I know this may be speculation but I am just trying to get an idea of what went wrong. Last night on the way home after a meet we lined up on the highway to do a little runs. I was in 5th gear with my high boost setting on 14 PSI. I have an LS turbo motor with JE 9:1 pistons, crower rods, Newformz block guard. I took off and all of a sudden car looses all power like it shut off and all this smoke appeared to be white is pouring out the exhaust. I pull over open the hood and see antifreeze all over the place. Does this sound like a head gasket or a sleeve?

Some more info not sure if this helps. Earlier in the night my temp went up above normal then and the heater stopped blowing heat then about 30 seconds later went back to normal. I thought maybe my thermostat got stuck.

Also since I got towed home last night around 3 in the morning I really did not have too much time to rip into the motor. But I did pull the plugs. 1st plug all the way to left was dry and looked normal. The other three plugs all were soaked with antifreeze.
Not sure if any of this helps. But I am sitting at work and just trying to figure out what I could have possibly done.
TIA

 

if there was anti-freeze under the hood then more than likely it was the gasket. you really can't be sure without pulling the head. when the temp shot up and the heater stoped, did it blow out cold air for a minute? that could be an indication of a head gasket. did the car start back up? did you try? did you hear any detonation? why the hell were you boosting fith gear? i never boost fith gear, its just wrong! i would guess head gasket, but it could be some thing much worse!

 

it could be either head gasket or sleeve...either or, the coolant and oil mixed. Pray that it's a Head gasket

 

Okay to answer some of the questions you asked to hopefully narrow down the situation. When the temp shot up it blew out very cold air felt like the heat was not even on. When the car died and I pulled over on the side of the road after I took a visual inspection of the motor I tried to restart it no go just cranked slowly. Has me worried for two reasons one because it did not start and I have had cars with blown head gaskets run but run shitty. Also it was cranking slower like the pistons were not free. I did not hear any detonation and my air fuel gauge was at stoch the whole time running. Boosting in fifth gear was because I was racing a few of my friends with stage 3 s4's and I was going about 80 and did not want to down shift and get squirrelly.

 

You gotta take off the head...so, get to it!
My vote...gulp...sleeves
I mean, both are possibilities, however blown head gaskets shouldn't lead to SOAKED plugs.
Coolant doesn't compress either...

 

honestly.......i think you could have done both.....it that is even possible! the head gasket earlier in the night, and the sleeve later. but you said yo have a bolck guard so the sleeve should not have grenaded. just pull the head!!
not knocking you but just a little piece of advice: NEVER boost fith.....the car will run way too lean, you are just asking for trouble


[Modified by boostin b16, 12:03 PM 1/15/2003]

 

Sorry, but my moneys on the sleeves. With a head gasket usually at least two cylinders would have fired. If it didn't turn over at all it's a sleeve. ime to re-build it, and have some real fun.

 

i'm thinking sleeve here. The fact that it didn't restart and it cranked really slow can't be good.

 

Yeah I am going to start working on it after work tonight. This sucks. If the sleeves are gone I suppose I need a new block correct? As far as boosting in 5th if it was lean would the a/f guage not have shown it?

 

if the sleeves are gone, to get running anytime soon you will need a new block. I would opt to get a block just to get you running and send the block you have off to a machine shop to get sleeved. Then you can have some real fun.

 

what kind of a/f gauge is it? and it may have just leaned out momentarily or the guage could be incorrect.

 

The guage is an autometer. Can you guys explain to me a little more about sleeving what it is and what it does. I thought I knew and understood but now I think I am confused. What is the difference between a sleeve and the block guard? TIA

 

Well, not to freak you out, but this sounds exactly what happened to me last year. Did my first run at the track, about 1000 feet into it, I lost power and saw nothing but white smoke behind me. Car wouldn't start after and my radiator blew out too. Here is what I found when I pulled my head:


Here is a pic of the same block after Golden Eagle sleeved it. They do great work!




[Modified by Farnsrocket, 11:42 AM 1/15/2003]

 

man...........get rid of that usless ******* autometer!!! why the hell would you trust your motor to a 75$ gauge? that was your problem right there.

leeving removes the sleevs and presses in new ones..........a block guard just goes around the exsistion sleeves and reinforces them.(short version)

 

Did that make any noise when it your car lost power?

 

I was so caught up in the race and the engine was close to redline so it was loud, so I didn't notice, but I do remember afterward that it felt like I bottomed out my shocks, ya know, or hit my front jack point on the road.......a real hard bang. The motor just stuttered when I gave it gas and then quit. My coolant got pressurized from the cylinders and it blew out the bottom of my radiator. Everyone thought it was a headgasket and I prayed it was when I was getting towed home. Oh well, ya live and learn.......probably the best thing that could have happened now that I look back.

 

[QUOTE.......probably the best thing that could have happened now that I look back. [/QUOTE]

why???

 

Cause it kinda forced me to get my block rebuilt, buy Hondata and pretty much go all the way with my whole car.

 

good idea! i am in the process of changing my whole setup too.......not a rebuild, just tired of going slow(but still fast)

 

Yeah my whole 3 hours of waiting for the tow truck last night I was praying that it is a head gasket. I did not hear any booms or loud noises so I hope that I am okay but knowing my luck it will all be destroyed. What sleeves do you guys recommend running?

 

holy ****. The same thing happened to me. I got stranded on the side of the road for hours waiting for a tow truck.

MY coolant overflow line popped off of the radiator, and white smoke and sweet smelling coolant splashed EVERYWHERE.

only thing is, my car starts and runs now...im just stuck trying to diagnose a problem of lost power/ car misfiring..it sounds like there is a hole in my valve, but that cant be i just got new ones!

here is my problem
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=386427


[Modified by B18EG6, 4:20 PM 1/15/2003]

 

Yeah I was wishing so bad last night that it would be a hose popped off but NO they were all attached. Damit

 

farnsrocket: just curious but what were you boosting when your sleeves went??

 

Well, I was running 8lbs., but I am sure I overboosted or leaned out, or both for one reason or another (FMU ) I was tuned with a VAFC, Drag manifold and Delta wastegate. Multiple problems with that set up , so I really do not know what exactly happened.

 

I have an aem EMS with the drag gen 3 kit. With the delta wastegate