Replaced timing belt/water pump, new problems.

[txkprotege]

Update time...

I cleaned up the battery posts/terminals today.. took off the manifold cover.

I ran the car, got it up to running temp. When I finally got it smoking good (how many times am I going to have to say that ) I got under it with a flashlight. The smoke looks to be coming out of the bottom of the exhaust manifold.

First off, I'm going to tighten all the bolts down tomorrow and try again. Who knows, maybe that's the only problem. If not, I'll replace the exhaust manifold gasket when I get paid (if only I had the $8 lol). I noticed, as it got hotter and more smoke came out of the manifold, the car's idle got rougher. If I revved (to 1.5k or anything), and let go, the idle would drop to <500 and try to die. This has been happening for at least a few months, the smoke has been there that long as well, though it used to be more subtle. Think these are related or different problems?

The good news, however.. is after cleaning the battery up and re-attaching the terminals, then running it for a while after jumping it.. I was able to start the car without the aide of another car. Alternator works at least

[Jho]

Update time...

I cleaned up the battery posts/terminals today.. took off the manifold cover.

I ran the car, got it up to running temp. When I finally got it smoking good (how many times am I going to have to say that ) I got under it with a flashlight. The smoke looks to be coming out of the bottom of the exhaust manifold.

First off, I'm going to tighten all the bolts down tomorrow and try again. Who knows, maybe that's the only problem. If not, I'll replace the exhaust manifold gasket when I get paid (if only I had the $8 lol). I noticed, as it got hotter and more smoke came out of the manifold, the car's idle got rougher. If I revved (to 1.5k or anything), and let go, the idle would drop to <500 and try to die. This has been happening for at least a few months, the smoke has been there that long as well, though it used to be more subtle. Think these are related or different problems?

The good news, however.. is after cleaning the battery up and re-attaching the terminals, then running it for a while after jumping it.. I was able to start the car without the aide of another car. Alternator works at least

Good to hear that it starts right up now.

Sounds like you need to replace that exhaust manifold gasket.

[txkprotege]

Replaced exhaust manifold gasket.

Drove the car up the street, and my douchebag of a neighbor (she's a drug dealer rofl) wouldn't get her suburban out of the way (tiny one lane road). I had to drive into a ditch, running over a beer bottle. Guess that tire's gone.

Got back, idled for 10 minutes.. When I got to op temperature, I had someone rev the engine while I watched the back. When it's heated up there's a constant light stream of white smoke now. There's also a mixture of what looks like condensation and oil shooting out of it. The water in the radiator is gold because of the rust... there's no gold in this mixture, and there's no water in the oil vice versa, that I can see yet.

Opened the hood, also a ton of smoke still coming from all around the exhaust manifold, most of it looks like it's coming from under it. Obviously not the manifold gasket since it has a brand new one now

However... I'm going to give up on this. I've put $120 in parts in trying to fix these last few problems and I don't have the patience, skill, or money to keep dumping in it, as even if I fix the mechanical issues, there are a million more.

Now I have to figure out what to do with the car. Any suggestions? Parts car or just part it out? Passenger axle and radiator are <2 years old.. cdplayer harness, water pump/timing belt/timing belt tensioner run less than an hour and driven less than .5 miles.. escort spoiler

[Jho]

Replaced exhaust manifold gasket.

Drove the car up the street, and my douchebag of a neighbor (she's a drug dealer rofl) wouldn't get her suburban out of the way (tiny one lane road). I had to drive into a ditch, running over a beer bottle. Guess that tire's gone.

Got back, idled for 10 minutes.. When I got to op temperature, I had someone rev the engine while I watched the back. When it's heated up there's a constant light stream of white smoke now. There's also a mixture of what looks like condensation and oil shooting out of it. The water in the radiator is gold because of the rust... there's no gold in this mixture, and there's no water in the oil vice versa, that I can see yet.

Opened the hood, also a ton of smoke still coming from all around the exhaust manifold, most of it looks like it's coming from under it. Obviously not the manifold gasket since it has a brand new one now

However... I'm going to give up on this. I've put $120 in parts in trying to fix these last few problems and I don't have the patience, skill, or money to keep dumping in it, as even if I fix the mechanical issues, there are a million more.

Now I have to figure out what to do with the car. Any suggestions? Parts car or just part it out? Passenger axle and radiator are <2 years old.. cdplayer harness, water pump/timing belt/timing belt tensioner run less than an hour and driven less than .5 miles.. escort spoiler

That sucks man. Sorry to say that it sounds like it's time for a headgasket.

[txkprotege]

That sucks man. Sorry to say that it sounds like it's time for a headgasket.

The smoke out the front.. is it possible that's related to the headgasket too, or more likely a different problem?

Now I have no idea what to sell this for loll

[FE3-323]

Pressure wash the Engine bay & just sell it. Get what you can for it.
Buy an LX

[txkprotege]

I don't need an LX, I have another car

I've never even seen an LX here :-/

I need to know if the head gasket is causing the smoke out the front as well.. don't think I can sell it not knowing what is wrong with it. Doubt i'll sell it locally now anyways

[92dx]

when you drove it, how does it drive?(throttle response, accel...)

wHen you looked under the manifold, could you hear an exaust leak or anything?

hows your coolant level? Do you have to add some now and then, or does it stay full?

Like some have mentioned, if there is white smoke coming out the muffler, its most likley the head gasket.

[txkprotege]

when you drove it, how does it drive?(throttle response, accel...)

wHen you looked under the manifold, could you hear an exaust leak or anything?

hows your coolant level? Do you have to add some now and then, or does it stay full?

Like some have mentioned, if there is white smoke coming out the muffler, its most likley the head gasket.

Acceleration and everything felt normal.. nothing noticeable there.

When the car is sitting I can hear a ppsssttt that seems to have gotten worse (it was there for the last few months before the timing belt broke, just not too loud).

Coolant level used to.. well it'd leak an entire radiator's worth in a day. After replacing the inlet pipe gasket + oring, water pump + mounting gasket, and lower radiator hose - nothing is leaking at all. Coolant level is still full. The car has overheated 4-5 times, all at least a year ago, resulting from the crappy radiator and dying water pump (the pump never really died, but leaked like hell).

I originally thought the engine smoke was from the leaky water pump, was wrong though.

When coolant is mixing with oil.. it's usually.. milky. with my radiator full of rusty water - you'd think there'd be a hint of gold or something nonspecific to oil, but it's just a black oily mix (no coolant to be found in it).

[Jho]

Acceleration and everything felt normal.. nothing noticeable there.

When the car is sitting I can hear a ppsssttt that seems to have gotten worse (it was there for the last few months before the timing belt broke, just not too loud).

Coolant level used to.. well it'd leak an entire radiator's worth in a day. After replacing the inlet pipe gasket + oring, water pump + mounting gasket, and lower radiator hose - nothing is leaking at all. Coolant level is still full. The car has overheated 4-5 times, all at least a year ago, resulting from the crappy radiator and dying water pump (the pump never really died, but leaked like hell).

I originally thought the engine smoke was from the leaky water pump, was wrong though.

When coolant is mixing with oil.. it's usually.. milky. with my radiator full of rusty water - you'd think there'd be a hint of gold or something nonspecific to oil, but it's just a black oily mix (no coolant to be found in it).

White smoke coming out of your exhaust is definitely an internal headgasket failure. If you say that there is a leak underneath your exhaust manifold that causes smoke, that is probably your headgasket leaking externally as well.

If you have overheated your car 4-5 times, it is no wonder why your headgasket is leaking. Your cylinder head is probably warped pretty badly.

[92dx]

If you have overheated your car 4-5 times, it is no wonder why your headgasket is leaking. Your cylinder head is probably warped pretty badly.

yeah, thats most likely your prob

[txkprotege]

Didn't even *start* having smoke problems until many months after the overheating.. was more brokererer back then, and only 13-14 years old at the time. (16 now lol).. That was the first part I'd ever purchased and installed.. radiator.

So.. fix or junk it? I'm about to move, will have a **** of a time finding a buyer :-/ Doubt a parted DX would be worth anything as well.

[Jho]

Didn't even *start* having smoke problems until many months after the overheating.. was more brokererer back then, and only 13-14 years old at the time. (16 now lol).. That was the first part I'd ever purchased and installed.. radiator.

So.. fix or junk it? I'm about to move, will have a **** of a time finding a buyer :-/ Doubt a parted DX would be worth anything as well.

Brokererer huh.


It's really up to you what you want to do with your car. It depends on how much money you want to put into it, and how much more time and energy you are willing to spend.

Either way it's a tough choice. Both outcomes are sad.

[txkprotege]

Brokerererer sounds more "okay" than "I was a broke ass kid "

Let's assume cylinder head is warped.. how much am I looking at to fix/replace it?

I'm going to go as far as to guess any feasible amount for that is going to be too much, tomorrow I might drain the oil or coolant and check for mixing. If it's bad enough to leak externally + internally, there must be some mixture I'm just not seeing.

[Jho]

Brokerererer sounds more "okay" than "I was a broke ass kid "

Let's assume cylinder head is warped.. how much am I looking at to fix/replace it?

I'm going to go as far as to guess any feasible amount for that is going to be too much, tomorrow I might drain the oil or coolant and check for mixing. If it's bad enough to leak externally + internally, there must be some mixture I'm just not seeing.

Your cheapest route would be getting a replacement head at the j/y and at the very least having it machined. I would suggest getting a valve job, as you never know what you're getting with a j/y head or how long it was sitting for.

It adds up quickly, but it sounds to me like you're fed up with fixing problems with this car. Personally, if the car doesn't have a lot of other problems, and you like it, I'd spend the extra dollar and get a used head, get a valve job, and replace the headgasket. The more corners you try to cut, the more problems you are going to encounter down the road.