c20xe problems

[cooltom31]

my c20xe has started running lumpy and lots of white smoke from the exhaust which leads me to think the head gasket has gone, although the water and oil seem to be clean , never replaced one of these before but going to give it a shot because cash is tight, is there anything i need to take into account and what do i do about the timing? do i need to lock the cams and how do i do this?:thumb:

[richi]

you done a compression test just to make sure it is the hg

[cooltom31]

no mate i dont have a tester or anything to do it with, it seems to have oil splattered all over the back of the car though so its coming out the exhaust?

[craig green]

Keep an eye on the fluid levels, not just signs of mixing. If it is HG failure, they can fail in various ways giving varying symptoms. A comp test is easy & worthwhile to diagnose it, as is a sniff test of the expansion tank. One of the 1st things I look at if you suspect lumpy or poor starting is an inspection of the spark plugs 1st thing in the morninng, a leaking HG will likely leave condensation on the plug tips.

[Will F]

H/g is relatively easy in a nova - the hardest part is tensioning the timing tensioner if the engine is tight against the chassis - then its a case of dropping the engine off its d/s mount..