Possibly a Head Gasket?

[OldFogey]

Alright guys, the moment I start bragging about her, she goes and does a number on me. I'm driving down the road about 60mph, and suddenly get a loss of power, she immediately goes down to about 40 and starts white smoking out from under the hood and out the tailpipe. I drive her home like this, at times going down to 20 mph.

I'm pretty sure it's a head gasket - from all the posts I've read on here. But what I want to know is, what causes the surge, and then the bogging down while it's running? When I was driving it home, I noticed it would accelerate normally for a few seconds, then I'd hear a 'click' sound and it would bog down and start smoking heavily again. It did this back and forth all the way home - about 5 miles.

Anyone know the theory of operation here and what could be happening? Thanks and Merry Christmas!

[Conrad17]

you lose compression when the seal between the heads and the valve cover is broken.
same thing will happen if you take the oil cap off while the cars running.


my guess at why it would surge would be maybe some oil was clogging up the gap in the broken gasket and allowing a good seal?

i dont know a ton about that kind of stuff tho lol

[Ryan]

What are you talking about buddy?

there is no crankcase compression, so you won't lose it when you remove the oil cap or blow any seal.

I would thing headgasket as well. A compression test would tell you for sure. Also, you can check your coolant for oil and your oil for coolant.

[OldFogey]

Ordered one head gasket from Rock Auto...noticed there wasn't a valve cover gasket on it, so ordered it also. Will check coolant and oil - thanks. This is my first head gasket change - kinda scared of screwing up the timing, and getting the exhaust bolts off! I read somebody said they could do it in about an hour...I'm thinking it'll take me a couple days.

[Conrad17]

lol im clueless
twas my best guess lol

[Savin]

Replacing the head gasket is pretty straight forward. As long as you can get the motor mount off on the pass. side, it'll be quite easy. (mine wouldn't come off so it was a pain to line up the gasket and slip the head on from the side) Timing isn't bad either, it helps to have a second person there to hold the cams from moving (in the correct positions with #1 cyl at TDC) as you put the belt back on.
Exhaust bolts...give 'em a spray of PB blaster if they look like they'll be a pain to take off.

You did get a new exhaust gasket too, right? You'll probably need that too...

All in all, it took me about 8hrs by myself to do it. (first time as well). But I cleaned things and such in the process...and had to redo the head gasket 'cause I put it on upside down.