Water bubbling up through spark plug

[barnesjtsl]

79 Spider 2000

I have been overheating lately. Thought it might be a thermostat so I replaced the thermostat.

Went through filling the system through the tee installed in the heater hose. After running the engine for a while and waiting for it to get to temperature I noticed the #3 spark plug well full of bubbling water. Thought it might have been from spilling during filling so I shop vaced it out. Started the car again, and watched water slowly start to bubble up by the spark plug and start to fill the spark plug well again.

Anyone see this before? Looks to me like either a blown head gasket, cracked head or both?

Any thought?

JB

[131]

If it's not filling from elsewhere, ie: running down from the top, if you can see it rising from the bottom, the head has to be cracked. There's no access for water to that area if the head gasket's blown or if the plug's loose.

[azruss]

you dont say if the car is running on all 4 cylinders. If you are getting water from inside the combustion chamber, your car should be running like crap.

[barnesjtsl]

Thanks guy's.

The car is running fine (with the exception that it overheats after about 5 miles of driving).

Sounds to me like a cracket head.

Thanks,

jb

[Danno]

are you positive you don't have a hot hose spraying water everywhere that is pooling in that spot?

[Danno]

is your thermostat installed correctly? they are easy to get backwards. Also, have you cleaned it out and just sat there and watched as it warmed up a the coolant pool developed?