water pump & head gasket

[n/a]

I drove my 66 230 SL into my garage and noticed drops of coolant on my driveway. I restarted the car and saw water dripping from the water pump. The car never overheated. I replaced the water pump and tried to restart the car. It at first wouldn't start but eventually did but ran extremely rough, so rough that the car cannot be driven even a few feet. I pulled the plugs and they were covered with black soot. There is no water or water vapor coming out the exhaust. Is it possible that the head gasket blew even though the car ran fine up to and including the time I discovered the bad water pump?

[ja17]

Hello,
Check to see if coolant is on the dipstick or inside the oil filler cap.
Possibly the engine had oveheated without you noticing? If the head had not been re-torqued in recent history it could have been loose. Try retorquing the cylinder head.

 Maybe it is just something else you have overlooked?

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[Ben]

If it drove perfectly before then there really is no reason why thgis would happen. Have you knocked a wire off or cocked the distributor cap whilst working on it ?

Regards,
Ben in Ireland.
'64 230SL 4sp.