Timming, or head gasket? Not again...

[Girl In Big Truck]

If I post here, to this forum, it is usually me hitting bottom and saying (*&^#$ my life. I get that now.

So after 2 months smooth driving mostly, "poof" a similar sound I hear while on the interstate. Engines suddenly sounds like crap, slows down, and I have to pull over to the shoulder of the interstate. Got it started a couple of times, but same thing, something is really wrong. Get her towed back to house, and after thinking a head gasket blew, the tow truck guys said after getting it started once, it was timming. How can timming get suddenly thrown off like that, and so bad? I have replaced every external component and several other things, and has been running just bad ass for two months.

So my questions are...

Can a timming chain actually slip? Is it timming chain?

Is it the distributor? (it is new, and was secure and tight after break down...)

Or is it a head gasket? (nothing apparent as far as a leak yet)

Wtf? (gauges read good, all possible obvious seems good...)

 

[coloradojones]

I have had timming chains jump before and break before! I have had valve springs break while running! Also have had a head crack between two cylinders while running !

I would say check the timming to make sure it is correct first, then maybe check your cap to make sure it didn't crack,then compression test ! You should get a good idea from all that , hopefully a simple one! Good luck!

 

[Fellro]

It is possible for the timing chain to jump a tooth, then cause the cam and distributor to get out of time. As noted, check to see where it is on timing and then go from there.

 

[LEB Ben]

If the head gasket blew badly enough for you to be on the side of the road, there's a good chance you'd be blowing white smoke...at the very least, your oil would look like chocolate milk.

Depending on age of the timing chain and what kin you have, it's not uncommon for nylon (cheaper sets) to wear down, break off, and jump time...or for a chain to stretch due to age and jump a tooth (or several).

Depending on how bad it jumped time (assuming it did), you probably don't have very many starts left, but if you can get it started, put a dollar bill (or piece of paper in front of the tail pipe)...if it gets sucked in, you're out of time. Put a timing light on it too for an exact reading. If you can't get it started again, pull passenger side valve cover, get the engine to tdc, see where the valves on #1 are sitting. Worst case scenario, pull the front cover off and see what's going on.