If YOU tear it apart and find its a porous block then you will have a hard time finding a dealer to replace the block.

Id return to stock as much as possible and take it in.

 

Ryansalazan - you are on borrowed time before you crack a sleeve if you haven't already. My bet you already have a crack and don't know it. That would cause your coolant issue. The sleeves will fatigue over time, warp and crack.

 

Sounds like what my car did when it cracked a sleeve. Compression test results?

 

I suppose I could do that. But it runs and idles like a champ builds boost etc .. lacks some power but maybe a tiny amount ... I would think a cracked sleeve would throw a CEL , any sort of compression loss and this car throws a CEL , I will try it just for ***** n gigs in the morning I guess. Wish I had a scope to see in the cyl

 

Over half tank of E85 , i do have the stock ECU .. fully bolted, that sounds easier said than done.


.. If its not that , and they some how determine its user error or all the mods that did it I am stuck paying 600 for labor and then its sitting there with 2 options pay to tow it , or let them fix it with stock parts paying out the ass..


I just would rather do my own testing before I just dump it off and eat the bill like most so I have a leg to stand on when they call and you know they will trying to pin it on anyone but GM.

 

A cracked sleeve wont throw a cel but you will know it. If it looks like a smoke bomb is going off every time you start it and it sounds different and had no power I would think a cracked sleeve. My car woud barely run and drained all the coolant in no time at all.

 

Exhaust is very clear. ,not even a puff on cold start up...

 

And I say no to the porus block issue. It wont be getting in the exhaust. It will leak into the oil.

 

Ok then it could be a porus block. Its pretty common really.

 

I really dont think its a hg.

 

My oil is milky with coolant, Exhaust puts out minimal water droplets.

 

Lol ya I'm still on stock head gasket. But in my defense there are some people that have the power I'm at and still on stock head gasket and are fine... So I don't know. I know it can't be pourus block because I have no oil mixing with coolant. Just coolant disappearing.

 

Uh oh... Some issues I'm actually having... Smoke bomb on start up, rough start up like its barely able to, smells either super rich or just strong when cold start up, has power still but seems down on it a bit, and lastly it is burning coolant but not draining it super fast... Only drains coolant fast if I drive the car fast for like 50 miles.

 

I've taken my head off my LAP a few times and finally got it down. The big issue i had was the VVT actuators. I didnt have the locking tool and they werent locked so i was throwing mad VVT codes and terrible valve train noise. Other than that its pretty straight forward. Make sure its at tdc 1 and all the marks are lined up, actuators locked and your golden

 

I am sure there can be a little crack but mine was a constantly poring plum of smoke.

 

Oh wow ya mine is like all white smoke and condensation but then it goes away once it's warmed up.

 

If its really stark white and then goes away after warming up, it could very well just be the head gasket. This happened to my old Spec V that I turbo'd. Same exact symptoms. White cloud show on start up, went away and drove fine after it warmed up. The heat was sort of "sealing" the leaking head gasket. If you pull your plugs before you do a cold start and shine a flashlight down into the holes, you might be able to see coolant pooling. I know I did.

 

Just fyi you don't have to hold the coolant tank up to bleed the coolant...easiest thing to do is fill the motor, radiator and reovoir as best as possible. Take the hose from the resovoir to head off and let it bleed until coolant poors our. I find that easier sometimes or vacuum fill it.

Sounds to be like a blown headgasket. The motors are strong and dont let a gasket failure make you think otherwise. Werks headgaskets are great imho. Arp studs without a doubt if your going that far.

The porus blocks i have personally seen loose quite a bit of coolant right into the oil.

 

Ya it's having the same symptoms as the first head gasket going out had.

 

My car ran like a champ, no smoke boosted fine, no odd noises nothing. Just oil and coolent was a 50/50 mix! Dealer first said it was head gasket, when to replace it then realized it wasnt and the found me on the forums and blamed the issue which they didnt know what it was on my mods. fought and fought, they tore the block down and presto, pourus block issue. the same issue i told them from day one and they denied it. All i can say is GL. GM customer service was as useless as a ******* walmart employee. I get mad talking about it

 

QUESTION.

How are our water pumps setup? Are they mounted to the engine outlet/inlet for coolant? or are they separated by a rubber hose from the engine? My point is, do we have a water pump gasket there?

I've heard of that being the location of a leak for other cars in relation to ryansalazan's situation. When you changed the headgasket, did you dissassemble the water pump from the engine? If theres a gasket there for the water pump, did you replace that?

 

The easiest way I've found to bleed the system is top it off with coolant and take a gallon of water with you. Let the car get to operating temperature sitting. Drive it for a mile, pull over, refill it. Drive it another mile or two, pull over and check it and fill if needed. Usually the 1st time you pull over takes care of it.

 

They are mounted to the block which has inlet ports that the outlet of the waterpump seals to and driven by the balance shaft chain. Usually when you replace the seal for the waterpump you replace the waterpump itself which comes with a new seal. The inlet for the waterpump is the coolant pipe that runs to the back of the engine at the thermostat housing which seals off to the outlet ports of the block. Its a fairly simple system and easy to understand.

 

What do you see on the block that indicates a pourus block exactly?

 

I think usually what has to happen is they take the head off see theres no damage to the gasket and then scratch their heads put new gasket on. Still happens determine heat fractured the block or made any inconsistencies expand enough to leak and determine its a bad casting ..


I am going to be doing a compression test and a cooling system pressure test soon. to see if maybe I can see or hear the leak.

I just need to motivate my self to do so, it's kind of got me down and out at the moment


I am sure then the block is sent off to be examined and tested at a lab where they have the xray machines etc to guarantee the blocks failure. Once its sent off to be examined they cant put it back in the car so you get a new engine ..

I know one thing , old reliable vortec 350 will always be there for me when shes down