StagHunter

I have a 94 3.8L convertible with 176,000 miles on it. This was my daily driver and was running fine until a couple of weeks ago when it started misfiring. Only for a few seconds when started at first, but now all the time. Code was "Misfire #6". I have changed the plugs, wires, coil pack and fuel pressure regulator (inaccurate Harbor Freight fuel pressure gauge led me down that blind alley) to no effect. The car is now blowing white smoke from the tailpipe. Using a liquid color change block tester was inconclusive as no matter how much fluid I drained from the radiator it would eventually suck up coolant into the tester and spoil the test.

Based on the white smoke I'm thinking this is head gasket failure. Trouble is, I never expected this to happen again because I've been here before. At 107,000 miles, I had the head gasket on the right bank fail at #3 cylinder. I installed genuine Ford multilayer steel gaskets and felt they should be good forever. At the time, I did not have a torque angle gauge, so I took the advice of a trusted member of this forum (no longer active apparently) and torqued in stages to 75 lb-ft.

So how do MLS gaskets fail, if they ever fail? Is it possible I could solve this problem by re-torquing the heads using the factory "torque plus turn" procedure? Will I break the bolts? Am I wasting my time?

After 22 years of ownership (I bought it new), my goal right now is to sell the car and move on, but it's too nice to sell for scrap and other than this twice repeated head gasket problem, it's been a great car.

Does any one have any thoughts on this?

Chromeshadow

What did the plugs look like? One black or wet plug could mean head gasket or bad valves. Have you run a compression test?

StagHunter

Plugs 1-5 were nominal, with dry tan deposits. The plugs had been in there a very long time. #6 was wet.

I have not done a compression test. I suppose I should, and can also do a leakdown test, but I'm thinking the white smoke pretty much tells me the story. Clouds of it trailed the car last time I test drove it.

Urambo Tauro

Is the white smoke accompanied by a loss of coolant? If so, I'd say you're definitely burning coolant, which can send exhaust fumes to your recovery tank. One quick whiff can confirm a bad head gasket.

But check your oil too. If coolant is getting into the crankcase, it can wash oil from critical surfaces, like bearings. When that happens, you can plan on needing more than just head-gaskets...

PNYXPRESS

Also check to see if you are getting spark to that plug. A wet plug could just be fuel, although it doesnt really explain the plumes of smoke.