One Cylinder Steam Engine
02-20-2019, 03:02 PM
#1
One Cylinder Steam Engine
I don't have a place to work on my truck in the winter, but I have a place to talk about it.
It's time to start discussing how I am going to minimize the work involved to repair whatever is allowing the coolant leak through my engine. I took a video to show the steam coming from the exhaust, I only drive it once a week or so to keep the rotors from rusting too badly.
I think it started last spring when I overheated it in traffic pulling my boat.
There's no antifreeze in the oil, I have changed it twice since then. I have seen some crud in the antifreeze, but hardly any. It just got to the point in the fall that I can't drive it more than a short distance before it starts overheating from losing coolant.
My question is, if I can find what one or two cylinders it is with a compression or leakdown test, how will I know what is compromised if it isn't obvious? And what if a leakdown test doesn't show anything?
My point is, what if I open it up and that bank's head gasket looks ok? Will it be obvious if my .040 over block is cracked? Or if my AFR head is cracked? I assume that if the head is warped, it would be indicated by the gasket
I would think that a compression test should easily show where the problem is, based on looking at how my exhaust is sending smoke (steam) signals? But, what if it doesn't? Thanks for indulging in my worries.
It's time to start discussing how I am going to minimize the work involved to repair whatever is allowing the coolant leak through my engine. I took a video to show the steam coming from the exhaust, I only drive it once a week or so to keep the rotors from rusting too badly.
I think it started last spring when I overheated it in traffic pulling my boat.
There's no antifreeze in the oil, I have changed it twice since then. I have seen some crud in the antifreeze, but hardly any. It just got to the point in the fall that I can't drive it more than a short distance before it starts overheating from losing coolant.
My question is, if I can find what one or two cylinders it is with a compression or leakdown test, how will I know what is compromised if it isn't obvious? And what if a leakdown test doesn't show anything?
My point is, what if I open it up and that bank's head gasket looks ok? Will it be obvious if my .040 over block is cracked? Or if my AFR head is cracked? I assume that if the head is warped, it would be indicated by the gasket
I would think that a compression test should easily show where the problem is, based on looking at how my exhaust is sending smoke (steam) signals? But, what if it doesn't? Thanks for indulging in my worries.
02-20-2019, 07:02 PM
#3
Thanks, Pat I will.. Probably I will be able to start working on mine when you start driving yours. 
I'm not sure how long it overheated, it kept going back to normal whenever I got speed up enough for airflow. The electric fans weren't working that day. Cometic MLS .051
I'm not sure how long it overheated, it kept going back to normal whenever I got speed up enough for airflow. The electric fans weren't working that day. Cometic MLS .051
02-21-2019, 05:52 PM
#5
TECH Junkie
In my past small and big block chevy days before this crap became electronic I was always able to see the issue on disassembly even a crack in the cylinder liner. Maybe I just got lucky but that was always my experience with any I ever had issue with. Smart guy like you, I think you'll have no problem! Best of luck sir.
03-19-2019, 07:31 PM
#7
Going completely off the subject, I just realized that YouTube can make up any number they want about how many views a video gets. I wonder how people who make videos for a living trust YouTube to be truthful about view count, subscribers, or anything else. This thread has over 300 views, yet my YouTube page says this video has 31 views. 
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03-20-2019, 09:38 AM
#10
TECH Enthusiast
Going completely off the subject, I just realized that YouTube can make up any number they want about how many views a video gets. I wonder how people who make videos for a living trust YouTube to be truthful about view count, subscribers, or anything else. This thread has over 300 views, yet my YouTube page says this video has 31 views. s:
s:Richard