So being a noob at this I,m off and running. I recently purchased a 93 extra cab p/u .The previous owner thought it needed a head gasket because he needed to keep adding coolant and it wasn't leaking anywhere.Well when I got it home (drove about 7 miles, idled rough when started , but seemed to smooth out, then idled rough when I got home, didn't run hot ) I pulled the dip stick and to my surprise the fluid lever was about 3" higher than it should be. So I know where all the coolant is going ! The truck has 142000 miles on it. I just read an article about a broken timing chain guide and the chain whore a hole in the water pump , so when I tare this thing apart I'll find out if that's the case or a bad HG . So my real question : What do I need to check, be concerned about, on the bottom end ?? Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks
Idk if you plan on taking the engine out, but if its a bad timing chain guide, usually there are bits of guide and aluminum flakes in the pan/oil pickup. Can you hear the chain slapping around when you start it? You can always do a compression check, or at least pull the plugs out and check em.
Yup first step is to pull the plugs. If one or more is absolutely spotless clean then that's a head gasket steam cleaning the cylinder. The timing chain guide can be seen if you pull the valve cover and look down.
First, I would dump all the oil out and change it NOW. If there is that much water in the block, it will rust things up very quickly and can ruin the bearings. Then I would pull the valve cover and look down the chain to see if thats where the problem is. Its not the water pump thats gets the hole, its the timing chain cover behind the water pump. You should be able to look down and see if the chain guides are broken or missing or if the chain has made a hole in the cover. If you can see obvious damage, its time to order parts. ENGNBLDR.COM has a good rep, cheap prices, and they have steel backs guides to stop the chain from going into the cover if the plastic does brake or ware out.
Ok men thanks for the replies. I'm definitely changing the oil by the weekend then i'll pull the plugs and inspect. From there I'll pull the valve cover and take a peek see. I've been researching this and ENGNBLDR.com has come up several times with good reviews so thats who I'll use.Thanks again. I need to figure out how to post photos also.
lol The title of this thread is a question...and you just answered it! Online diagnosing can b challenging and very misleading. Oil filled 3" over the line...What color is it? Maybe the guy you bought it from was a moron and over filled it, haha. That would make it run rough I'm sure. And maybe it is leaking coolant in a hidden area and vaporizing? Just looking on the bright side, haha. And......you called yourself a newb.
