is my head gasket goin out?

[Wicked91rttt]

k ive been having some over heating problems, so i do a compression test and that checked out perfect. filled it full of coolant and let it idle for about 20 min, no over heating and no coolant comin out the over flow. then i go for about a 1/2 mile drive and hit about 18 lbs and come home cause its over heating and when i get home there is almost no coolant in the system and its steamin hot, but i have good compression and no smoke out the tail pipe. what gives?

 

[Slack_r]

Check the heatercore.. I've heard of shit coming loose or them getting messed up and having to be replaced..

 

[paranoidTSi]

Sounds like a faulty thermostat to me. When a head gasket goes out you usually get a mix of oil in your coolant overflow and white smoke.

From my experience, the overflow reservior should at least have SOME coolant in it.

 

[Slack_r]

Yea thermostat thats what else I was thinking..

 

[armandovivoni]

sometimes even the filler CAP causes those effects.

 

[Wicked91rttt]

k i changed the t-stat, and i got a new cap, someone told me to get a high pressure cap off a 300zx or an evo, will that work, i mean i wouldnt think a normal over heating would blow al my coolant out in less than a half mile when it sat and idled for 20 min.

 

[97GS-TSpyder]

as weird as it sounds.
I had the same problem
had a hole on the upper portion of my rad.
Under WOT or higher RPM conditions, it would leak.....didnt find it out till iw as sitting there one day and the car warmed up and started leaking.
might need a new radiator

 

[Injected]

I had the same symptoms. Mine was the turbo coolant line. There are lots of places for coolant to leak. Don't make the mistake of taking off the head (PITA) because of something minor. Which side of the engine does the leak seem to come from (intake or exhuast; driver or passenger) and is it all over the block? If you have a blown headgasket, as said before you will see rad fluid in the oil, but also you will be able to feel air coming out if you remove the radiator cap and hold your hand above it with the engine running. Do not do this without a glove on though as you stand a significant chance of getting burned. What about your oil pressure? Typically if your headgasket goes, you will leak oil also.

 

[Wicked91rttt]

its leaking right out of the overflow, no leaks ANYWHERE else, oil pressure seams to be on the low side but no leaks anywhere. one thing is is i was running straight water so im going to go to a 180 tstat, put in some antifreeze, and go to a EVO capwhich is 16 lbs rather that 13. this thing has me stumped.

 

[paranoidTSi]

Why straight water? why wasn't coolant in the car in the first place? Thats your problem right there.

I'd drain your radiator and drop a 50/50 premix of antifreeze in there and see if that clears it up before you go and waste money.

 

[HighPsi92GST]

one thing is is i was running straight water .

why?

be careful how much you drive it overheating or your headgasket will die, along with other bad things that could happen

 

[Wicked91rttt]

well the reason for straight water id because teh local track doesnt like there to eb antifreeze in the cooling system, its too hard to get off teh track.