[shoulderpadelaide]

Hello!
My '92 Holden Apollo is definitely showing signs of needing a head gasket replacement (white smoke, water in tailpipe, slow but noticeable coolant use).
What concerns me is what I'll find when I get in there - the car had been sitting for a while (was a grandma's car who could no longer drive) and I had to do multiple flushes of the cooling system to get everything clean. What's the likelihood that the old coolant has eaten away at the head and block, and is there anything I should look for/ do when I get in there?
Thanks in advance!

- Adelaide

 

[white90dx]

The 3s-fe doesn't generally blow head gaskets... but I suppose with severe cooling system neglect it is possible.

Water in the tailpipe is normal (H2O is one of the byproducts of combustion!) - if the exhaust has the sickly sweet coolant smell, that's your real sign of a blown head gasket. How's the oil and coolant holding up? Any mixing or milkshake looking stuff?

Slow coolant use can be something as simple as a leaking radiator cap (causes steaming out the overflow tank), so check all the simple stuff first.

-Charlie