350 engine problems

[90GMCBURBAN]

Hey I was wondering if anyone had an idea whats wrong with my motor. It's always burned some anti-freeze but just today i started it up after work and it ran real rough. It felt as if I lost a cylinder. I got a good feeling that its a head gasket but not sure. I've checked all the plugs there good. When i open the hood after it runs a little bit you can smell burnt coolant. It's a TBI 350 out of an 90 suburban.

 

[big dan]

sounds like a head gasket to me. does it blow white smoke or drip water from the exhaust?

 

[90GMCBURBAN]

can't really tell if white smoke's comin out. and its always had a little bit of water comin out but i thought it was from condensation.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Another vote for head gasket. It could be intake manifold gasket as well. There are ways to test whether the head gasket is bad, but I would replace the head gaskets (and subsequently intake gaskets) because they are cheap and not too difficult.

 

[90GMCBURBAN]

yeah im thinkin im gonna do them any ways cause the truck has 173,000 on it and there still original.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Honestly, SBC's are pretty damn good about head gaskets but it does happen. I have replaced head gaskets on small block Chryslers (which only have 9 head bolts, what a freakin' joke) and SBC's have 17 head bolts. Mileage doesn't mean all that much as far as head gaskets go, they can pretty much go at any time for any reason.