[bigblue66]

Groan.... getting water out of both exhaust pipes while idling - not a flood but steady drips. Oil clear not milky and compression test shows all cylinders right at 200 psi. Engine is a 389 4bbl from a 66 Tempest that I purchased a year ago. Been putting in new floor pans and trunk plus disc brakes and had not really driven it before tearing into these jobs. Also replaced some rusted freeze plugs too which makes me wonder if the engine really overheated and had those kinds of problems.
So... assuming nothing goes wrong, broken bolts, etc., how long should it take to pull the carb and intake manifold off and then the heads to replace the gaskets? Never done this before but I assume it should take at least a day if I don't want to rush it. Any advice is appreciated.
BTW - the front fenders are off too which makes access a breeze ;-)

Thanks in advance,

Pete

[BILL BOWMAN1]

If you haven't really driven it, it may be condensation! I'd be sure before tearing it apart. If it was leaking enough to come out the exhaust, you would have trouble cranking it. Get it good and hot and see what happens.

[David Jones]

Count on a day.

[Motor Daddy]

Is the coolant level getting lower?

Depending on how good of wrench you are, if it has headers, AC, and how fast you can clean the headgasket surfaces, and adjust valves, it could take anywhere from 4 hours to 2 weeks! I did both headgaskets in the driveway in 4 hours before. The header bolts are the hardest part of the job!

[mikeb]

I replaced one weeping head gasket in about 5 hours, taking my time and drinking beer. An entire hour was lost trying to start the header bolt behind #6.

[Colin]

If you arent loosing water then you probably dont need to do anything.....as mentioned above, its probably condensation. All of my vehicles do the same thing if they arent driven on a regular basis.

[form406]

i keep the carb on the intake..intake comes off in 10 minutes...cut header flanges greatly reduce removal time(one side removal 30 minutes)...i can pull one head off in a bout an hour to an hour and half total with no ac...does the water ever stop? i get water/condensation until car is warmed up to operating temp..then no more water from exhaust the rest of the day...pcv and breathers hooked up...or not? double check before diggin in!!!

[Cliff R]

I pull the engine and put it on the stand, takes about an hour to get it out, and 2-3 hours to put it back in and hook everything up. Being on the engine stand facilitates easy head gasket replacement. My back just doesn't do well these days laying over the fenders for hours on end!

I know it seems like a monumental job, but really no big deal to R & R one of those engines. Actually, by the time you've take the exhaust loose, and the entire top off the engine, there's only a few more things to do to get the engine out!......Cliff

[bigblue66]

Thanks for all for the replies. In order to determine if I'm losing water I'll need to fill the cooling system completely and remove as much air as possible by raising the front of the car so I can fill the top radiator hose. I'll hold off on this head gasket job until I drive it a bit to see how she runs when good and hot. It's just that the job would be so much easier easier right now with those front fenders, hood, and wheel wells off.
Thanks again.

[sixt8bird]

The water level will go down a couple inches in your radiator if you dont have a puke can. Its most likely condensation. Ive seen exhaust dump like a 1/2 cup of water out of each tail pipe just idling for a half hour. The exhaust can start filling on the low points each time you fire it up until you get it out and run it a long while, iy will be like you are leaking water.

[428GTO70]

I also vote for condensation, especially if your oil looks like oil still. My 70 does the same thing.

[GoatRider]

Water leaking into the chamber or exhaust runner from a bad head gasket (or a cracked head) appears as white "mist" (steam) out the tailpipe, not drips of water. Don't ask me how I know!

Like said above, you probably just have condensation forming in your pipes after you shut it down, and then it drips out until it is all evaporated the next time you run the engine.

Good luck

[form406]

and the steam smells like coolant...