Bad thermostat changed to blown head gasket? Need help!!!

[Sushibandito]

Edit: Double post because I put it in the wrong section by mistake...

Didn't seem to be much for my particular problem, and its rather complicated, so hoping that someone has some advice...

I have a stock KA24DE with an auto transmission, 105k miles.

2-3 weeks ago my temp gauge went up to 1 bar short of High on a rather short drive to the grocery store. Parked the car, did my shopping, on the ride home temp gauge stayed at center. Didn't happen again for weeks.

2 days ago it went to High several times, so bought a new thermostat and swapped that out today. Bled the system correctly after figuring out where the bleeder screw was, was fairly certain that I got all the air out, although the temp gauge never left the bottom, stayed cold the entire time, even after 20 minutes. This is after at least an hour of the car being on jack-stands with the radiator cap off.

1st issue - The exhaust is pumping out a fair amount of white smoke that smells sweet, definitely coolant.2nd issue - Some squealing on acceleration that has never been there before, and I didn't remove any belts to get the thermostat out. This may be entirely un-related, but not sure if it is somehow connected.3rd issue - The water pump is leaking tons of coolant, not sure if that is due to a gasket that went bad from pressurizing the cooling system without having first removed the bleeder screw?

Since I was working on the car at my brothers, on the drive home it stopped blowing coolant and the temp gauge reached normal, but I suspect that has more to do with the radiator burning through all its reserves. Will be checking fluid levels tomorrow morning. I also just changed the oil today to Mobil 1 synthetic, and I have heard rumors of this being a bad idea on an older car?

[OutToWinPAHC]

Dont worry about the oil. You are getting coolant into the CC's. Compression test it, confirm its the head gasket. If it is, then you have some work to do.

removing head, getting it checked / milled, gasket set, replacing that leaky waterpump.

Chances are it was not a bad T-stat and was the head gasket starting to go bad.

[Sushibandito]

Thanks for the info OutToWin

Well, at least I have a new OEM thermostat And a new Circuit Sports coolant tank on order, which I got before I figured out the gasket was shot.

I looked into hastening my SR20 swap plans, but the price of front clips is running about $2700 in Washington, and the shop I use (a cheap but very reputable and well known one) would charge $1500 for install, plus I am sure that there would be some random parts I would need to upgrade, new water pump, etc. I am not nearly enough of a mechanic to attempt an engine swap myself. So I am thinking at least $4500 for clip + install. My car is an automatic, which is why I am not just going with a motorset.

So replacing the head gasket would be $500 in labor, $50-ish for the gasket, $70 for the machine shop work, and a new water pump just to be safe. This seems to be cheap compared to regular shops, right?

My mechanic said it would be very complicated to also remove the timing chain guides when he is in there (which are making a ton of noise at idle) and he said that he has never heard of the guides breaking on a KA24DE... Can you confirm this, it seems like all the write-ups say the plastic guides will eventually break off, and my car has 105k on it.

I would like to keep this car for a while longer, and probably swap out the engine eventually, but I want the KA to last as long as it can, I just don't want to put a new engine on a credit card just because I am short on cash at the moment.

Any advice?

[OutToWinPAHC]

If you want the SR save for it, but swap it yourself with some freinds. Its a bolt in OE swap, your gonna have a little trouble here and there sure, but overall its not too hard.

To properly do the headgasket.

-Remove head and check the decking.-Take head to machine shop have it checked, milled if needed, and get the seats tested. (now is also a good time to replace valve seals)-Install cams and shim lifters as needed.-OEM head gasket, quality other gaskets, replace head bolts they are TTY.-Replace timing chains and tensioner.-Set cam head timing and put it back together.