I too, may drive a Snowbird this winter...

Topic: I too, may drive a Snowbird this winter... (Read 2086 times) previous topic - next topic

I too, may drive a Snowbird this winter...

December 30, 2004, 03:48:49 PM

Well, if this isnt' a kick in the ass. Today I just got my grand marquis back together and got it started for the first time in a couple months. For the first 10 mins or so it chugged out white-ish smoke. Drove it up and down the road a couple times, seems to be fine. After further investigation I found milkshake shiznit on the end of the dipstick and grey coolant. Yay for blown headgaskets! I can't understand why this problem wouldn't present itself till now. The only work I did was replacing the intake gaskets (waste of $70 worth of parts, etc). Unless there's another way the oil and coolant are mixing?

So now I guess I'll just have to suck it up and drive the bird through the winter. So much for not letting that rust get outta control.

Re: I too, may drive a Snowbird this winter...

Reply #1 – December 30, 2004, 03:54:45 PM

Perhaps they mixed when you were replacing the intake gaskets. I'd do a quick oil change and see if it still persists before I pull the heads off. If not, then flush the coolant as well and keep an eye on it.

Re: I too, may drive a Snowbird this winter...

Reply #2 – December 30, 2004, 03:57:42 PM

I think that's what I'll head out and do now. I bought some cheap oil as a "flush out" oil if what you mentioned happened. If it is, indeed head gaskets I doubt I'll do much work to fix it as this car has 209k miles and rust everywhere.

Re: I too, may drive a Snowbird this winter...

Reply #3 – December 30, 2004, 05:00:05 PM

Well, I changed the oil, topped off the coolant to the tune of 1.5 gallons and the oil is starting to look milky again. Could these results happen if I screwed up the intake gasket really bad?

Re: I too, may drive a Snowbird this winter...

Reply #4 – December 30, 2004, 05:45:31 PM

Quote from: Ifixyawata

the oil is starting to look milky again. Could these results happen if I screwed up the intake gasket really bad?

Yup..fer sure. If you didn't have a coolant/oil problem before, I'd be suspect of the intake gaskets. I take it this is a 5.0??

Re: I too, may drive a Snowbird this winter...

Reply #5 – December 30, 2004, 06:16:32 PM

I have seen this prob with intake gaskets b4 a few times,
I fell falt to once on my 351 as well.

odds are very high this is your prob

Re: I too, may drive a Snowbird this winter...

Reply #6 – December 30, 2004, 10:18:18 PM

I'd agree that it's the intake gaskets. remember, there are coolant passages in the intake, and if the gasket isn't sealing the coolant may be leaking into the lifter valley. The coolant could also be leaking into an intake port, causing your chugging and white smoke

Re: I too, may drive a Snowbird this winter...

Reply #7 – December 31, 2004, 01:13:27 AM

A couple things. The smoking usually stops after the car has been run for a couple minutes. And, dumbass me, I forgot to mention that while I was under it changing the oil I could see coolant leaking down from what must be the back of the block. If a HG is bad, it isn't likely that the coolant would leak to the outside, right? Plus, why would this problem just now show up?

I've re-thought the whole just giving up thing, and even though the car only cost $400 and it has 200k on it, I think I'll still give it another try. Cripes, at least this time I can move it into the garage under its own power.