Blown head gasket? Please help

[4x4only]

Please help I think I have a blown head gasket! Here are the symptoms:

after I ran it for 20 mins, the temp was normal but there was a little white smoke coming from tail pipe and water droplets like crazy,

a tiny bit of steam? Or smoke from oil cap when removed as well as a micro amount of white residue on the cap (NOT much)

it sometimes takes a little longer to start 3-4 sec sometimes, and when I start it with the rad cap off, it slowly overflows.

It idles ok and there is no loss of coolent or power and no bubbles/froth on dipstick.

Please help!!!!!! I don't want to ruin my engine and I have a private shop I can get it replaced for only the price of parts but it would take much longer and I need my truck

 

[jremington59]

What makes you think it's a blown head gasket with no loss of coolant? Take a good whiff of the exhaust and you'll know if there's coolant in it.

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Check the overflow resorvoir for a gasoline odor.
Also, does it contain a sooty residue?

It's normal for the exhaust pipe to drip upon
a cold start-up; caused by condensation in
the muffler and pipes.

 

[4x4only]

Not really much soot, the white smoke occurs when engine is started and remains when at normal temp. No exhaust/gas smell in coolent tank though. Also, the exhaust smells a little abnormal, and I held my hand at the end of the pipe, my hand got damp fast and it leaves a good puddle under pipe when ran for 5+ mins

 

[crunchie_frog]

Combustion reaction of gasoline and air (oxygen) release water, carbon dioxide, and a small amount of a lot of other things, including carbon monoxide, but primarily water and carbon dioxide. At cooler outside temps, the water will condense and make "white smoke" or really just water vapor (steam). So, it is normal to have water in your exhaust. If you are not losing coolant over time it does not sound like you have a blown head gasket. Do a compression test if you are worried.

 

[white_shadow]

do a leak down test on all the cylinders, also look at the plugs to see of you are in fact burning coolant

 

[Flash]

Do a compression and leakdown test, that will tell you for sure.
Also you can check for exhaust gas in the coolant with a kit.

Keep an eye on your coolant level and temperature when you're driving and you'll be ok.
Watch out for this trap though, the temperature goes way up (maybe without you noticing) then goes back down. This is because the water level has dropped below the temperature sensor.

 

[my98nnj]

There's nothing wrong with your car, drive it more.

 

[4x4only]

I have a compression test scheduled now, which should give me the answer. The only reason I was concerned about the white smoke is because it happened all the time no matter what the temp of engine or outside.