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98 S10 4.3 Head Gasket replacement

5.8K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  bk26008  
#1 ·
Hello All Glad to be part of the site. Hopefully someone can advise me on this issue.

I have a 98 s10 that had bad heads (both had cracks).. I got 2 used ones and they checked out ok and new gasket set. I replaced all and torqued everything to spec other than the degrees on the heads I did 25 1st pass then 45 the 70 I got that from another members thread. I torqued the Intake gasket to final 11 ft pd or 133 in lbs. Got it all back together fired right up sounded good a little lifter noise but after a few mins of running I noticed the steam engine from the tail pipe yep white smoke. So I check the dipstick and yep coolant mixing with the oil. I cannot understand how this can be the original prob was cracked heads and no coolant mixing that I could see although it wouldn't start because no low compression and plugs were wet with coolant. I replace d everything and now coolant mixing is mixing with the oil. After pulling the intake back off I am thinking that either I did not build a good enough silicone dam or the gaskets are somehow leaking into the valley but not sure that would explain the white smoke since somehow it has to be getting burned to be white smoke? is it possible the head gaskets are the wrong ones I have seen where there are some variances on these but if you go to oreilly there is only one or 2 felpro sets one is 58.00 and the other is severe duty at 89.00? anyway I really hate to pull the heads again but I think I have no choice. If anybody has any idea please help I am all ears... Thank You!!:(
 
#4 ·
i would not worry too much about white smoke from exhaust right now. if the original issue was blown headgasket, than the coolant is in the cats, muffler, exhaust pipe. so this will have to be burned out.

but coolant mixing with oil, could be bad headgasket or bad intake gasket.

DID you check the block real good for cracks. I have seen SBC V8 crack when overheated.