Just pulled the passenger side valve cover. First signs of water!

 

What does the oil on the dipstick look like? If it looks like what you have in the head there, yeah, good bet that's a headgasket.

 

I changed the oil when I saw it was smoked!

 

Well? If color is a factor here? Pretty obvious which head gasket blew!

All the rocker arms and push rods are black on the passenger side. Everything on the driver side looks about the same color as the brown oil did! I'm not a mechanic. But that brown is not supposed to be there!

 

The oil gets circulated through the entire engine, so, determine which side is blown, is gonna be fun without taking it apart, and having a look. You are almost there in any event. Do both sides. Avoid doing this job twice.

 

Just pulled the headers and the exhaust. I'm taking the driverside head off now. Removing the push rods and rocker arms. I'm keeping the push rods in order. What about the rockers? Is it essential to keep them in order. I might just remove the push rods and finger tighten the bolts back down on the rockers? Keeping them in place.

I also read in the service manual where it said cylinder compression was between 170-190 psi. When I did my compression check. The cylinders were 125-130? Seems like a big drop???

 

Yep, keep the rockers in order as well. Pushrods and rockers wear in together. It's important to keep that relationship.

Compression is a tad low, but, still within the 'acceptable' range. Question becomes, where did your compression go? If it's rings.... doing a wet test right after the dry would tell the tale. It's also possible the valves aren't seating as completely as they did when new.... something you can check/address when the heads are off. (are you going to have them checked for cracks??)

 

Cracks will be the deal breaker. So I gotta find out if they are or they aren't? I'm hoping if they are. We can see the extent when we pull them and inspect them.

I am pulling the push rods from the other side now. Just about to unbolt the heads.

 

If they are cracked, replacement is about the only viable option..... Likely cheaper than having the originals repaired, if that's even possible. Just depends on where the crack are.

 

Roger! Cracked heads we can deal with. Cracked block, the show is over!