Guys...I just finished an LS/Vtec build up for my friend and we drove around fine for about an hour or two...we got stuck in heavy traffic and it was stop and go....all of a sudden we started smelling anti freeze and popped the hood..the reservoir was bubbling so we shut off the car and let it cool down...as it was cooling down we heard some snapping/popping noises....???? But the car started up fine and nothign was wrong...so we are driving again and all of a sudden the temp gauge shoots up and the hood fills with white smoke. In the middle of the Tri Boro bridge. What happened...has anyone ever experienced this before...we used a cometic gasket if that helps. Now when we crank the motor..the coolant spits out the front of the engine right behind the header...from between the head and block union. Is the motor a gonner? ANy thoughts would be appreciated. Head was torqued down to 22ft- lbs and then to 63ft-lbs as the final sequence...Helms manual instructions were followed throughout.













[Modified by BoOsTeD_eK, 3:53 PM 9/30/2002]

 

Headgasket is killed. Is it on correctly? did you use any kind of sealant on the gasket? your best bet is to pull the head, clean everything out, drain the oil the best you can, get all the coolant out of the engine because its now contaminated, and start over with a new gasket and installation.

 

any thoughts on what CAUSED it?

 

Well ain't that a bitch. I'd suspect the head gasket too. You did remember to plug the Vtec oil galley in the head when you did the swap right?

 

yes this was also done...I have done these freaking swaps about ten times...always used OEM gaskets..and this is my first time using Cometic...qanyone have bad experiences with Cometic?

 

Cometic hg's are usally good. You sure you got the correct headgasket? By the way, it's your headgasket that is gone. I ran into that problem before!

 

Well it sounds like the head gasket, BUT on my Grand Am, I had the same problem and it was a cracked cylinder head

 

My guess is that you had air trapped in the head when you filled the system. Backfill next time to avoid this problem.

Sonny

 

How does one getrid of trapped air, exactly? (planning on swapping a ported head in a while)...

 

sealant? I was suppose to use sealant on the headgasket? I have never ever done that in my life. Someone mentioned that the stock bolts might have backed out....could that have been the popping noises we were hearing when we turned off the car?