[youda]

So my Suzuki sierra was blowing white smoke and running a little rough. combine this with drinking water when it warmed up and I was expecting the worst. I pulled the head off the motor and no. 3 cylinder has been getting water into it. Appart from the head gasket is there anywhere else I should look? Maybe cracks in head or block?. Also there was a little water in the oil in the sump. I want to know if the engine is even worth rebuilding. it is a 1989 Suzuki sierra G13BA. Carby. The pistons have valve groves in the top. it is an 8 valve ohc head. let me know if you need more info

[droverdave]

Unlikely you will have cracks in the block, possible...but unlikely.

Whenever i pull a head off i always get it pressure tested at the local machine shop. you can get a crack between the water gallery and combustion chamber, i had a toyota head that had one and they welded it up. It is usually pretty cheap for the test alone.

Cracks in the head in my experience have been linked to corrosion, how do the water galleries in the head look(from what you can see)? corroded? or not to bad?

How did the headgasket look? can you clearly see where the gasket has blown through?

[JrZook]

How tight were all the head bolts?

[droverdave]

haha yep there is also that possible cause....

[youda]

Head bolt were all tight

[youda]

No clear breakage in the head gasket, the coolant galleries were all rust brown but with no obvious corrosion marks

[droverdave]

Hmm not the best to not find an issue, but I had a 4age that was pouring water into 1 or 2 of the cylinders and there was no major evidence of the leak when i pulled it apart. The only thing was that the engine had been sitting around for ages (years...) so i assumed the gasket had just gone bad and wasn't sealing.

For yours I would be inclined to get the head pressure tested, put on a new gasket, tighten the bolts properly (unlike me on one occasion), and hope for the best.