Water coming out the spark plug hole.

mechanicboy

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Jun 23, 2013
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Durham, CA
So a friend of mine bought a 2000 Lighting on the cheap. He says it needs a head gasket because of water in the spark plug well and maybe a spark plug blew out on cylinder #3. So I take a look a look and the threads still looked good on #3 with my boroscope so I attempted to install a new plug so I can hear it run and do some diagnosis myself. Well, the spark plug slipped right in and I discovered that it has already had an insert installed and that plug blew out.

I do some more looking with my boroscope and and find that the exhaust valve on #2 looks bad so I tell him it probably needs the heads worked on. My friend is starting to get nervous at the costs because he hasn't even heard it run yet. I hook everything up expect #3 which I disconnect the injector on so I can start the engine and check the transmission and see if anything else major comes on. I get it started, runs like **** but starts clearing up other than the obvious #3 spark plug missing and it billowing out white to light grey smoke and I can smell both coolant and oil being burned.

This is when things go bad. The cooling system was empty when I got the truck so about 45 seconds to a minute after I started it I start adding coolant and when I start adding the 3rd gallon of water it starts chugging and dies. I finish adding the water when I hear it pouring out on the ground and empty's the degas tank. It's coming straight out of the 3# hole and it's coming out as fast as I was pouring it in.

I talk to my buddy and he finally admitted that the previous owner drove it around for a while with the engine getting "hot but not overheating". He states that he's heard blown head gaskets on lightings will flow water out the spark plug whole but I've never seen this kind of volume before, not even close.

My question is, those that have experience this before, is it usually just the head gasket or is the engine most likely completely ruined? Thanks in advance.
 

FireGuy

Clear As Mud
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Aug 24, 2002
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420
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Avon, IN
It sounds like the heads and/or block are cracked. You did not mention miles, but at this stage, it won't matter very much. The engine needs to come out and most likely will include a new block and heads. You said on the cheap and from here on in that won't work. Maybe, if you are lucky, someone may have a wrecked Lightning that has a decent running engine, otherwise, dig deep or pass it on to someone else who might want it.
 

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