Help me out on V-day, before it kills me!

[94Jo]

My navajo is once again letting me down on an important day, hopefully you all here can help me, 'cause right now i am feeling lower than low.
Symptoms:
1. Smokes like a freight train when warm
2. "cycles" from hot to normal temp
3. Oil is not milky (yet?)
4. Heat doesnt work all the time
5. Engine occaisionally takes forever to get up to running temp
Is there any way this is NOT my head/headgasket?
Is there a definitive way to test? Ive heard people say compression tests arent 100% Please help me out, I am losing time, money, sleep, and hair trying to get this navajo back on the road again, TIA

 

[Tbars4]

....Is your smoke, white, grey, or black???...Have you also look at the dipstick for water???

...I would look at t-stat, fan clutch, and heater core, temp sensor, for your temp fluctuation...

...:scratch:...I just get the feeling there is something more you haven't included, that happened before these problems arose...

 

[94Jo]

The smoke is light grey/white, Nothing really happened before the problems, they all started in the coldest week of the year, temps were in the single digits for a few days straight and I noticed my heat started not working. Then the smoke started so i parked it for weeks until now.

 

[Tbars4]

...I would first check for stored codes, (search word "paperclip") then pull your plugs and inspect them...

 

[solitary ogre]

is there any coolant left in the rad? is it clean? how often do you have to top it up?
be careful removing the cap so ya don't get burnt.

 

[Tbars4]

...This will help you read your codes...Scroll down the page to "How to Prepare for the Self-Test "...
http://www.fordfuelinjection.com/?p=13

 

[94Jo]

The coolant left in the rad looked rusty, but i cant for the life of me remember if i bought the orange antifreeze (i think i did) And when i emptied it there was plenty in there

 

[radman]

It sonds like a coolant leak and or combustion pressure in the coolant system. The temperture flucuation and lose of heat points to air (combustion gas) in the heater. Compression test will not always show a cracked head and the head can be cracked without coolant intering the oil. The vapor from the exhaust is a bad indicator. Go to a radiator shop and ask them to do a dye test on the cooling system air to be conclusive.

 

[Reejerey]

I'm going with a blown head gasket/cracked head... there's a chemical test for this that you can do, or just take it into a shop. Sorry for the bad news

 

[94Jo]

Yeah, now im in the middle of using some bars head gasket treatment, but how in the hell do i get every last drop of anitfreeze out? So far ive been filling it up and repeatedly emptying it and do that over and over, will that get it all, cause the bottle is very clear that i must get ALL of the antifreeze out.

 

[94Jo]

Just thought I would update for anyone who cares. I did the Bars hradgasket repair and so far it has worked beautifully!! i really cant believe that for 10 dollars I have temporarily at least fixed my navajo. It is a night and day difference. It runs and drives like a dream now! So in case anyone is having similar issues, use Bars headgasket repair before its too late!

 

[Robrt32]

Temporary is key word.... Chances are good the stuff will give away sooner or later... I don't like it because it also will clog up stuff that shouldn't be clogged