Bad news in deep water

[djailer]

For some reason the 'Danger, Will Robinson' signal didn't get trhough my head yesterday. We had a torrential downpour and I came up to an intersection which was flooded. I have no idea why my pea brain told me it was OK but I tried to drive through it. It was deeper than it looked. After stalling about 2/3 the way through I continued to pile on the bad decisons by trying to restart it in water which was by then only up to my door sills. As I sit pretty much as low as it gets it didn't take much.

I pushed it out and let it sit for a few minutes. After a lot of chugging and wheezing it finally caught and I was able to get the last 3 or so miles back home. By the time I got there it was running fairly well...slight hesistation on accellerating but my biggest concern is the soft tapping I hear when it gets above 2K RPM or so. It accelerates with the RPMs but I don't think it is as pronounced as valve tapping.

I am going to check the dipstick before I take off for work this AM. I thought I would give it a try on the freeway (about 5 miles or so) on the way to work. When I get home I am planning on putting new plugs in, checking out the compression, and taking a look to see how wet the air filter might be. I just cleaned and oiled it a month ago but I am certain it got pretty wet. I could also take the valve cover off just to see if it looks wet.

So, any thoughts - besides the obvious of not doing this in the first place? It is running so hydrolock seems to be out. From what I read so far it would've seized up and not be running at all? What can I look for and what would your best guess be as to the tapping?

Thanks for taking the time to drudge through this!

 

[NeedTalonNow]

I've been running Royal Purple in my H3 and Vehicross for a long time. Probably not better than Mobil 1 synth but, eh. I just dare to be different, which is another reason I'm looking for dsm.

 

[djailer]

Spoke too soon. I went to drive up a long hill and noticed absolutely no boost. I also noticed the temp gauge heading for the roof. I got back home before it pegged out. The oil looks virgin, still no leaks but no water in the reservoir. I looked under the cap and it was wet with some water sitting there. I just topped the reservoir off before I left just in case. Now what? The heavy duty burbling seems to imply lots of hot air - which implies a lack of water in the block. If it was due to the water bath the other day shouldn't something have come up sooner? This is (was) my dd. Now I get to improvise.

 

[1990dsmkid]

if your overflow it bubbleing(boiling), then you have a blown headgasket and that explains why you are loosing coolant and temp rising up. Goodluck

 

[WES_393]

Bubbling overflow could be from a blown head gasket. It could also be from a bad radiator cap. I would try replacing the cap first, then run a compression test if that doesn't work.

The turbo issue could be a boost leak, or damaged turbo.

 

[Kirkamus]

Well I would suggest before saying it is a head gasket. Check the smoke that comes out of the tail pipe if it is white and vaporizes with a hint of antifreeze then yeah sad to say head gasket. If not try changing the thermostat. Check your turbo for shaft play if it has ran without water and u have a oil/water cooled unit.

 

[tkelly27]

It's time to rent a compression tester. Unless you forgot to fill it up, the coolant is going somewhere. It's most likely going out your exhaust through your cylinder head gasket. Add in the no boost and the tapping, something bad is going on, and you're going to have to get your hands dirty to fix it

 

[EVO9_Inside]

i had the same problem when i first bought my newest dsm, my coolant would boil out, then one morning i started it up the white cloud came out. compression test said nothing was wrong, and it didnt burn coolant for a few weeks, just boiled it all out.

 

[djailer]

Sighhh. Compression test was going so well, 180, 175, 178, then #1 came in at 100. Four different times. I don't suppose there is any way to avoid cracking that head now, is there

I forgot to try the drop of oil trick to check the rings but I don't suppose that would matter much anyway. I put new coolant in and ran it around the block for a few miles without going over normal on the temp gauge. No more burbling from the overflow tank. Maybe I did let it get too low.

So, the questions, in no particular order:
How bad is it to dirive it this way? I assume with one hole down 40% it probably wouldn't be wise to stand on the boost - or maybe to get there at all. It is my daily driver and I really don't have money right now anyway. I know the car doesn't care but....????

No real point in doing a leakdown test is there? I don't have an air compressor anyway. It is valves or head-gasket, right? I put a metal one in last time I had it apart to do the timing belt etc. Will either of those be fairly obviouse or noticeable if I open it up. Would one or both of #1s valves seem out of whack? Would the head gasket show where the leak was if it was that. Or are there more diagnostics I need to do before the big event?

It's been 40K since the last timing belt/waer pump/tensioner, idler and pulleys. Might be a good time to replace all that anyway if it is going to be apart.

So, any alternatives at all, or as EVO9_inside put it so succinctly is it just time to get dirty.

 

[BogusSVO]

Find a buddy with an air compressor and do the leakdown test. this will confirm if it is the valves or rings.

Untill you are over 500 HP and 30 psi of boost, go back with a composite HG

Once the head is off, do a fluid test on the head and that will help you know how the valve seal is.

 

[djailer]

Well, the leakdown seems conclusive. No significant leaks anywhere. So, valves are good, rings are good, head gasket is good. A buddy suggested maybe a bent rod...that could account for the 100-120 lbs compression in #1. He thought the ticking might be valve guides, or maybe an oil port is clogged somewhere on the right side.

Anyway, he says get someone with a scope to look in there. I am fresh out of bore scopes, but how about this wild idea.... I figure out a way to establish a straight line above the plug wells and hold a dowel inside the piston as I turn the crank. When it gets to TDC I see if there is a difference between the height of #1 and the rest. Off the cuff and ghetto, but it seems like it might work? He says it might be 1/8" or so but it should be noticeable. Any other methods that might work?

I am probably not going to be able to avoid cracking it open and it would be easier to see the height difference of the pistons once it is but it would be nice to be able to confirm it before I dive in

It is still my dd and I think I can keep driving it for now - with an eye towards saving up enough to be able to put it back toether, + parts to solve the potential rod problem. And fluid test the valves as suggested above.

On that note...I don't suppose you just replace a single rod? Wouldn't seem to make sense. Would you replace all four, but not the pistons? I don't want to spend money I don't have to but this is one of those things where...hey you are deep in there, should I just replace pistons, rings and deal with it? I put new rings on some kind of piston many moons ago and it was kind of a PITA getting it all back inside the cylinder. I haven't priced that part out yet and need to do some research to find our what I am in for once I get that far. I don't remember seeing a VFAQ but it seems like something I might find there.

Any other ideas?

 

[BogusSVO]

Yes you can replace one rod and piston combo, just make sure that the weight of the rod and piston is close to the one you are pulling out

The dowel trick may work also if the rod bent enough.