Blown head gasket? 4AFE Content

[Kaidotech]

So I'm about 80% sure my head gasket is blown. I know its hard to diagnose over the internet or just hearing about what it's doing, but this is what I've got so far:

-Strange leaks between the engine head and block that look like oil
-Lately steam has been pouring out of my overflow tank and it sounds like the liquid in it is bubbling after driving the car

The car has not overheated, nor is smoke coming out of the exhaust, nor is there any power loss or feel. Havent checked compression yet.

Does anyone know if those two things (other then obvious visual oil leaks) sound like a blown head gasket? Under the radiator cap and inside my overflow tank are nasty dirty brown like mud but not the coffee creamer look. Under the valve cover and oil cap have zero signs of coolant, but the guy that sold me the car changed the oil before I bought it so he could have hid it.

I really appreciate any input in advance! Going to park the car today and not touch it until I find out whats going on so I avoid warping anything if it is the head gasket.

[Kaidotech]

12 views, no comments. Anyone?

[ga_goosh]

chech your radiator. if you take the cap off and it has small bubbles or it seams that it never stops bubbling. then it is the head gasket. also check your oil see if there is any water in the oil. also remove your spark plugs and look at the pistons. if you have 1 or 2 that seam cleaner then all the rest then that too can be an indication. when my head gasket went not that long ago it had these symptons.


what side of the engine is the oil coming from?

[Kaidotech]

chech your radiator. if you take the cap off and it has small bubbles or it seams that it never stops bubbling. then it is the head gasket. also check your oil see if there is any water in the oil. also remove your spark plugs and look at the pistons. if you have 1 or 2 that seam cleaner then all the rest then that too can be an indication. when my head gasket went not that long ago it had these symptons.


what side of the engine is the oil coming from?

Ran the car with no radiator cap on it the other night, ran fine, no smoke, no steam, no bubbles in the overflow before or after. No water sprayed from the radiator once the thermostat opened and the car warmed up. Oil is on the front of the block facing me since its FWD. Going to spray everything down and scrub the engine clean to give me a better idea of whats leaking.

Just bought a radiator cap, couple of new hoses, thermostat and thermostat seal to see if that fixes it. Last time I had the head off the valves and oil were clean as a whistle. Nothing under the oil cap either. Going to do an oil change anyways and see what it looks like. Also going to be getting a new radiator and flushing everything for new coolant so that should eliminate a few possibilities as well.

I'll look down into my spark tubes tomorrow with the plugs out and see if I can shine a light on the pistons.

[mbehrens]

Sounds like a small pink hole in headgasket .. Most likely if you run car from cold untill operating temp no gargling noise . But if you get off the highway and shut it you hear it gargle? Are you lossing water and have have no coolent leaks ? And when moter is really hot it back surges water .. But you donte overheat small pinhole leak in gasket. Go to autozome or any parts house and get a head block tester . You should get a clear plastic cylinder with a rubber hand pump ball and a blue chemical . Put the chemical in the cylinder tube open your radiatir cap make sure the coolent is low so you donte suck it In the cylinder tube, let engine get to operating temp. Pumo ball if it turns green yellow any coller then its origsl color then its bad head gasket if it dont change then to be sure rev up to 2000 rpm for 2moro min then while reving motor pump the ball if color changes its blown gasket.

Other, test is water in oil or oil in water .. Cylinder leak down test can help to pin point what cylinder is leaking. Compression test mostly donte help unless the gasket and head are trshed beyond repair. Umm my fave if the head gasket is bad enough to all cylinder comp is released to radator (this is where comp test works ) pull cap with full water and crank motor and watch ol fafull lol cant spell .. And if your having oil spew out the sideso between head and block then gasket is janked. Hope that all helps. Of and I think you can get a head block checker at autozome as aloaner

[ga_goosh]

i guess it could be leaking just from the oil galleys on the exhaust side of the block. is it coming from the head or the valve cover gasket? if it is comming from the head then i would say you dont have too much longer before the leak spreads to your cylinders.

give what mbehrens suggested and see if there is oil in the water. if you are losing water, there is a tool you can replace your radiator cap with and pump it up to operating pressure and look for leaks with out the heat of a hot motor. also let it sit to check if the pressure drops. if you see no leaks then it could be an internal leak (if you are losing water).

as for the oil leak make sure it isnt coming from your distributor or oil sending unit.

the only time my radiator bubbles into the overflow is when it was overheated. you might want to test your gauge or temp sensor

small pink hole

lol

[mbehrens]

Using a phineas to reply sucks small pink hole the things my phone comes up with lol... ... The, reason I siad to heat up the motor is, because if it is a pink hile gasket leak cumbustions ggases the pink hole maybe, not open untill hot and evwn untill 2000 rrpm ... nd I, have had my head gasket a year ago leak oik in the exhaust side leak oil between head and block but that, was because I was pushing225 psi a cylinder and the, head lifted long story .. ... Again using cell phone with auto spell crap sorry for miss types lol....