Antifreeze in #1 plug, blowing smoke bad!

Exactly one week after buying my 1988 Chevy Astro it started blowing smoke out the back (VERY badly). :crying: We were only 3 blocks from home so we took the van slowly back to the house and parked it. It was hard to drive being that the smoke was so thick you couldn't see anything behind us. The next day, we started the van (or attempted to start it) and after 4 tries it finally started but still smoked. Not wanting to do any more damage to it, we parked it until payday.

We thought perhaps it needed the basics (tune-up / oil change / radiator flush / etc.) We bought all the supplies for it for another $112.00 and started the work. While replacing the spark plugs which were very badly charred (black soot), we encountered the root of the problem. Upon pulling the # 1 spark plug, we were splattered with antifreeze (a sure sign that the engine was cracked). :banghead: Hoping that we were wrong about this finding, we allowed the antifreeze to dry for a couple of days. Afterwards, we went back to the van and continued replacing the spark plugs, wires, cap, and rotor. But when we started the vehicle, it gave us the same results....smoke everywhere and barely wanting to move.

I know that vehicles when purchased usually require some work to them, but when I bought this van I didn't plan on having to replace an ENGINE in the thing in order to have it stay running for me. :feedback: I am hoping that someone else may have a cheaper idea. I am hoping that I am wrong about the whole engine thing!? :1zhelp: Anyone out there have any OTHER input....? Please. Thanks.

The intake manifold gaskets on the 4.3L engine are known for leaking. Intake gaskets seal coolant passages, oil, and ambient air from the intake runners, which carry the air/fuel mixture to the combustion chambers. If oil or coolant is allowed into a runner, the engine will smoke and probably have an engine miss also. Intake gaskets can leak both internally and externally. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure if this is what’s causing your problem is to remove the intake manifold and visually check the gasket. Another possibility is a leaking cylinder head gasket, although the 4.3L is not known for head gasket failures. If it does turn out to be a head gasket, the intake manifold must be removed to replace the head gasket.