To verify, I would get the engine warm and do another compression check. Let us know the numbers (so write them down hehe) and we'll go from there. We don't want you pulling off a head unecessarily ;)

ALSO!! I found an exhaust leak.. coming from one of the gaskets between the exhaust manifold and the downpipe.. Could that cause this problem?? The mechanic who did my compression test said it was fine.. I just remember the numbers being weird. It was only cranked for 2 seconds on each cylinder. I didn't think that would give u an accurate reading. And the block test came out clean. All i know is that this problem is very annoying and i can't wait to either fix this issue of get rid of the car.

Yea.. good god that wouldn't be cool. And yes, of course the engine was cold. Its very difficult to work on top of that engine when its hot... Heat burns.. But i'll give it a shot.:eek3:

I wish i had this thread a while ago!!
 

i have an 88 stock supra 5-spd (non-turbo) and recently found out that the gaskets/torque settings have to be changed from factory standard. Several years ago the car starts randomly overheating. At first it was slightly hotter than normal, nothing suspicious in the oil or exhaust (that i remember) then one day it starts to boil into the red, the gasket went and i sent out a smoke screen for half a mile. I bought steel reinforced gaskets and i believe the new torque settings are 72lbs (Original was 59lbs i think). Im back on the road and watching things closely.

supra is a great car but i wish i found out earlier what problems it had so i could anticipate them before they happened. im learning on the go.

Well I've got some overheating on my 87 NA supra. The engine seems to run fine but then a lot of steam starts coming out of the exhaust and the needle starts to go to the red. Thermostat has been replaced and all hoses have been checked. What else should I look for before taking the head off?

other possibilities who knows/radiator cap?
 

i have recently found out that my supra is very outside air temperature sensitive, for some reason it leaks a little rad fluid in the exhaust(about a half quart every 100 miles) when the air temp falls below 35 degrees. so i have to keep tabs on the coolant level. also you might want to check your resevoir, to see if it fluctuates, if its always the same or just going out and not going in then there is a system leak somewhere. not sure what else to look at besides the head gasket. hoses/water pump/ thermostat/ gaskets/ also i believe radiator cap pressure should be 13psi.

Hmmm, well it seems that coolant is only being pushed out of the reservoir tank and not drawn in. How could I identify a leak in the system? Would that be a big enough problem to have steam out of the exhaust?

almost 99% sure thats a headgasket leak
 

im not an expert but im almost sure you have a head gasket leak because thats the only way it would get into the exhaust that i know of. so basically if it hasn't been replaced its going to need to be replaced. also in the mean time you have to check your rad fluid level every time it is cool berfore you drive and make sure when you look in to the radiator you can see some some fluid(don't fill to the complete top of cap) you can no longer trust your reservoir and must baby/nurse your car until you replace the gasket.

when you see your needle bouncing it means your down to your last quart of fluid and need to pull over. Get a pressure release cap so you can bleed the pressure off instead of waiting 45 minutes for it to cool........ugh im having flashbacks, i need a drink.

Alright, well thanks for the tips. I think I'm gonna dive in and do this head gasket job this weekend, any tips on doing it? Are there steps or guidelines I should go by?

also antifreeze brand may help/other posts
 

i havent done a scientific study but i feel that PEAK Global antifreeze for import cars seems to work alot better than prestone just an observation. also here are some posts on the topic that might help.

http://www.toyota-supra.info/forums/...ir-w-pics.html

http://www.toyota-supra.info/forums/...et-repair.html

http://www.toyota-supra.info/forums/...-symptoms.html