Lately my car (1983 242 ti) seems to burning more oil and loosing more coolant than normal. There is no visible sign of coolant loss (no leaks). Once and a while I do see a white puff of smoke upon hard acceleration and startup. My oil pressure gauge also reads 2 bars (5 bar gauge) and it sometimes drops to one bar or less when idling!

I suspect the head gasket is blown but is there any chance that the head may be warped or cracked? It was subjected to higher than normal engine temperatures when the water pump was manfunctioning over the last month. If there is a possibility of it being cracked, where would I look without taking to many things off the engine? (ie do they usually crack in one location?).

A lot of repairs to my favorite brick this weekend may by cancelled forever depending how bad this problem is? I hope it isn't a cracked head!

Thanks for the help.

GMAN

McDuck is right, you're going to have to pull the head off to be sure. It sounds to me like a small break in the head gasket. Yes, it could be a crack in the head, but in my experience, the gasket is much, much more likely to be the culprit.
--
Speed Racer, '83 240 R, '74 164 E, '93 940 OL1 (Manchester, CT)

A blown head gasket, a crack or warpage would require removal of the head for inspection.
Most of the cracks I've seen, as well as the most common head gasket problem, occur between #2 and #3 cylinders, though this will cause compression to be low if the gasket is shot.
None of these things is likely to be a cause of low oil pressure, which might be the pump, seals, or just a worn out motor.
--
Jim McDonald