It started with white smoke and coolant loss, so I had it checked and they said blown gasket or cracked heads. I take it home and take the valve cover off one side, sure enough it's milky as hell. So I go through and remove each head, gaskets look fine on both sides. So I send the heads to my engine builders for testing, they just called me today and told me the heads, and valve seats looked fine, but some of my valves were quite worn and needed replaced.

So what now? If not heads or gaskets then what? I told him I had water in the oil so he said he'd keep looking at the heads, but what would cause such wear on the valves at only 12k miles? They were manely steel valves I think. Oh, and also, the pistions were pretty built up with carbon.

 

So, you had no "clean" (or cleaner) piston tops? If you had white smoke, there was obvious coolant leakage into the combustion chamber(s).

 

There should have been at least one clean cylinder with the coolant loss... if so, check for a crack in the cylinder.

If all of the cylinders looked ok, then maybe you had a seal go on the back of the heads on the crossover steam pipe. It is possible that coolant would have dripped from that area and onto the exhaust.

If you had smoke from the tail pipe, then you either have a concern with a cracked block, cracked heads, or head gasket... and it seems you have ruled out 2 of the 3.

Another possibility for coolant loss would be through the head bolts/studs, but that wouldn't make white smoke / steam.

 

You can't always tell just by looking. Have you taken a straight edge to the block yet?? Also you could have been leaking water into the valve cover from cracks, usually around the spring seats. Maybe that's why the valves are worn.

 

Well it turns out that when he called me they hadn't even magnaflux or pressure tested it yet. So I'm still waiting to hear back. And he says the valves were worn from the coolant in the oil, washing away the oil on the valve. Also, I mentioned in another thread that when I took the intake manifold off, much of the bolts didn't need a wrench to come off, I took them off with my fingers. Is it possible that that could have caused water in the oil? The guy I talked to said that was a possibility when I told him, but he may not know the LT1 off hand.

 

Loose intake bolts would cause air leaks not coolant leaks.

 

The LT1 intake is dry, no coolant flow.

 

Water in the oil can be a sign of a cracked block as well as problems with head gaskets or the heads themselves. If you've lost coolant, found milky oil and the pistons weren't 'steam-cleaned' I'll bet the block is cracked.

Sorry...

 

I doubt the block is cracked.

 

Why so?

 

12k miles on the whole motor, no overheating ever. But I could be wrong I'm no expert.

 

Always go the easier route as this man suggests.

 

did he shave the heads mine did the same thing and it was warped heads ...just my 2 cents

 

dose ur lt1 have a water to oil cooler that could be the problem small leak will put coolant in the oil just my 2cents see it all the time as a vw tech.