how can you tell if you have a cracked block? The kind that would make the compression levels in the water jacket rise? How would you go about fixing it?

 

Well, it depends where its cracked, but higher pressure in the water jacket could be a blown head gasket or a cracked head (much more likely than a cracked block, particularly if the engine is actually still running in any way and if you see goo oil pressure).

Cracked blocks often have: 1) really bad compression in one cylinder, 20 blowing oil (blue) smoke out the exhaust, 3) low oil pressure and play in and around the cam bearings (on a pushrod engine with the cam in the V calley), or 4) close to zero oil pressure oil pressure.

And you can't really fix a cracked block: throw it away and get a another one, and remember with blocks, an old one pulled out of a surplus yard and magnafluxe tested to make sure it is not cracked, too, is BETTEr than a new block.

 

I just replaced the heads cam upper and lower intakes.Oil pressure is good and the car don't smoke . The heat needle moves back and forth from time to time.And pressure in the water keeps pushing small amount of water out top of timing cover after car has been driven a while. I had this problem before and after the new heads. And I even removed the thermastat and it still builds pressure.

 

Sounds like a head gasket failure.

 

This is almost certain to be a head gasket problem, given the recent install, but could possibly be a bad (cracked head. It sounds like a leak into the water jacket under extreme pressure and the good news is that it is nothing that affects oil pressure.

Did you have the heads and block checked/machined for absolute deck flatness? Regardless, probably no damage done so far, so if you take it apart you should be able to see the signs of where it occurred. I'd check things over and try to install again, withnew head gaskets of course, etc., carefully, before deciding you have to the the heads or block machined. Good luck. I hate it when stuff like this happens.

 

okay same scenario, no smoke, car runs fine, but i have water in my oil, oil pressure is good as well what do yall think