[trooperchix]

Ok, so I spend $500 on a "new" old '88 2.6L automatic. Needs a little tlc, but since I rebuilt my 2.8, and at one time pretty much rebuilt my old 2.3 ('86), I figured this would be a great second vehicle to have around considering I could fix it. Anyway, the frickin' throttle kept sticking (the OD was pissy too, went on and off as it wished when activated). I'm driving to go pick up my better half from work in damned near dead stop traffic, and the throttle sticks. What I had been doing is popping it into neutral, hitting the gas, and it would get un-stuck. Well, it was raining like a bugger and every icehole in Minneapolis was driving around me. I reached out to pop it into neutral and then it slipped into Reverse . Smoke comes pouring out of everywhere, which was particularly impressive considering it was really cool outside. I was able to get it off the freeway and to a gas station some 10+ miles (so totally impressed that the tranny even worked!). I checked the bugger out, oil is fine and transmission fluid fine but my radiator bone dry. I fill it, pick up my better half and drive the 25+ miles home on the side roads, stopping once to put more juice in my radiator. I got it home. It ran rough, as I would expect, but it didn't stall, the temp stayed low (methinks because the fluid wasn't full enough to hit the sensor) but the oil pressure was crazy low. It's sat for a day now, and it starts right up, no problems, on the first try. I checked the oil, it's full and clean (no radiator fluid contamination), the transmission fluid is full and clean. As far as I could tell, the radiator fluid is also clean, but obviously on the ground under my truck. One thing that was obvious damage was that the number 2 gasket connection down from the exhaust manifold blew apart. I'm assuming I blew a vapor seal between the head and the exhaust manifold. I'm praying I didn't crack the block, and think that I would have a whole lot more stuff bleeding out if that happened.

SOOOO... the short of it is that I need a list of things I need to check on this baddog, as it is supposed to be my mode of transportation to work. Any and all help would be appreciated.

Thank you profusely in advance!!!

 

[bigpoppax2]

Sounds like you need to change an exhaust manifold gasket and you'll be golden.

You could not have said that you put your tranny in reverse and had zero damage and I had believed you. That's nuts. Glad your Zu is ok.

Get a new gasket and get that thing changed.

Joe

 

[soopertrooper]

most automatics will"ratchet" when put into reverse while moving forward preventing damage to the trans....not sure about the Zu trans...

 

[sneekyeye]

If its leaking a lot of radiator fluid, a hose might have came loose, or a hose clamp jarred itself loose somehow. My guess is the smoke was a hose popping off and evaporating all over the engine. Check the hoses under the intake manifold too, I've had one fall off down there before.