5.0 Mustang and Super Ford MAGAZINE..The guy said "IT blows embarrassing, thick, white smoke when I start it in the morning or anytime the engine is cold." ---OCtober 2005 This is exactly what the tech guy said:

This guy had the same problem with his car and it was an AOD car. The tech guys that answer the article said that "it could be a vacuum modulator on the transmission. When the rubber diaphram inside the modulator fails and starts leaking, the modulator can suck ATF into the intake system. The ATF is buring inside your engine and the result is the white smoke you're seeing from the right bank of your exhaust. Pull the vacuum line from the modulator and check it for signs of ATF. If you find any, have the vacuum modulator replaced. With the proper tools and facility for getting the car in the air, so you can access the trans and the modulator,the job is something you should be able to handle yourself."

This is right from the magazine..hopefully this is your problem.

 

[stroked8e5]

Most likely its a head gasket bu read this.....

I don't know what mag it was. It was a recent 5.0L Mustang or MM&FF.

This guy had the same problem with his car and it was an AOD car. The tech guys that answer the article said that it could be a modulator on the transmission that is dumping transmission fluid in the right exhaust bank. I hope this is your problem and not your motor.

Can ANYBODY tell this guy what mag and issue it was..did anybody else read this?

AOD's don't use a vacuum modulator. Would be a possibility on C-4, C-6, or A4LD's though.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

AOD's don't use a vacuum modulator. Would be a possibility on C-4, C-6, or A4LD's though.

Yeah thats what I though, but I just read that out of the 5.0 Mustang Mag Oct 2005 issue...thats why I posted it...but oh well I guess

 

[jaymac]

Yeah thats what I though, but I just read that out of the 5.0 Mustang Mag Oct 2005 issue...thats why I posted it...but oh well I guess

Wow, that's an atrocity that mis-inforamtion like that is allowed on the press and out to the public.
Anyway, did you at least bother to open you filler neck on the valve cover?

 

[txstang84]

I'd go with jaymac on this one-since he just went through it about a month or so ago-sound about right Jay? matter of fact-isn't that exactly the same circumstances that yours blew under?

...besides you said the exhaust smelled of antifreeze-usually a dead giveaway

 

[jaymac]

I'd go with jaymac on this one-since he just went through it about a month or so ago-sound about right Jay? matter of fact-isn't that exactly the same circumstances that yours blew under?

I'm flattered you remembered
YUP! Last and best run of the night, cabin filled w/ smoke at the top of the track, then went away. Temp was fine until 40 min. later when I was arriving home. Lost about 32 oz. of coolant, and some white stuff on the dipstick tube. Not until the next day I opened the filler neck and saw the snot collection
When I filled it up w/ water, it still drove fine and held 180* perfectly. The second I saw that mucus, though, I spent the next 3 days doing a HG swap.
And yes, txstang, it was almost a month ago exactly, the 16th, I believe

 

[txstang84]

I'm flattered you remembered
YUP! Last and best run of the night, cabin filled w/ smoke at the top of the track, then went away. Temp was fine until 40 min. later when I was arriving home. Lost about 32 oz. of coolant, and some white stuff on the dipstick tube. Not until the next day I opened the filler neck and saw the snot collection
When I filled it up w/ water, it still drove fine and held 180* perfectly. The second I saw that mucus, though, I spent the next 3 days doing a HG swap.
And yes, txstang, it was almost a month ago exactly, the 16th, I believe

smartass

 

[jaymac]