how screwed am i?

[lowrodderchev]

So I overheated my blazer Monday by the time I got home there was a little smoke coming out of the engine bay but was still running no pinging or rod knock So check the oil later that day look good but no water. Added water Drove her the next morning no problems 5 hours later after a 10 minute drive started to run rough, got home had chocolate oil and white smoke when I revved the motor. Should I worry about a bent rod? Or crack block?

[Norcal72]

A compression test is in order. Head gaskets are probably toasted.

[lowrodderchev]

so I had the truck parked in the road started it up and moved it into the driveway to do the compression test had a lot of water shooting out of the exhaust on drivers side here's a few pix

[lowrodderchev]

so pulled all the plugs to do a compression test and the number 7 piston shot out some yummy goodness (coolant) oh yeah added pic my engine

[lowrodderchev]

so hopefully I did it right. I pulled all the plugs, pulled the distr wire, hooked up compression tester, stepped on the gas pedal and cranked it 4 times here's what I came up with

#1-145
#3-130
#5-140
#7-118(one that was shooting coolant out

#2-136
#4-135
#6-143
#8-145

how bad does it look? I know my head gasket is shot I'm just worried I bent a rod. should I just replace both head gaskets? thank you guys for any help

[Dunenutt]

Pull the heads and check it out. May get away with just gaskets.

[lowrodderchev]

I don't mind sending them in to get checked. my big worry was having a bend rod. the motor was brand new when I bought the truck. I feel bad ive been neglecting her lately to finish my other truck. but after this I'm going to send her off get the tranny and transfer case check rebuild the axles get her into tip top shape

[Irish1941]

Always do both head gaskets or when the other one goes next week, you'll feel real dumb.
Doubt you bent a rod. The cylinder needs to be pretty full for it to hydraulic but if you're really worried about, when you pull the heads, watch how far #7 slug comes up in the bore. Bent rod won't go to full stroke.

[lowrodderchev]

Thank you I'll check that out Monday got everything unbolted and ready to come out come Monday I'll pull it and check that piston and send both heads off to machine shop keep u guys posted

[lowrodderchev]

So number 7 goes a full stroke �� found out my head is a 3998993 guy I bought the truck off of years ago said it was rebuilt lotta people say that when u buy a vehicle few ain't lying anything I should look for while heads off piston walls look clean no grooves but alot carbon on the piston head

[lowrodderchev]

P.s. My engine number is 3970010 68-79 350"if I'm right

[lowrodderchev]

She's back in the road but now the gauge is marking that she's getting hot like all the way over to the right on solid red and that's just going around the block when I got home or wasn't boiling so maybe my gauge just died mmmm

[Ozzy2013]

I would check for water in the oil again you might have cracked a head or the block.What did you do just replace the head gaskets?

[Ozzy2013]

A thermal heat gun is nice for checking hot spots make sure your water pump and thermostat are working right. Did you ever figure out why it overheated in the first place?

[lowrodderchev]

It was a bad radiator cap that caused the over heating I sent the head off check it for cracks and resurfaced it I check the oil looks great no nestle quick

[lowrodderchev]

I had to change the sender the machine shop broke the original one

[Ozzy2013]

Great !Love it when its something simple.

[lowrodderchev]

whats a thread without pix

[lowrodderchev]

I may be wrong but the head gasket look like its been bad for awhile but she's always ran great before this problem happen so resurfaced both heads and check for cracks

[lowrodderchev]

so figured while I had it apart mines well clean it up a bit make her look pretty

[lowrodderchev]

tomorrow I'm going to run a after market temp gauge to see if she's really getting hot or crappy sender also going to sand down my fenders wells and give them a nice coat of black. figure my 57 chevys almost done its time for me to clean her up rebuilt the front in go through the axles/suspension get her to be a s reliable as a new truck minus the high monthly payment

[lowrodderchev]

So ran the after market gauge ending up running a little above 190 but now the dam started is acting funny when I go to start it it will continue to start move the wires around thinking it was a bare wire but nothing tap the starter with a hammer and it worked, I'm thinking she should heard I was thinking of selling her to get 4 wheel truck same year so she's giving me crap

[lowrodderchev]

Now I'm really in a rut might push here out in the road and put a for sale sign on her, was running fine the other day switch out the starter now she runs for 20 seconds then shuts off and is hard to restart I have a clear fuel filter and its getting gas after I get her started there's a cloud of smoke like she's flooded out any suggestions guys?

[lowrodderchev]

BTT for me any suggestions guys? I adjusted my choke this morning drove her around the block got home she died on me was hard to restart when it did restart black smoke came out exhaust

[Ozzy2013]

There is so much it could be when it dies have you checked to see if you are out of fuel at the carb?Check and make sure your fuel pump is good then the carb .Are you getting spark when it dies?Sounds like you need to go over everything again .