Thread: 84 high sierra w/350

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My buddy has an 84 GMC Sierra with a chevy 350, holly double pump. He just bought it from a guy who just loaded him with problems currently their is a drain on the battery. The alternater is good, but we have to charge it before it will start. After it has been run for a little bit it begins to put out white smoke(can't tell where it is coming from) and dies. Also it splatters liquid aganst the radiator fan(can't tell were the liquid is coming from) that apears to be anti-freeze. Whatever the problem is it is getting progressively worse, because now it dies at idle and the only way to keep it up is to rev it. Also a shop claimed to of looked at it and said it needed a new starter. the starter is fine. It has dual straight pipes and a very small amount of white smoke comes out of one side. Some times a load pop is present when we try to start it. My dad suggested the head gasket, any imput would be appreciated!

you may have a lobe on the cam that is ground down or a valve spring or lifter problem on one side. does it make any noise like ticking or cracking? the Holley could be too big of carb also. what size is it and is it properly adjusted? the fluid on the fan is probably coolant. check for pin holes in the rad. if you can't find any holes, try blocking off the upper lower rad hoses, find an old rad cap and tap an air fitting into it. fill it with NO MORE than 20 psi of compressed air and see if you can feel any air coming out. as for the battery drain, good luck.

...Far Out.!!!..A first poster and its not a japcrapper.!!!. ..........Seriously...Find yerself a mechanic I would guess........

Nathan,
To find out what is causing the battery to go dead, u first need to make sure that nothing is being left on(Glove-Box) light. If nothing is found then u will need to start of with a fully charged battery. Next get a test light, then disconect the negetive side of the battery. Hold one of the test light ends to the bat cable and the other on the bat post. If the light is on, U have a draw. Now u can disconect the big red wire from the alt, if the light goes out well then u need a new alt. If not then go to the fuse box and remove one fuse at a time until u isolate the circuite that is causing the draw. U must do this with the doors closed cause that will cause a draw from the door swich. Also if f u have a lite under the hood u must remove the bulb,cause that will also cause the light to stay on. Good Luck and let us know what u find. Oh I almost forgot when u isolate the circuit find out what is in the circuit u can start unpluging components to find out what switch is at fault like a radio ect....