Think you've got an overheating situation because of a blown head gasket? Fill the cooling system with water (never open it hot!!!!) and remove all the spark plugs. Reinstall the #1 spark plug and spin the engine over - if the water level rises with each compression stroke, the gasket is blown. You may see the water level go down due to water pump activity, but that only means you're filling air pockets. Rising water followed by bubbles tells the real tale. If the number 1 cylinder doesn't show anything, move that same spark plug to cylinder number two and retest. If the head gasket is blown and is heating up the water with leaking combustion gasses, you'll see the water rising with each compression stroke. We tested cylinders 1, 2, and 3 on this engine before we got results. Be aware that head gaskets can blow in several different ways and this is just one of them. Other symptoms might be caused by a misfire that happens for a few seconds on cold start only - if if does that, shut the engine off while it's misfiring and remove all the spark plugs - if any of the plugs is covered with coolant, the head gasket is leaking coolant into the cylinder, which is fairly common on some engines. If one spark plug is very sooty and the rest of them are clean, the injector may be leaking on that cylinder. Head gaskets can also blow between two cylinders, which will cause low compression on those to adjacent ones.
How to Test Head Gasket
This video is intended for those who would like to know how to confirm a damaged head gasket on a vehicle prior to making the decision to invest a lot of money for repair. My apologies for the camera focus- next video I will pay closer attention, but the information needed is viewable. Further research should be done on the risks of overheating to the engine block and such. This video is meant to simply show a 'how to' on the test method I used quite often when professionally working on vehicles, the results of which are based on chemistry and industry-standards of the time (1990's). I hope you find this video useful. RI.
How to test for a bad head-gasket
For more info. on my eBook go to www.scannerdanner.com
This is a review of a test procedure I have in my ebook. Section 1 "Universal Testing Methods" page 13. There are other ways to do this test. I am just showing the one I use the most when looking for a bad head gasket.
Does Stop Leak Work? - EricTheCarGuy
Does Stop Leak Work? - EricTheCarGuy
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/
As technicians we all have opinions based on our experiences and sometimes the experiences of others, stop leak seems to be one of those things. In my experience it really hasn't done much for me and I haven't seen it perform any miracles but that's not to say that it hasn't at one time or another. I welcome your responses on this topic and look forward to hearing your opinions just be nice.
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ETCG
How to replace your head and head gasket pt. 1
Here is how I changed the head and gasket on my 1992 Mazda B2600i pickup truck. This was the first time I have ever done a head gasket repair, and I have to say that most everything went according to plan. It was actually a lot easier than I anticipated. Total work time was about 14 hours, plus 2 weeks waiting for parts to arrive, that was the hardest part, haha. I am not especially mechanically trained or inclined, just interested in mechanics and the way they work, and that has helped me tremendously through procedures like this. I have found that since I want to learn about the way these parts connect, disconnect, and cooperate together, I have been able to do things to my cars and trucks that I never thought I could.
Taking care of your own vehicles is definitely a rewarding activity, for many reasons. Obviously you save a lot of money, you can rely on yourself to get your truck running in a jam, and are rarely stranded on the side of the road for long. Also, with more people doing their own work on their cars, mechanic services will be devalued, thus making it more affordable for everyone ($100 per labor hour, can you believe that?!?) Also, there is definitely a sense of satisfaction which comes from a job well done, being an interested and capable and competent individual, and helping out your friends with their problems. I like to learn, I like to be handy and useful to others, I like to save money, and I like to get dirty, so whenever I can I wrench on my own trucks and motorcycles.
A special thanks to the fine folks at the Mazdatruckin.com forum for all the technical articles. Hopefully you all can use this series of videos to help guide you through a similar procedure, really it is not that hard, and totally worth it.
My expenses:
head gasket $44
reman head $251
jug oil $12
jug coolant $14
manifold gasket set $14
TOTAL $335
That is about $1000 less than a mechanic would charge. Be brave, and do it yourself!
How To Solve An Engine Overheat Condition - EricTheCarGuy
How To Solve An Engine Overheat Condition - EricTheCarGuy
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/
I actually had fun putting this one together for you since the car I was working on didn't cooperate it made it so I could show you real world problems as they happened, very cool. I think this one is pretty self explanatory so I will save a long explanation. In case you missed the link to the "Bleeding a Cooling System" here is a link for you
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Visit me at EricTheCarGuy.com
http://ericthecarguy.com/
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ETCG
Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy.
Headgasket Check
This Film is Not a Product of Donovan Productions
Combustion Gas Leak Detector for Cylinder Head Gasket Check
It is worth paying attention to this video if you have suspected cylinder head gasket leak. The detector will give you a sure sign that Exhaust gas is leaking past into the cooling system and either pressurising the cooling system beyond what is acceptable and overheating the cooling system. You can check for gasket leak and any signs of a cracked head. This tool will save you money in unnecessary stripping for investigation...... and is also an excellent service tool for checking for any gas present that acts as an early warning .. there is nothing worse than having an engine overheat when you don't need it to.
Compression Testing and What You Can Learn From It - EricTheCarGuy
Compression Testing and What You Can Learn From It - EricTheCarGuy
Here is a video on performing a compression test on an engine to assess it's mechanical condition. An engines ability to compress air and fuel is directly proportional to it's performance since an engine is nothing more than an air compressor once you take away all the controls. A compression test is a good general test that will give you an idea of the engine's overall health but it does not give specific information on what the problem is should there be one, for that a "leak down test" would be required, here is a link to that video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgrfT0LFMhc
However if you find yourself looking for the source of a performance problem with an engine, this is a great place to start. This test is often overlooked in favor of looking at the fuel or ignition system, I think that's a mistake, if an engine can't perform mechanically no amount of electronics will make that better.
Recently, I hit the 500 subscriber mark and I'd like to thank all of my subscribers past, present, and hopefully in the future for that. I enjoy making these videos and the fact that you seem to like watching them means a lot to me. So, thanks for subscribing, rating, and commenting, those little contributions make it all worth while.
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Visit me at EricTheCarGuy.com
http://ericthecarguy.com/
Visit EricTheCarGuy Forum
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Visit my Facebook Page:
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Also see the video I did, "Octane Ratings and the 4 Stroke Engine Cycle" for more information on how compression works and why it is important.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VWEwEveGTQ
Thanks for watching and stay dirty
ETCG
Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy.
