Problem With a 1989 Celebrity

i concur with redfred it sounds like the head gasket, take a look at the oil dipstick see if it has whitish sludge if not water could cross over into cylinders and be burnt or gases could blow across into water jacket, causing water to be blown out.

check water in radiator is it just water or is there sludge in there

check oil is it just oil or is it a sludge

"there was no more smoke coming out the exhaust", because there was no more water in the radiator.

The smoke under the hood at home was probably from the overheated oil in the engine.

redfred is right. There's never a good time to buy a new car, but I think you should start shopping.

http://www.fixya.com/cars/p695744-chevrolet_1989_celebrity

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_replace_a_head_gasket

http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/HOW-TO-TEST-FOR-A-FAILED-HEAD-GASKET_W0QQugidZ10000000001891247

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_signs_of_a_blown_head_gasket

Not knowing what engine you have, Yes it could be a blown head gasket. But, before jumping to conclusions you might try this. Fill the cooling system and pressure test to see if you may have an external leak which could have leaked over the spark plug itself. This would be enough to cause it to miss and run rough, again, how rough would depend on how many cylinders the engine has. The fact that the engine overheated and continued to be driven is not good and could have done internal damage ie., head gasket,etc., A small thing such as a stuck closed thermostat could have been responsible for the whole thing. There are a few more considerations to consider,but since the engine was boiling over into the recovery bottle means it got pretty hot and therefore that overheat lite came on and stayed on. It is still worth a try to pin down the exact cause and go from there. Also, don't overlook the possibility the electric cooling fan may not be working.

stuck thermostat would not cause white smoke. just overheating

i agree that a presure test of radiatior should be done

Yes, like the other respondents, you should start with a coolant system pressure test.

I would also consider a cylinder leakdown test. This may locate a blown head gasket (if it's blown from cylinder into water jacket) or cracked block/head.

Frankly, it does not sound good, based on your information. Let us know what you find.

Thanks, Peter, it would be a shame to get into a head gasket job put it all together and wind up with the same problem. Before attempting to correct the result, possible head gasket, cracked head etc., the cause of the problem needs to be found and corrected or like pregnancy, it will have a tendency to reocurr.

Once you found the reason for the overheating and that the head gasket is blown the head might be warped, make sure that the overhead camshaft turns freely, if not, have the head pressed back or do it yourself until the camshaft turns freely before having the head skimmed and pressure tested for cracks. If you don't you might end up with a broken camshaft. Remember to clean the head bolt holes with a thread tap.

Yes, which engine do you have?

thx all, yes it is indeed a blown head gasket. i decide to let the car RIP. i got a 1986 Celebrity i am working on now that is in pretty good shape.