Help with head gasket dilemma

[explicit408]

So this past Tuesday I put some Lucas fuel system cleaner in my tank and after that I noticed the engine was running better. But two days later one morning when I started the truck it kind of stumbled over and made a weird noise like my timing was off and for the first ten seconds I heard a tick. I wasn’t sure if it was the t-belt tensioner or a valve. I assumed a valve since it went away shortly after. I also noticed a bit of white smoke out of the tailpipe when the truck would sit for a few hours before startup, but it would go away once the engine warmed up.

Fast forward to yesterday, as I was leaving the gym I noticed the white smoke again but a little more profuse and I could actually smell burnt coolant as I was driving. I also heard my heater core making that sloshing sound. Instantly I knew my head gasket blew. I kept my eye on the temp gauge and it never even reached the halfway point. Oil pressure also seemed normal. I get home and check the water level in the radiator and I don’t see any. The overflow tank is also empty so I put water in the radiator and overflow tank. I was planning on driving the truck to my brother’s house about 30 miles away because I live in an apartment complex and can’t work on it there. Well as I start the truck and start to drive a heap of white smoke or should I say steam trails me. Immediately at the next traffic light I make a u-turn and head back to an Autozone around the corner. I buy a gallon of premixed antifreeze and some Bar’s heavy duty stop leak (the brown one with pallets). I dump the stop leak stuff into the radiator per directions and add some antifreeze. I let the engine idle for about 20-30 minutes and the steam stops. I turn off the engine and let it cool to check the water level to make sure it didn’t burn it all up. After it cooled I take the radiator cap off and the water level is fine. I start the truck back up but know my valves start ticking very loudly. It sounds like its coming from the drivers side head and I could even feel it if I put my hand on the valve cover. I checked the oil through the dip stick and it looked fine; no water or milky mixture.

Cliff Notes: My head gasket blew but never overheated. I put some stop leak to try and make it to my brother’s 30 miles away. White smoke/Steam went away but valves on driver side head ticking very loudly with no traces of water in oil and normal oil pressure.


What do you guys think would cause my valves to tick if the oil itself looks fine and the pressure is also normal? Since the smoke has stopped and besides the valve tick the engine runs fine, do you guys think it would be safe to drive it for 30 miles to my brother’s house?

Thanks in advance

[explicit408]

Oh yeah it's a 1993 Rodeo 3.2L with 140K miles.

[dawnnewsome3]

Drove mine for a ways like that I had no problems . If you do the work yourself get a manual and check the heads for straightness the tolerances will be in the book . Also do both heads you have to remove so much to get to the head that that you replace almost every gasket for the whole top end of the engine. I got a OEM headgasket replacement kit but it did not have the O-Rings for the coolant pipe under the intake plenum I got them from ACE Hardware . Also replace head bolts this is important these bolts are torgure stretch bolts meaning they can only be used once. It is also best to replace the timming belt while it is apart . I did this my self and still sent around $800 and a weekend doing this to my 94 . But I was once a GM mechanic so it my take you longer and more money if you don't have the right tools or have someone else do it.

[explicit408]

Thanks for your response.

Any idea on what is causing the valves to tick? So they wont get damaged if I drive it like that?

[dawnnewsome3]

The problem with the ticking noise is not really a lifter it is hydraulic lash adjuster on the tips of each rocker arm it can get clogged up and notbuild up as much as needed , You can try running a cleaner in your oil . But If you have it apart you could change them out making sure to check the rods they run on for any scarring . I replaced mine when I bought the vehicle and I think they were around $8.00 or so , a piece , 24 total but , now they started ticking around oil time change . Great reminder HA! Seriously it is a design flaw search the web you'll see what I mean . So to answer the question yes or no depends on the condition of the overall valve train components . I'd first address the head gasket problem and then worry about the lifters all that can be checked you remove the head and can get to the vave train better , i have heard of people taking the adjuster apart and cleaning but didin,t try because if it didn't work I did not want to tare into it again