Looking for a little insight into coolant loss on 5.7 1988 Crusaders FWC.
Last summer my RH engine overheat alarm went off and shut down engine. After refilling coolant, I notice a slow loss of coolant. About 2 QTs every 4 hours of running. I just kept topping off so as not to run out of coolant and really overheat the enging. At the same time I replaced the heat exchanger but coolant loss continued. Then pulled all the plugs and #6 plug was very white (steam cleaned?) compared to others. I also observed bubbles in the heat exchanger while engine was running. So I'm thinking that I have a bad head gasket around the #6 cylinder. Of course this engine is the stronger of the two engines. Unknown hours and has had at least 1 rebuild. Elbows and riser were replaced last season, but did not change exhuast manifolds. During tear down there was no signs of milk shake oil under valve covers.
Last week I did a compression check on all cylinders and thought that the engine was worthy of a new head gasket and maybe rebuilt cylinder head.
After tearing down the engine I was hoping for the smoking gun of hole in the head gasket around #6 Cylinder but did not find it. I did not observe a hole in either head gasket (LH/RH cylinder heads). While also looking at intake manifold gasket I did not observe any hole or tell tale water stain trails.
1. #6 Cylinder has highest compression, (is this related to water not compressing?)
2. Should I see tell tale trails of water stains?
3. #8 Cylinder wall has staining similiar to water stains (not rusty, but discoloring of cylinder wall)
4.Could gasket be faulty without a noticable hole?
5. Some intake and exhaust valves bottoms are soot covered. Some are not and look pitted. Both LH/RH cylinder valves have this condition. Could both manifolds been bad?