Good day by lukester - March 28th 2024 12:26 pm
| Crazy mods by MufflerMan Mike - March 28th 2024 9:38 am
| | Lew Greger by MufflerMan Mike - March 27th 2024 5:15 pm
| | | Re: Steam out the tailpipe | Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 162 member | OP member Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 162 | It looks fine to me. Fix the belt, check the coolant level, and take it for a test drive. Thanks, I will. | | | Re: Steam out the tailpipe | Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 28,125 Madman! | Madman! Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 28,125 | It's hard to tell from your picture of the plug, but it looks to have some deposits on it. Like Phoenix stated a new set of plugs would help diagnose a bit better as your plugs may have deposits from previous issues you had while getting the new engine fired up and running properly. If you can't afford to buy a new set of plugs right now, take a scotch brite or a piece of steel wool to each one and clean it off (out) with carb cleaner. This chart will help you to read your plug condition. With this being a new engine I recommend pressure testing it as opposed to running it as if you are leaking coolant into the cylinders, it may wash the oil off the cylinder walls and cause ring failure. Your local AutoZone (maybe other stores as well) should have pressure testers to borrow. | | | Re: Steam out the tailpipe | Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 3,772 pooh-bah | pooh-bah Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 3,772 | Hey Dr. Bob - You remember the lever to advance "spark" on the steering column? The throttle you could set on the dash? Did you ride in the rumble seat? I sure did, and not in no parade either! I remember riding in the back window of my Fathers Dusenburg.
The only Stephentown on earth. I don't mind Coming to work, but that 8hr wait to go home is a bitch. No matter how little I do, I always feel I could do less. "The only thing wrong with a perfect drive to work is that you end up at work." NOVA VANS 1990 Dodge B150
| | | Re: Steam out the tailpipe | Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 162 member | OP member Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 162 | It looks fine to me. Fix the belt, check the coolant level, and take it for a test drive. Put a tad more torque on 2 front intake bolts and also on cyl head bolts that steamy side...no more steam. Running manners are promising if not yet butter smooth. No visible tailpipe emmissions or stinks at all! Road tested about 1/2 hr just around town, though I did do a couple runs up to 45 mph and above with kickdowns at a couple diff speeds - has partial KD, I am sure as I did not floor it to KD. Got pops out the carb twice while under a load - but not every time, just the twice. I think I am at only about 5 BTC so I have some room to advance there. Whew and yay, but mostly whew. Thank you. Think I at least have a slight ignition miss as vac gauge bounces intemittently also engine surges or searches in some loads and acts lean...or rich in others. Not too far out of the ballpark though. After it cools I will pull some plugs and see what they look like. Thanks for the support here. Now there's this pair of headers I saw on a Dodge van at the JY yesterday, hmmm... Road test today...
Last edited by Altosax; January 26th 2012 7:49 pm.
| | | Re: Steam out the tailpipe | Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12,107 Likes: 37 Maniac | Maniac Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12,107 Likes: 37 | Cool! At least there isn't any pinging. The pops out of the carb and the fluttering vacuum gauge combined with the steam disappearing after torquing down the intake suggest to me that your intake manifold *may* be warped causing an intermittent vacuum leak. For years before I knew better I would torque aftermarket aluminum intakes down to the same torque spec as the factory cast iron intake. I never had a problem with the intake leaking. You might try loosening all the intake bolts and torquing the intake down to 35 ft-lbs in the proper torque sequence.
You should also double check the distributor vacuum advance pod and the carb vacuum choke pulloff pod and see if they still hold a vacuum. These are two often overlooked sources of vacuum leaks.
Cool beans about the kickdown! PT kickdown is a nice feature.
An HEI swap often cures ignition misses. ;)
Windows- they're what make a van worth owning! | | | Re: Steam out the tailpipe | Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 162 member | OP member Joined: Aug 2011 Posts: 162 | OK now...A little more torque on intake bolt near #1 reduced steam to zilch, or close to.
Has been running pretty good while attending to electrical issues, maybe 60 or so miles total.
But: After a 12 mile outing on weekend I thought it had lost some smoothness to engine. Pulled plugs today and all seem MUCH too clean...and #2 had definite moisture. I think the plugs are getting "washed".
Is it common to need to re-torque head bolts after a couple heating cycles? Maybe I am not getting the block to head seal I need. I re-torqued all intake bolts today.
Gotta road test again. So do cyl head bolts often need re-torque? Thanks. | | | Re: Steam out the tailpipe | Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12,107 Likes: 37 Maniac | Maniac Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12,107 Likes: 37 | I forget- do you have a vacuum gauge? What is you vacuum reading at idle? I would suspect lean running due to a vacuum leak or fuel mixture being off form a carb adjustment before steak cleaning the plugs. WHen you say #2 had moisture, could it have been gas?
Windows- they're what make a van worth owning! | | | Re: Steam out the tailpipe | Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 2,847 Likes: 42 veteran | veteran Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 2,847 Likes: 42 | I would monitor the level of overflow bottle( if installed).
If you continue to lose coolant, whichever cylinder(s) are affected, are being scrubbed by steam, meaning less lubrication for the rings and cylinder bore.
Not something that additives or plain old hope can fix.
I would buy a coolant tester and see if hydrocarbons are present in the coolant, and make a decision from there | | | Re: Steam out the tailpipe | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 868 Likes: 2 old hand | old hand Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 868 Likes: 2 | Usually it is a good idea with standard head gaskets (stock style) to retorque after a good couple heating cycles. I'd maybe even back off the intake manifold bolts a little while you do this then retorque the intake manifold bolts after the heads are retorqued. Good luck!
1972 Dodge Van "Tigerlilly" - Blazing Copper/Sandstone Metallic - 3850 lbs empty 13.47 @ 97.53 mph N/A - 11.94 @ 113.33 mph N2O - old 360/727 + Nitrous (N2O)combo Viper V10 + 4L80E conversion in progress...
2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 "Leelu" - TorRed - 6.1L Hemi/6 speed - Supercharged - SOLD
1990 Celica Alltrac "Emma" - 2.0L 4cyl Turbo AWD - 327awhp - 21-22mpg freeway, 17-ish mixed daily use - 13.2 @ 108 best so far.
2007 Chrysler 300C SRT8 "Ruby Rod" - 6.1L Hemi - pretty much bone stock driver - With 425hp
| | |
0 members (),
17
guests, and
6
robots. | Key: Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod | | Forums68 Topics35,746 Posts537,916 Members12,725 | Most Online177 May 8th, 2013 | | | |