My '95 22RE w/ 130k has all the signs of a bad headgasket -

Rough cold starts, has a miss for a minute or so
Occasional white smoke on startup
Coolant Loss
Tan Foam under oil cap. None on dipstick. Yet :(

But I did a compression test today and got 172,168,170,170. Could the headgasket be bad and still be giving ok compression? Maybe it's still intermittent?

My other concern is the timing cover. My driver's side guide is loose, but still mostly intact. Where does the chain usually wear through? Would the coolant be able to make it to the combustion chamber and get burned and/or cause missing this way?

yes you can have good conpretion and have a HG problum or electrolasiss[spelling] could be eating away at the head my 22re had good comp. but had HG problums, and i just got done with a 93 3.0 v6 that had electrolisiss ate threw the exost port.

I've had a problem with the water pump eating through the timing cover before as well. If you're going to tear it apart I'd suggest taking the water pump off and check the timing chain cover just behind it too.

I just found my coolant leak in my 22R. Cracked block, right in the rear of the block over the bellhousing. :(

if his chain causes it wouldnt there be water in oil?

Tan milky oil under the oil cap
Coolant loss(coolant is going somewhere)
White smoke
Those are all signs of a headgasket ready to go!
Same was happening to me until it finally went.

I stumbled on this old post and thought I should post the results :D

It was the headgasket. I didn't see any signs of a leak when I took it apart, but it's been running great for a few months now with a new headgasket and timing chain. No signs of damage to the timing cover or pump :)

I did have problems a month later with low oil presure that turned out to be the oil pickup being clogged. So be wary of a clogged pickup if you have headgasket goop problems.

If you want to try this it might be worth it to you.Go to GM and ask for a pack of coolant supplement tabs.This product is by far the best leak fixer on the market.Now before you go it can't fix a headgasket leak well yeas it can.A girl here has a runner and #4 has a leak which causes it to run rough steam out the tailpipe and all the normal problems.Put four crushed tabs in and six months later still runs awesome.Another tech here turned his vw into a lawn sprinkler out the rad tanks and had a miss.6tabs ten minutes and he was good to go for six months.I'm not saying you don't need to fix it but it will buy you time to build a nice new motor or at least let you do it at your convenience.

Eli, sorry to hear about that....that sux...:(

yes, the top half of the guide can still be there when the bottom is gone. the guide has a bolt near the top, and one near the bottom. Mine disintegrated around the bottom half, and the top was still attached, kinda swung back and forth. About half way down the guide is where the chain starts riding on the timing cover......It can be really hard to see if the guide is broke or not without pulling the cover.

What you could do is to drain your oil, and feel thru it for bits of plastic. Also once its drained, curl yer pinky up in the drain plug hole and feel around for bigger hunks of plastic.....
When you drain the oil, if there is no actual water floating on top of the oil, or if its not REALLY light mocha colored, its prolly a head gasket.

A worn timing cover will literally dump LOTS of coolant straight into the oil pan.

:( that is EXACTLY what happened to me. i thought it was my head gasket too. but it was drivers side guide gone. chain ate throgh cover and spewed coolant int motor. what do your plugs look like? after about 110k the plastic guides are usually toast. it is easier to get the timing cover off than the head.
two tricks that may help:
1. the nut on the harmonic balancer can be a bear, attach a breaker bar and swing the starter, may break it loose.
2. don't forget the bolt that goes down through the front of the head into the top of the timing cover. it is usually burried under 1/2 in of sludge.
hope this helps.
9 out of 10 times the cover goes before a head gasket.

it is usually burried under 1/2 in of sludge

??? How often do you change your oil? It's under oil, but if you got sludge 1/2" deep you may want to consider switching from Pennzoil or changing oil at intervals less than 15,000 miles....

i need to give some more detail, when my timeing cover gave out, it was a half inch of sludge. same situation this guy may find himself in. also the bolt may become stained the same dark color as the inside of the head/valve cover and be hard to see if you are not looking for it.:p i change my oil and filter every 3k:p

easiest way to tell if it is the timing cover. pull the water pump and run your finger inside the cover you will more likely feel the burs of the aluminum breaking through. You are better off with welding the cover and gettin a good timing set. do not get dynagear(sucks). should do a headgasket while you are at it too. injected motors can be ripped apart and put back together and running if you know what needs to be done. you compression does not suggest a blown headgasket though.

Did you guys ignore my update?!?!? Try reading the entire thread before you respond in the future :rolleyes:

The problem is FIXED. It was the headgasket. The timing cover showed no signs of damage.

I would NEVER use those tabs, or any miracle-in-a-bottle type stuff. It'll clog your heater core, clog other areas, and it WILL eventually fail again.

Originally posted by aaron t
two tricks that may help:
1. the nut on the harmonic balancer can be a bear, attach a breaker bar and swing the starter, may break it loose.
2. don't forget the bolt that goes down through the front of the head into the top of the timing cover. it is usually burried under 1/2 in of sludge.
hope this helps.
9 out of 10 times the cover goes before a head gasket. [/B]


make sure that you torque the crank pulley bolt to 110 ft pounds . If you overtighten it then the pump gears might seize