mocha_chai61
12/27/2007 7:25:47 PM
My '91 Tempo's engine recently started clicking while accelerating onto the freeway. I didn't hear it until I was slowed in traffic, but its definitely apparent. I pulled off, shut off the engine, made sure it was the CV's or anything, that its genuinely in the engine.
A while beforehand, and still to date, my oil light has been flickering with any pressure on the brakes. I'm leaking oil out of the head gasket but keep levels regular. Any help?
goinstrong
5/12/2008 12:23:51 AM
If it's for sure the head gasket - replace it. If it's a valve cover/rocker arm cover gasket - seal it. If you ran it with a bad head gasket you could've gotten oil in the antifreeze and overheated the motor. Either way if you punished it with a bad head gasket and there's oil in the antifreeze look for a rebuilt motor or a nice used one from a salvage yard. With overheating the average person doesn't need the repair downtime or headaches the old engine would give you. If it's a low miles engine (under 100,000 miles) it might be worth the trouble, but when oil gets in antifreeze or rather worse antifreeze gets in oil - the bearings get wiped out under acceleration because antifreeze won't lubricate them as well at all. Water (antifreeze) falls from the bearing and doesn't lubricate as well - oil creates a thin layer that withstands engine firing pressure.
