95 5.0 2wd auto.

For a while now I've been getting whitish smoke/steam from the pipe, and also seem to be using alot of oil (1qt/3 to 4 weeks). Also, the coolant overflow bottle seems to deplete pretty quickly -seems like I have to fill it up to the cold mark every couple of weeks.

The engine does have 193,600 on it and has never been apart. Are there other ways to diagnose a leak? I do have compression, vacuum, tune up guages and some general knowledge.

I've never had overheating issues.

Thanks for any input.

Tom in FL

 

Is the smoke/steam real thick or is it thin? When it's cold it just burns off the water in the exhaust system so if it's thin that's normal. How's the oil look? Is it real milky or does it look normal?

When you go to refill your overflow, have you checked your radiator? If it's low all the time too you're prolly using coolant. It's possible you just have a crack in the overflow and the coolants just leaking out. Mine won't hold coolant or windshield washer fluid cause there's a crack in it somewhere.

How many miles are you putting on in the 3-4 weeks that it's using a quart of oil? I know some of those 302's would use a quart of oil between 2-3k miles. If it's blowin blue smoke at start up or when you accelerate it's prolly valve guides. If it's blowin blue smoke all the time it sounds like it's time for a ring job.

 

It's thin white, but smells kinda sweet.

No blue smoke at all.

When I turned heater on this morning it was warm but not hot and smelled like antifreeze for a little while.

THanks

 

Sounds like you have a bad heater coil.That would tell you where thee coolant is going,as far as the oil ,no spots under the truck?

 

Does your oil look like mayonaise? any condensation under the oil fill cap?

 

WHICH pipe???

. Does the bottle or hose leak? Does it overflow while you drive (coolant around the cap)?Check compression. Pressure-test the cooling system for an hour with the spark plugs removed. Then spin the engine over. If any shoot coolant... There's also a dissolved-gas test (block test).

 

you'll know if you have a blowed head gasket. We're talking thick white steam out of exhaust pipe. The kind of steam that sticks around. Put your hand at the exhaust and then smell for a hint of antifreeze. There could even be a miss on a cylinder and your temp gauge will not stay settled. Your heat from the vents will go back and forth from hot to cold and you'll probably see the red engine light come and go from over heating, and of course the oil turning milky. It hits when you're least expected so keep it in the wind and the heat full blast and get home. Don't be surprised if your engine hydra locked when you go back to start the truck.

 

Thanks guys. My fears got me busy over the weekend. I changed the belt, and idler, then found at least part of why I was losing coolant.

The overflow hose had lost it's stretch and was leaking at the rad.

Then I found a dribble from the intake bypass hose..so I yanked all the hoses, drained, flushed forwards and backwards, and replaced everything.

Oil and filter tonight.

The very faint steam out of the tail pipe sometimes goes away.
No thick creamy oil
No erratic temps (stays at "O" of NORMAL)
Runs smooth

I'll do a system pressure test this weekend to see if I get coolant out the plug holes.

Thanks again..I'll just have to keep an eye on her.