Syndacate

My friend's got somethin wrong w/ his maxima

smokin bad out the exhaust...

Question:
Is there anyway to tell if it's a piston ring or a head gasket w/o ripping everything apart?

And is there any way to tell what bank it's coming from?

Slopoke

Leak down test.

LSEGHATCH

If it's drastic enough, check the fluid leves, otherwise a leakdown test and/or cooling system compression test.

Luserkid

First off what color is the smoke and what does it smell like?

If you think its headgasket check the oil and coolant to see if its milky type yet. If it is then its headgasket.

Syndacate

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luserkid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">First off what color is the smoke and what does it smell like?

If you think its headgasket check the oil and coolant to see if its milky type yet. If it is then its headgasket. </TD></TR></TABLE>

How do I do that? Half hte time it's impossible to tell if it's milky or not on teh dipstick...would u recommend draining some of it?

Jhonny Ricer

i think he meant the smoke coming out of the exhaust is it blue green red purple white etc. and take a whiff of it while running what do the fumes smell like lol
k nvm he didnt mean exhaust fumes srry

Syndacate

naw, iz def. burning oil out the back...

I figure if I pull the exhaust manifolds off I can tell which bank is leaking...

but how do I check if it's milky? I don't feel the dipstick will tell me an accurate #, so do I drain it all & check it?

EDIT:
IF I get a compression tester that'll tell me 4 sure, right? If one of the rings is bad the compression'll be ****, right? I can get my hands on a compression tester, I forgot how to do the test, u g2 put the piston down all teh way and pump the gas or some **** like that, I forgot how, anybody know where the how-to is?

disboyjet

well its done by each cylinder... make sure to disable the spark and fuel.. i think u need to put it to top dead center (TDC)... now crank it and let it hit a couple of strokes... the first stroke should be at least half of the total... if not then the cylinder pressure is leakin past the rings... i know know the exact psi in the cylinder for that make n model... so just find it in a service booklet...


if theres anything i'm wrong about please tell me so... im just here to learn like u guys

Luserkid

Take off the oil cap. But if its for sure only oil it could be anything from valve stems to rings. Might be cheaper to get a new motor then a rebuild.

disboyjet

well when u got the **** cranked a couple of times look... well listen for air comin out in certain places... take the oil cap off and listen in there.... the in the radiator cap... see bubbles then head gasket... listen by the intake manifold... valves stuck open a lil? it'll help you find a better solution than wasting money... like my teacher says, " better to spend a couple of extra hours tryin to figure out whats wrong with the ****, than use the "swag" method (scientific wild *** guess) and blow a couple of hundred bucks extra." right right?

Syndacate

Definately, I'll do a compression test

disboyjet

then thats two votes.

yuh be easy