CORBON DIOXIDE IN MY COOLANT!?

SKR8PN · October 20, 2005, 09:25:58 PM

Quote from: "BFS57"Hello:
To SKR8Pn's reply about using the chemical test, I have some questions?
As I am not a super mechanic and some of this is going where I haven't gone before, I want to know more about other test that could pinpoint my problem! I was told by the radiator shop that a HOT compression test might shed more light on this problem. Got any other test to find whats going on? Wish I had a magic wand!

I'll be honest, every time I do something to improve this car, it seems as though it rebels by doing something like this! It's got me determined to make this car a really nice, reliable daily driver!

Thanks, Bruce

Another test you can do,is a radiator pressure test with the engine not running............let it set with pressure on it,and see how fast the pressure drops,AND WHERE is is going. If you get a puff of white smoke on startup,it is leaking into the cylinder,which means a head gasket or intake sealing problem. If you don't see any indication in the cylinders,try checking the crankcase for coolant............These are a sort of "backwards" check to try to locate where and how the cooling system is getting the carbon monoxide and the quick pressure rise from. If all else fails,start at the intkae gasket and work your way down till you find the problem.
Remember........it is only time,gaskets and money

bucketmouth · October 21, 2005, 07:36:53 AM

Have a cylinder leakage test done on it. That entails pressurizing the cylinders and checking for leaks. A blown head gasket will throw water out of the radiator filler thus the source of the CO2. This test will tell you many other things as well.
Unfortunately you will need some one that knows what they are doing.

ram-rod · October 21, 2005, 07:54:22 AM

there is a simple way to test

get the radiator man to pump twenty lbs of air into the cooling system
with a test pump an watch the gauge for ten mins is it leaks down pressure this test will show up a leaky hose or bad gasket

20 lbs/inch will provide enough water passed a head gasket to cause a miss in the afected cylinder

DONOT do this test on old honeycomb core radiator

BFS57 · October 21, 2005, 08:19:14 AM

Hello;
I want to thank all of you for your most needed input! I am not a "master" mechanic, just a un bolt and bolt on and try it kind of guy.
A buddy of mine (Corvette fanatic, He's the one that built this motor) says that he doesn't think that it's a head gasket because the pressure in the radiator stays for quite a while! But everyone knows cars, I wouldn't put aside the thought that there may be a cracked block, head or something else. I just hope that it's just the intake. If not, I don't have a place to do any major work on this car, just small stuff I can do in my driveway! One of the "benefits" of having a homeowner's assn!
Any other words of "wisdom" will be greatly appreciated. I plan to make a list and just go down the list, subject by subject until I find this problem.
Looks like this weekend is out because of Wilma, Got to stock up on supplies and baton down the hatches!
Thanks, Bruce

model a vette · October 22, 2005, 05:21:43 PM

A small block chevy intake only has water going thru the front passage, under the thermostat, from one head to the other. There are similar ports on the inside rear of the heads. These are not connected thru the intake on most, if not all, SBC intakes.
If you look at SBC heads, on the intake side, the ports are as follows: water passage, two siamesed intake ports, exhaust crossover, two siamesed intake ports and finally another water passage.
I have had problems of excess crankcase pressure forcing "air" into the water ports, at the intake, if the intake bolts are loose or the intake gasket is bad.
I'm not sure if that would show up as CO or CO2 in the water of the radiator. It did show up as the engine getting hotter as the revs went up. The car would cool fine at 55mph but get hotter and hotter at 75mph!

enjenjo · October 22, 2005, 06:57:47 PM

Did you happen to use the rubber end seals on the manifold?

model a vette · October 24, 2005, 12:17:07 PM

No, actually that was the first or second time I had used silicone to seal the ends.
I think it was also the first time I had NOT used silicone on the intake gaskets as the gasket maker had said silicone was not necessary on the "side" gaskets! I won't make that mistake again.

enjenjo · October 24, 2005, 12:35:25 PM

Ok, I have seen the rubber seals cause problems on aluminum intakes. usually coolant in the oil

BFS57 · October 25, 2005, 10:40:00 AM

Hello;
I have checked my crankcase oil (looking for water on the dipstick) so far I haven't seen any cold or hot!
When we put the intake on this motor we used silicone to seal the ends as the guy I was working with said that he never sees the ends seal up good and I didn't know if it was a good thing or not! One thing I do know, this motor is really put together well! My oil pressure is always around 60 lbs while running and around 40-45 lbs at idle.
I just haven't had time to get it taken apart to see whats up but it's on my "things to do list " which is growing larger every day!
Thanks, Bruce

slocrow · October 25, 2005, 04:16:19 PM

Bruce; OK. here's my 2 cents. I've been following this thread from the beginning and something just doesn't add up. A couple of days ago I even went so far as to copy some intake photos, top and bottom, off the Internet to visually question the conclusions being drawn. I did this to make the point that I don't believe that the intake is at fault. That day I thought better about answering and decided to remain silent but today I can't. No pictures this time as I'm going to just babble! The heads are interchangeable side to side, I believe. The rear head water passages are usually blocked off by the intake unless there's provision for a NPT tap off. The center of the intake has no water passages and even if you think they do, the head doesn't. Those center head ports are simply (as 348 stated) to get heat into the intake to heat the carb ie the block off plates. The front of the intake is the only water area and hot water comes up through the block, through the heads and exits the heads there into the intake and on to the thermostat housing. Why would you want to heat up the intake to heat up the charge?
If the intake gaskets are leaking there is only two places the water can go, I think. Either A, into the valley and on into the oil pan or running down the outside of the block and B, into the combustion cycle through an intake port. If it's leaking into the valley you'd see it on the dip stick maybe or at least you'd notice an increase in pan fluid via the dip stick. You've stated that this isn't going on. You would also notice a external leak which I believe also isn't happening and you're not low on collant. If it's B and you were burning the water you'd see the telltale white smoke which also isn't happening. So I guess the discussion re the intake has me at a loss because we don't appear to have the coolant loss problem that we some how have slipped into only because somebody want's to blame the old intake for something other then the stated problem.
As I under stand the problem, you have exhaust gas in the coolant.....yes?
That leaves me with only two possibilities; blown head gasket (most likely) or a cracked valve seat.
Now if I'm out of line here,,,,,please school me.......Thanks, Frank

BFS57 · October 26, 2005, 12:30:42 PM

Hello;
Frank; never in my wildest imagination did I ever think that this post would come up with as many possibilities as this!
My plan is to do some testing first. I want to do a pressure test, & hot compression test and see what happens then. If I see that one cylinder, or one side is not right I would tend to believe that what you say is right! Either a bad head gasket or something you brought up, a cracked valve seat! I know the block is good but the heads were farmed out!
I'm certainly more than happy to receive all this great input from everyone. By myself, I wouldn't have a clue where to start.
After all, it's only time and money! the time I don't have much of now. I am not only handling my job right now but our other facility in Ft Lauderdale has taken a substantial hit from Wilma and we are not waiting for FEMA or anyone else! We are sending a van w/generators, gas, water, & batteries!
Thanks, Bruce

BFS57 · November 21, 2005, 12:11:35 PM

Hello;
Just a little note to bring everybody up to whats happening. I finally got the new intake in and got it on! Man, what a difference!!! The old intake was significantly pitted in the front waterway. I did the super seal to it including the bolts!
Now, my 30" glasspack mufflers "BARK"! LOUD! It seems to have cured a great deal of my overheating! my temp gage stays about 180 deg. Even after it sits and idles (when it gets hottest) the temp goes back to 180 after a few moments of driving!
Next on to the transmission!
Thanks, Bruce