Toyota Corolla 1989 twin CAM 210k possible cracked head

DMOLLOY

MEMBER
1989 TOYOTA COROLLA

The car had a broken water hose at the rear of the engine which was fixed, but after this it ran with a miss and water came out of the exhaust. I suspecy a crack in the head leaking into one of the pods. The engine oil is still black ( not milky as in a head gasket problem).

Wiould appreciate a professional opinion.

2 Replies

BACKYARDMECHANIC

MECHANIC
337 POSTS

Dear Molly,
sounds like the head could be cracked but there are a few things you can check to help diagnos the problem. First is the raditor low on anitfreeze and no apparent cause for this. If so the antifreeze may be leaking into the cylinder and out the exhaust. This is usually accompanied with white smoke. Second remove the raditor cap ( WITH ENGINE COLD) and see if there are any bubbles in the antifreeze while engine is running. This is also a sign of cracked head or blown head gasket. While you have the cap off also check to see if there is engine oil present in the antifreeze. Finally if you have access to a presure tester you may be able to see where the head is cracked by using the tester. Good luck :D