1976 Dodge 318 on 1 ton chassis, small motorhome, I love it, what to do? 39,000 miles
Drove like a beast until now, no problems, starts a little hard, mechanical fuel pump? HAven't tuned it up, oil changes every 1000 last 5000 miles.
NOW:
I didn't start it for a few months, then started it in 10 degree weather, drove it 70 miles, no heat, ran well, then began backfiring, started to lose power, couldn't get it to go much over 30-40 mph and hard to climb a hill. Then a loud backfire (fart), blew a small hole in muffler, sounds like a race car now. Parked it inside my barn about 45 degrees there.
I have started it 3-4 weekends since, sounds terribly rough. Coolant seems same maybe even a little more, no coolant in oil, a mechanic told me a year ago the compression was 139 in 6 cylinders and the middle 2 on the drivers side 95. Seemed fine until this winter. He offered to do a head gasket job, $1,800. I've driven it about 500 miles before this happened. yuk
New mechanic hasn't seen it but says it's a head gasket issue but hasn't seen it.
I love the rig, what to do? Head gasket or buy another engine or have it rebuilt? If rebuild do I have the tranny done as well? The rig could need a little more power but I was getting 12+ mpg when she rides 100+ miles, seems to purr really. Then of course, now, don't know..........?
Thanks for any help.
Ed
I'd start with a compression and leak down test to isolate the problems. You probably have really old gas which isn't helping.
Dry compression test done before. I'd guess if the #'s are worse than last checked then head gasket is further damaged. I saw on youtube buying a test kit for exhaust coming out the radiator, that and a compression test would seem to clarify Head Gasket, but read below, no heat, massive backfires after 2 hours of cruising 50 miles and hour. Are there more problems or all related to head gasket? What would a good mechanic do for diagnosis? I don't want to just assume it's head gaskets.
I've been using ethanol free gas for the past 1000 miles or so. I just added 15 gallongs before I shoved off. I thought it might be possible some of the old gas in the tank, sitting in the cold may have frozen a bit in 10 degree weather here in Rochester NY for 2 or so months. I did add some drygas after I arrived. Maybe as the gas ran down while driving it there was some frozen that got in the lines. Seems a bit far fetched though? Explosions out the muffler? What is with that as well?
Loss of power
Backfiring after 2 hours of driving
Then loss of power
No heat and the gauge showed normal temp- gauges are old though.