87 Mustang GT questions

I would like to work more on my BBF Pinto more, but I need to fix the wifes car. Her 5.0 has a problem. I had to adjust the timing just to get it running. Even at 80K miles it was smoking and a chugging.
* The check engine light never came on
* It blew out the PCV valve
* Checked the distributor gear/pin, fine.
* Timing gear chain still matched up good
* I ran a compression test on only a few(3) cylinders, and it checked out OK.
* After a bit of time sitting the oil pan had anti-freeze in it ( quart or two)

Would just a leaking head gasket do this much?

Any ideas would help greatly
Thanks in advance
Budman

that what it sounds like to me but you need to pull compression check on all 8 to see if it is a head gaskit if all 8 are ok i would say it would be intake or cracked head just my 2 cents

Jim

Thanks for the reply. Sadly I took it all apart, so now I guess I will just get everything crack checked. I was also curious why I had to adjust the timing just to get it to run (barely)? Enough adjustment needed that I had to lift the distributor and move it a tooth on the gear. Good thing is that she wants to add a few go-fast goodies.
Thanks
Budman

We bought our 84 T-Bird 5.0 from a donation place and all that was wrong with it was 3 quarts of coolant in the oil pan. Turned out to be a faulty head gasket. I replaced BOTH head gaskets to be safe and the engine has been fine since.

You might get lucky and all you have is a faulty gasket.

thats funny that it did any thing the timing is runned by the ecu.

Bad head gasket gets my vote to...