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SadMike's avatar
SadMike
Explorer
Dec 10, 2013

454 /water in Cylinder 7 and coming out of exhaust pipe

I really need some help. I purchased a 1990 Fleetwood Bounder 34' with a GMC 454 in Oct 2013. I bought in Denver and from there I headed down to Arizona were I was for about 1 month. I drove for maybe 700 mile then decided to head to Florida to get out of the cold. I had done all the nessasory tune up needed for a long trip. (Plugs, wires, cap&roter, 5w30 oil, and 50/50 coolant).
I made it out of Arizona no problem and through Texas with out a hitch. I got to Lafayette, LA and heard a hissing noise coming from the dog house. I looked in the mirror and seen white smoke coming from the back, not the tail pipe. I pulled over onto the exit shoulder and let the smoke stop and the engine to cool down before I opened the dog house to see. I found that the heater hose from the heater box to the intake manifold had a brake in it. I was able to cut the hose back and reconnect it at the manifold. I went the the gas station and got some coolant, put it in and got a lot of white smoke from the exhaust. I let run for about 10 min thinking that it should clear, but it didn't. Got a tow but because it was thanksgiving day, no place would be opened till the following Monday.
While sitting and waiting, I pulled the plugs and found a lot of water in cylinder 7 and wet plugs in cyl 1,3,and 5. And all cylinders on the right side had normal ware.
The mechanic shop is now open and in order for them to tell me if I need a head gasket or a new engine, they'll have to open it up. Now I absolutely understand that they have no idea what's wrong until they open it up, but what I hope someone can help me with is: if you are a mechanic or if you have ever experienced something like this. Whats the best possibility it might be? Head gasket, water jacket, or will I just need a new/rebuilt motor?
I'm also trying to find a shipping/tow company out of Louisiana to Tampa, FL.
I don't have a lot of money and I was heading to Florida to replenish my back account.
Any guidance will be greatly appreciated. I've only been RVing for 2 months now and it's burning a hole in my heart.

24 Replies

  • Head gasket on #7
    Valves closed on #7...water gets pulled into intake and distributed to other cylinders?
  • Head gasket is the first obvious guess of course. But what confuses me is the "perceived" dampness of the other spark plugs????
    Any leakage due to a head gasket, engine block, or head would usually only affect one cylinder...sometimes two right next to each other.
    Splain that to me....its been a long time since my younger wrenching days.
  • 3 possibilities. That's it.
    Cracked head or block, or bad head gasket. No other way water gets in a cylinde. I'd bet heavily on the head gasket. I agree, a pair of head gaskets, and valve cover gaskets, and an oil change. Good to go. Depending on mileage, you might want to clean/rebuild lifters if they are hydraulic, while you are in there. Might save problems later.
  • BTDT.

    I would say, "definitely head gasket".

    If you caught it in time, a new head gasket, valve cover gasket and an oil change should fix the problem (water leaks past the rings into the oil pan).

    If you didn't catch in time, replace the engine.

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