Hang in there. I've been through head gasket issues and they can be super-frustrating. When everything is done right these engines can be surprisingly reliable, so don't sell the car yet!!!
dbr wrote:
It still doesn't run, it sputters at times but won't start. I checked my cylinders again and they are dry but now I have white oil in my cams and the coolant is disappearing.
Milky oil in the cams definitely means coolant is getting in there. That's not good news and will eventually corrode bearings. By coolant disappearing I assume you mean that levels are going down. Is this left over from before or still happening? If this is happening even *without* it running it means coolant could be dribbling where it shouldn't even without the added pressure from heat or combustion. It sounds like you had this happen with cylinder #1. (I once had a head gasket fail so badly that I could pour coolant into the rad then hear it dribble into cylinder #3. Very bad news and can lead to a catastrophic hydro-lock).
It would be very difficult for an engine to start if you have a coolant leak even under cold conditions as it will interfere with the air/fuel mixture. Sometimes coolant leaks only show up once the engine heats up and the block/head/intake expand at different rates or a hairline crack widens, but this is normally seen by white exhaust and a rough sounding engine, but it will start.
You can get a pressure test pump for your cooling system and makes sure it holds pressure without dropping when engine is cold. If you have head gasket issues these are worth their weight in gold. Also, our cars are odd in that coolant runs through the intake manifold so it's possible for coolant to drain into the cylinder from there, as well. (Crack in the intake/bad seal with the intake gasket, especially around the coolant passages.)
There's a specific tightening pattern for the head bolts, so having left some out is not good and can warp the head. There's no way you should try to start an engine without the head being properly torqued down as you won't get proper compression and it might affect the integrity of the gasket. Also, as previously mentioned, with this Fiat engine some coolant will come up through the bolt holes and will contaminate the oil and can get into the cylinders since the head gasket isn't clamped properly. I'm not sure from your account if cylinder #1 was filled with coolant before or after you had taken the bolts out.
Once everything is buttoned back together you could also do a compression test on the pistons to make sure the new head gasket you installed is okay (cranking it without trying to start it). Ideally a compression test should be done on a warm engine with the throttle wide open, but you can test even cold. Anything over 100psi in each cylinder should be fine to get it running, but a big disparity between cylinders can show a head gasket problem.
Like Shadoobie I've had the head off a bunch of times; coolant leaks are a real pain, but hang in there. On the same 1.8L block I've tried two different heads (one taken to a machinist), two different intakes, I've tried MLS and regular gaskets, and use Allison's stud kit instead of the stock head bolts for extra clamping force. At one point I was getting ready to even buy a whole new engine, I was so frustrated. Eventually I got it. Just be methodical and keep going. These engines aren't very complicated.
I'm afraid it's through the head gasket again. When I replaced the head gasket, the block and head were fairly smooth just some wear from past gaskets made it a little bumpy. Could this be causing the oil problem?
Perhaps. The gasket is meant to make up for imperfections between the mating surfaces, but there's only so much it can do. You want to try with surfaces as smooth as possible and never reuse a head gasket. Can you see where the original failed? Why do you think you had coolant in cylinder #1? Were the head bolts loose up front? If you had standing coolant in the cylinders at any time it will eventually drain past the piston rings at the split and into the oil. You will have to change the oil and filter to get rid of it, probably twice. If you have had a lot of coolant mix improperly you will see your oil level rise at the dipstick and have coolant drain first from the pan since it will sink to the bottom. I'm not sure if it will be an issue, but if the level is too full because there is coolant in there it could also over-pressurize the oil system and blow a seal, so don't run your engine if your dipstick level is too high.
I'd suggest a compression test as a next step if you think everything is assembled correctly. Do it with all sparks plugs out to make it easier on the engine when cranking and to prevent hydrolock if there's still a coolant leak. Unless compression is decent the engine won't run right, no matter how good your spark is. Next step is a coolant pressure test. This can help identify where a coolant leak is occurring and why. A cheap inspection camera can be good in these situations so you can stick it down the plug hole when the cooling system is pressurized, as well as down the intake when the carb is off.
Spark is a separate issue and I can't help you with that since I don't use a stock distributor.
I hope this helps. Keep at it!
Cheers,
phaetn
I then checked the coolant and sure enough it had gone way down. So basically a filled cylinder and weak spark...
