Indy GTA

I have a problem with coolant getting into the #1 cylinder. It's not getting into the oil and it's not giving me white smoke but when I took the plug out due to hard starting, the plug has coolant on it, not much but it's there. I smelled the plug and it had the distinct smell of coolant on it and not much fuel odor. In the winter time the car starts with no problems but I loose coolant ever so slowly to where I need to fill the reservoir oh so often but in the summertime I have hard starting and never have to fill the coolant. Anyone else ever had this problem before? I'm guessing it could be a head gasket but I was wondering if anyone else had answers before I begin the teardown? The engine is a 350. I also posted this in the cooling section.

89Z

Probably a very small crack in the head or a headgasket starting to fail. Try Bars Leak Gold (NOT the aluminum filings) which is the same as GM Coolant Supplement Tablets (made primarily of Ginger Root) and it may take care of the problem since its so minor. The reason you loose more coolant in the winter is because there is more thermal expansion and contraction due to the larger temperature differentials between ambient temperature and the engine at operating temperature in the winter.

Indy GTA

Your explanation makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the input. I checked all the other plugs and that was the only one with a problem. The plug still looked good though. It's only after the engine has cooled down when the problem occurs. Is it still possible to get a crack in a cast iron head?

89Z

Yes, cast iron heads can develop cracks from time to time.