Ok heres the deal. A week ago I replaced my thermostat with a 195 because the original one had crapped out. Prior to that the coolant reservoir overflowed through the cap and got coolant all over my engine bay. I notticed a small leak on the radiator, but it was not from any hoses or such. AFter replacing the thermo everything seemed alright. However, shortly after the install...the CEL started blinking. The CEL has always been on cause I have no cats (H pipe). The ob2 scan turned up 8 codes, 4 being cylinder missfires and 4 being 02 sensors. After having it scanned I topped off the coolant and have been driving it since. I am awaiting to solve the 02 sensor problem, and figured driving it around for a couple weeks shouldnt hurt anything. However tonight I was driving to walmart and the engine was running real weird, it had a higher pitched moan to it tha normal and when I got home the engine bay was smoking. I popped the hood and there was coolant all over everything. THis time it wasn't from the cap, but it was too dark for me to figure out where it sprung from. Coolant is burning somewhere in the engine/exhaust too because there is white smoke comming from the exhaust tips. If anyone has any clue as to where to start in solving the coolant problem, Id appreciate it. Im thinking the leak in the radiator may be the source of the trouble. Thanks for any advice.

 

This sounds like a classic blown head gasket.Overflowing coolant,white smoke(steam)in the exhaust,and missfire codes,all point to a leaking head gasket.You must fix this ASAP as coolant in the cylinders is never a good idea.

 

could also be a busted intake. do a compression check to eliminate the blown head gasket, if that turns up ok then look into the intake.

 

yeah at first my bro and me thought it was the head gasket, but i took a look this morning and the thermostat gasket was destroyed (it was brand new a week ago..) and all the coolant seemed to have sprayed out through there. However, that still doesnt explain the exhaust. So I probably oughtta replace the head gasket. Ive never done this before so does anyone know how big a job it is? I need to get her running a.s.a.p so would it be easier to just have a garage do it? cost estimates? thanks a lot!

 

Figured out where the coolant is bursting from. The gasket around the thermo has a leak, but I just replaced that gasket. It seems like the pressure is extremely high at the thermostat. I tightened the bolts as much as I possible and also tried it with lossening them up, but coolant still sprays from around the thermo gasket. Any advice as to what the problem is, would be appreciated. thanks

 

Blinking CEL is a severe misfire/knock in a cylinder(s). You mentioned you had cylinders misfirring, if that light is blinking, its telling you that misfire/know is bad enough to do damage to the O2 sensors and possibly your cats...which you don't have. Do the compression check to find which cylinders are affected. The plugs will also clue you in on what is happening...