Head gaskets • The Dodge Challenger Message Board

by **jeff** » 12 Apr 2001 12:42

My car has stood all winter. 6 months on I fire it up drive a few miles. Pulled the rocker covers, and there is some white goo!
Is this a buggered head gasket or could it just be moisture?

by **dave-r** » 12 Apr 2001 14:23

Could be just condensation on the inside of the rocker covers. Is your garage heated? Is there any sign of the goo on the dipstick or oil in the radiator water?

You will need to flush out all the old oil now anyway. You don't want any of that goo in your bearings.

by **jeff** » 12 Apr 2001 14:30

The tinest amount on edge of dipstick, No sign of oil in water, oh jeez! Just as I thought I was very close to getting back on the road!
MOT booked for saturday..All welding done....

by **jeff** » 12 Apr 2001 14:33

I will flush and replace this weekend, Then drive a few miles, I think this should tell me, don't you Dave?

by **dave** » 12 Apr 2001 14:37

The bit on the dipstick could have dropped from the top of the head.

DON'T PANIC!

Flush it. New oil. Fire it up and run it up to temp. Then shut it down and look in the valve covers and on the dip stick again. If no sign of water take it for a short drive and check again.

If you want to be ultra careful do a compression check first.

by **jeff** » 12 Apr 2001 18:07

Alrightee! Oil has been drained, it was not milky!
will leave dripping overnight. Valve covers off, cleaned and de-greased. No white goo on rockers, or in heads, just on top inside of covers.
I will flush tomorrow and replace oil. Have to dig out my stash of Kendall.
If it is a head gasket, are there any ways of Identifing which side? I bet there is'nt!

by **dave-r** » 12 Apr 2001 20:21

Usually when a gasket goes it it between the water jacket and one of the cylinder bores. A compression test will show you which cylinder it is likely to be.

I think it will turn out to be condensation. I have had that before myself on a 318 car.

by **Al the ford owner** » 12 Apr 2001 20:39

I reckon it will be condensation too, I have just got a Ranchero goig after two years and all is well, when ya fire the motor up, make sure it reaches temp or the water in the air going thruogh the block will cause the same problem, you have to get the covers hot enough to "dry" out the condensation.

If it re-occurs, take the car for a short run, use good throttle, shut it down, pull the plugs, and read them, if one looks clean, sort of unused, then that is the pot with the hassles, comp test may prove it but if it's a small blow, the pressures may hold up under cranking speeds,also remember if the coolent is getting to the iol, it may not have blown across to the bore, but across to the oil passage.

by **jeff** » 12 Apr 2001 21:19

Oh... this is what I miss about the MMA! Thank goodness you have this site up Dave! Useful advice from fellow Mopar owners and Ford owners.
Anne is away at the moment, so the valve covers had a good clean out in the sink! sshhh.
I have not had the car up to proper running temp. so far, just a trip to and from the body shop. 1 mile each way (if that)
The chassis was sorted today, Jeez he done a fantastic job! looks totally original! No crap patches, cut out and replace. They specialize in restoration work. My eldest had a Saturday job there a while back..How much? £40 Cash! Gotta find more for em to do!

by **dave-r** » 13 Apr 2001 9:53

Jeff said > "Oh... this is what I miss about the MMA! "

Well you shouldn't have been such a huffy git and paid your subscription!

by **jeff** » 13 Apr 2001 19:02

Yeah RIGHT!
Thanks guys the car is now fine and dandy! MOT tomorrow.

by **jeff** » 14 Apr 2001 18:37

WELL......Passed the Mot. Got the tax, drove home checked valve covers, more GOO! UGH!!
So I went to bed. Got up again at about 10.30am. OK I have made up my mind. Off to USAutomotive, new head gaskets, new valley gaskets (yeah I read the threads, but I always use new uns), new header gaskets, got my larger than MMMA discount (ner).
Got home called Pete, went round in the Dodge (idles like a pig).
Pete says clean out the breather caps, we do. A small coal mine later, pop em back on, Pete starts lookin at my carb, looks at me, calls me a Pratt I think (I totally agree) Air leak like Janet Street Porters gob! Fix this and then road trip! (Pete decided to stay home). Back to Petes after trip, check covers.... More Goo! ..but not a lot..
We Decide not to rip off heads, but wait, this problem is getting less and less.
So time to drive home, get into garage, lift hood...Oh shit I have done it again... LEFT BREATHER CAP OFF!. Hey no goo on both sides, just nice clean oil. New beathers I think next.
Oh it was great driving the Coronet tonight, I even got the biggest smile and wave from a babe at the train station ( perhaps she thought I was a double decker bus). Arm out the window and a wave at all the collective hathatch kids outside the local empty cinema.

by **dave-r** » 14 Apr 2001 20:37

Ah man! We've got to have a heads up grudge race at avon park mate.
I also think you should make those 'Billy no mates racing' stickers for our cars.

by **Alex the tyre wrecker** » 15 Apr 2001 18:25

Nice one Jeff, well done mate! I am pig sick jelous, coz I am Moparless, still got the Ranchero out today, (also m.o.t.'d) and set about destroying the rear tyres before I sell it(got to make sure the thing runs good eh?) so at least I wuz out in a yank!

by **jeff** » 16 Apr 2001 16:52

Know what? I designed em, sent em off to be lazer cut..£60 +vat each! EAT MY SHORTS DUDE!

by **Alex** » 16 Apr 2001 22:47

Suprised ya can afford shorts at £60 fer stickers! How many did ya get for that?

by **jeff** » 17 Apr 2001 8:18

Told em to poke it! that was for one!

by **alex the pick oop owner** » 17 Apr 2001 21:21

I heard that ! do they think folk are thick or what? ram some sticky paper in yer printer and buy a scalpel dude !