Water out of exhaust

[KMeredith87]

Recently changed my head gasket on my 30 pick up, used a best brand model b style copper gasket. Drove the truck for a good while on Sunday and it ran great all day...did some carb work on it yesterday and again it ran fine. Today started it up to check dwell on the points and play around and noticed water coming out of the tail pipe...didn't have anything of the sort last night when I shut it down. Another blown head gasket? This is the third gasket since I built the engine and I made sure to have both the block and the head checked and trued...I'm at a loss here, any thoughts?

[Al 29Tudor]

The head should be torqued after running it to warm it up then torque it again when it cools. After a short run torque it again. Keep torqueing it until it doesn't take up anymore.
Al

[KMeredith87]

I've torques it about four times but honestly haven't checked in a few weeks, I'll check again

Torque is dead on but strangely enough I noticed all of my spark plugs were less than hand tight. Not sure if something caused that or more likely I forgot to tighten them...don't think that would cause this

[Lawrie]

I had water from the exhaust ,turned out to be the water jacket rotted through into the exhaust port,
Lawrie

[quickchange]

on most start ups there will be some condensation till warms up . once warm none, B.s are notorious for cracks, Are you backing of each head nut before re torqueing ? Are you running out of thread on the studs ? seen that happen, Copper h gasket with copper coat ?? Why did you recently change the gasket ? go buy some block seal product as a last ditch try . good luck

[KMeredith87]

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It's an A engine, just using the B gasket. I haven't backed them off before retorqueing but did read about that very recently, still haven't done it. I changed the gasket due to water in the exhaust and an exhaust smell in the radiator. I was using the "modern style" with silicone and it had blown out, very obvious blow out right in the middle of the head gasket. My new gasket I did use the copper coat on...was curious about it possibly being condensation being as I am in south Texas and it's been super humid and rainy as of late...

[Mitch//pa]

No air bubbles in the radiator, no white smoke out the tail, no water usage, no misfire, no water in oil, no overheating,, maybe it is condensation.. Don't jump the gun

[Mitch//pa]

Maybe the muffler is loaded from the previous gasket failure,,, but you did drive it for a day so maybe not

[Keith True]

I don't see any reason to think you have a problem yet.They always make a little water when they are cold,plus if you started it up a couple of times working on it you will get even more stored in the muffler.Also,where you've been working on it you will have a tendency to be more on the lookout for things to be going wrong.Things you may never have noticed before may seem like a major disaster after you notice them.

[tbirdtbird]

"on most start ups there will be some condensation till warms up"

as other have said.
This can be proved by examining the exhaust of any car started cold. Once hot, the water, a normal product of combustion, is still there, ......but now it is water vapor and you do not see it

Not everyone subscribes to the loosen-tighten theory BTW.
In any event, be sure to re-torque several times. Once or twice is not enough

[Smog Tech]

Mitch and tbirdbird are right on. Follow their advise.

[juke joint johnny]

Originally Posted by KMeredith87

It's an A engine, just using the B gasket. I haven't backed them off before retorqueing but did read about that very recently, still haven't done it. I changed the gasket due to water in the exhaust and an exhaust smell in the radiator. I was using the "modern style" with silicone and it had blown out, very obvious blow out right in the middle of the head gasket. My new gasket I did use the copper coat on...was curious about it possibly being condensation being as I am in south Texas and it's been super humid and rainy as of late...

Iam not so sure it's a good idea to use a B gasket on a Model A engine !!

There are a couple steam holes between number 2 +3 cylinder in the B engine and gasket that don't line up with anything in the A engine. Could you be getting seepage form that??

John Cochran

[KMeredith87]

Probably just over concerned due to the problems I've had recently, thanks for the advise! I'll take it out for a drive if the weather permits later today and let you guys know what I see.

Juke joint...from what I know, and others please correct me if I am wrong, it is a non issue running a b gasket on the a. I've found the valve area on the b gasket to be larger which suits my needs better as I put in over sized intake valves. Now going the other way, a gasket on a b engine is a big no no

[tbirdtbird]

"I've found the valve area on the b gasket to be larger which suits my needs better as I put in over sized intake valves"

Exactly. The B head also is more scalloped out around the valves; and a stock A gasket will not fit properly.