A cracked engine. Im about to purchase another valiant and would like to know what are the symptoms of a cracked block, manifold, etc. Would the car perform slower or what? THanks in advance

A cracked intake manifold would cause an overly lean fuel mixture, ruining power and screwing up the way the car runs. Places to look are the castin lines and mainly the floor area of the manifold (right underneath the carburetor)

A cracked exhaust manifold would create a lot of noise and a big mess. Look for carbon stains to help you find this one.

If the block cracks in a water jacket, you will notice significant coolant loss and the engine will overheat. Blown head gaskets can have some of the same symptoms. Oil and antifreeze coming from weird places is sometimes a sign.

What makes you think that the block is cracked, these things are tough. Even though they don't stand a chance against ice and freeze cracking. The old cast iron intake manifolds where durable. It is the aluminum intake manifolds that got the bad rap because of poor build quality. Some of exhaust manifolds are more prone to cracking than others, especially the first generation castings which had no reinforcing ribs. Improper installation is the main cause of exhaust manifold cracking however.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2