Cold start issues / runs very lean

Bad news. This morning when I went to put the manifold back on I noticed the paper towel I had stuffed into the exhaust port for the second cylinder was totally wet with coolant.

it appears that 3 of the exhaust valves are leaking coolant from the top which I would assume indicates the head is cracked but I’m no expert by any means.

Feeling very defeated on this one….

if my assumption is correct I’m wondering what direction I should go from here. The engine has 250k miles so I’m wondering if it would be worth it to replace the whole thing.

 

@BigCarbonFootprint that is great info. Thank you for sharing.

 

Im thinking you need to do a compression test and leak down test. You can do it with the exhaust manifold off. That will tell you the state of head/gasket/cylinder rings. Ive never done it but that has been the approach that I have seen others do on TW. Also check the oil and coolant... It will be contaminated. If its a head gasket you can swap it. If its a cracked head you can buy a remanufactured head (many vendors). If its the bottom end... you can get a used motor (JDM etc). May be cheapest/best to get a used motor if the original has 250K on it.

I swaped my exhaust manifold a few years back. The original had cracked and was leaking. Pretty straight forward. Cleaned everything with a scotch brite pad and acetone and a plastic scrapper (the head is aluminum and pretty soft so be careful). Used an OEM manifold, OEM gasket and OEM nuts. Left the studs in as they looked fine. Swapped all my exhaust gaskets as well.

 

Sorry 2R

the rust on valves stems and the coolant soaked towels you found…..

head has to come off

not all is lost though
Best Case
Valve seals/guides needed
$350-$450 at a reputable machine shop
Worst Case
Head is cracked

IMO
I would remove head and post pix here
I have seen threads where other members know the “weak spots” where 4cly heads tend to crack. This could confirm if RM head needed or just a trip to a machine shop needed

Feel Ya

BTW
Currygoat’s pix above is the newer OE header that I mentioned earlier
Looks pretty nice compared to our cast iron ones that tend to crack

 

Thanks controlcar, I can’t lie I’m pretty devastated ….i’ve spent the last 6 months on and off restoring this old beater to its former glory since I bought in February.

I’ve decided that I’m going to do the job myself and hopefully between TW, YouTube and sheer willpower I’ll be able to pull this off. I’m trying to stay positive

on a brighter note the exhaust leak this post was intended for seems to have been fixed so I really appreciate you guys helping me! I also noticed that my coolant temp sensor on the back of the engine was totally destroyed so I replaced that while I was in there. It’s still crazy to me that the head gasket is leaking because it seems to be running remarkably well…

anyways, if anyone wants to shoot me resources for getting the heads back in order, videos , links or whatever please feel free because this is uncharted territory for me

 

A firm Man

Don’t kid yourself
It’s a big job
But
With help here it’s totally doable

first thing is finding a good machine shop
Believe it or not, dealerships use the best machine shops

 

I just looked at the 1st pix of my taco when I took possession….
7/23

Still working on her

-“Slow and Steady”
-“Labour of Love”