finally got the engine running in my 77... started it up and ran it for a while, and I think the engine has a blown head gasket.. coolant has some nasty looking foam/scum in it(coolant is fresh/new and looks like it is 20 years old now after being run in this engine for 30 minutes), and has an exhaust like smell, the cooling system seems to pressurize awfully fast after the engine is started cold (like in 5 mins or less) and when i shut it down, bubbles in the coolant tank..there is no coolant in the engine oil..and the engine doesn't run hot, but the truck has not been driven yet to heat the engine up good...still need to fix the brakes, and some other things before it is roadworthy...

I was hoping it was just some trapped air in the cooling system.. but the scum and the smell make me think head gasket...

 

Don't jump to conclusions!
First, run a compression test and see what you're dealing with.
Unless you did a really good cooling system flush, the fact that the new coolant looks trashy doesn't mean anything. That could be what was left in the system before you refilled it.

 

Will do..
I'm probably just overreacting...hopefully it's not the gasket..but the stink, scum, the air bubbles in the coolant tank after the engine is shut off, the barfing with the radiator cap off-engine running, and the amount of air/bubbles flowing through the upper radiator hose with the engine running are really bothering me..

if it is the gasket, at least I will have an excuse to ditch the D2VE heads and replace them with better ones..

 

I'd flush it out real good with the water hose. Drain it then fill it up, remove the bottom hose and drain it again, repeat over and over. While your at I'd replace your thermostat, I use a 180 on my 390.