89' N/A Compression

[Talos_MR2]

I have an 89 N/A 5speed with about 245,000 miles.

I've had my fair share of minor problems with this thing since I got it. I'm a fairly competent mechanic in my own opinion. The one thing I've not got over since I got this car to replace my daily driver is just how different the cooling system is compared to most other cars. I've tracked down and fixed two leaks from the thermostat and heater block coming off of the engine. I've fixed my erratic idle and bogging problems. My main problem is its still drinking coolant.

No puddles under the car anymore, no leaks in the rad or any of the hoses. Oil is good, coolant looks good. Car does not smoke, at all. I've even stuck a mirror behind the car and watched it while I jumped the motor up and down. No smoke outside of some oil, sounds and feels good. Small amount of oil is consume between 3,300 rpm and 3,800. You can see it here (Just uploaded, might take a little bit for youtube to finish;

Driving Around

I was running a simple compression test (complete leak down when I have more than 30 minutes to bugger around with it) and I got the following results after 3 tries with a warm engine.

Cylinder One (psi) : 140 , 135 , 140 (Note; oil on sparkplug electrode)
Cylinder Two (psi) : 135 , 135 , 135 (Note; sparkplug clean, slightly whited. Possible lean condition)
Cylinder Three (psi) :140 , 142 , 138 (Note; sparkplug in similar condition as number two.)
Cylinder Four (psi) :120 , 130 , 145 (Note; spark plug in similar condition as numbers three and four. Compression increased after two more tries before leveling off at 140)

I think I have a bad head gasket around cylinder number four. I lose about a quart of oil every 700-800 miles and have to pour in about a quarter gallon of coolant every other week. Car has never overheated, sits at 210 degrees while idling in the east texas heat.

It does have a hard time starting once every other week, takes a few extra turns before burping a couple times and idling. Every other time I hear the starter spin twice and it starts right up.

The car was extremely well taken care of before I got it, complete documentation from back in 1988; thick as my arm. Its responsive and behaves besides the previous mentioned problems; i'm the third owner. Second owner bought it as a midlife crisis and put about 200 miles on it before his wife made him sell it. I've had it for just under a year now and coming from a 1995 Chevy S10 I dumped a midly builtup 283ci SBC in, i miss the straight line speed, but love this thing you guys call turning.

I guess before I drone on into oblivion, does this sound like a HG to any of you?

[tjmr2]

Sounds like you will have to do a leak down test to troubleshoot this one.

Good luck.

[Talos_MR2]

It is a blown headgasket. I was driving the Mrs out to tyler (She is visiting from her college in Boston) to goto the zoo. Blam, temperature started to soar. I killed the engine and pulled over, popped the hood and saw coolant coming out of the headgasket between #3 and #4. Peachy.. Topped it off and limped home. I'm rather screwed since she is leaving home for school tomarrow and I have to drive 2 hours to houston and back and this is my Daily Driver.

I'm hopping I can limp there and back; see if I can cram my toolbox in with her bags and fill the frunk with as much coolant as the dealership will sell me. I have no smoke, no coolant in the oil or vis versa. Just a leak from the coolant channel. The PO must have overheated it at one point.