Head Gasket?

[Mitchel63]

I've always thought of blowing a head gasket as something you would immediately notice. A few days ago I noticed that my exhaust note changed a bit at idle and when taking off but the car didn't seem to drive any different. Today I emptied my oil catch can and it was full of coolant! There is not visably oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil. My PCV valve has been replaced with a straight through fitting and is collected in the catch can along with other valve cover vent. I am guessing this problem is the head gasket.....any other ideas? Could this have anything to do with not running a PCV valve? I just don't want to pull the head unless I'm sure!

Thanks,
Mitch

 

[Mitchel63]

Any thoughts would be appreciated

Mitch

 

[igopoopy]

do a compresion test

 

[Mitchel63]

do a compresion test

I can't....the car is being stripped down to go back to close to stock and I don't even have all the parts to make it safely turn over right now. Thanks for the idea though.

Mitch

 

[90CherryTSI]

your oil catch can (coming off your valve cover) is full of coolant, but there is no sign of coolant in the oil? Nothing floating around on top, no muddy poopy looking fluid, the only sign is in the catch can? I'm not seeing this.....

 

[Mitchel63]

Granted, I haven't drained the oil but there is none that I can see. Thats why I thought it was so weird! My catch can was pretty much full, you'd think it would be obvious looking at the oil. Obviously, there HAS to be coolant in the oil.....thats the only way this is possible. Is there anything other than a head gasket that this could possibly be?

Mitch