Possible blown head gasket Talon Dl

[Mr_Mao]

Firstly, my car is a 1994 Eagle Talon Dl w/o turbo. 201k miles. All stock (afaik), 5 speed.

Some back story. This is my first car I have bought, and a car I've been wanting for a while. Got this car from a "mechanic" for $500, as it was cheap I wasnt expecting much. Took it on a test drive after checking the levels. Drove amazing.
While trying to drive it home, as its been a long time since I have drove a 5 speed I drove it hard and over revved quite a lot.

I got it home and dove it around town to brush up on shifting.

I drove it to work and back (40 miles on way) and it was fine, the next day I did the same, but I had to go back and pick up something. I over headed and took me 5 hours to get home.

I changed the t-stat, and the fans, still nothing.

After today I was looking at the car while it was running and noticed that the rad was smoking, so I looked at the exhaust was a tad blue.


I think it might be a blown head gasket, but I'm not sure.


Tl;dr: over heating, smoke from rad, blue smoke, bad gasket?

Here is a video of what I'm talking about.
[youtube]EXGpF-oIa5k[/youtube]


What do you think it is?
How much is a good price for a shop to do it?
Is it to hard for someone who is intermediate mechanic?

 

[beendenied]

Are you sure that's not steam? Try and pic up a haynes/chilton's manual, it'll help a lot.

This your only vehicle/mode of trans?

 

[DSMTyson]

Does the engine consume coolant, if so, you more than likely have a blown head gasket.

 

[Mr_Mao]

Are you sure that's not steam? Try and pic up a haynes/chilton's manual, it'll help a lot.

This your only vehicle/mode of trans?

I do not think it is steam, as the car could be running for 3 minutes after cold start and it will do that, the steam has a gas smell to it.

Not it is not, I do have a ride to work and my mother and sister have a car if I need it, I also have a haynes manual, its been helpful.

Does the engine consume coolant, if so, you more than likely have a blown head gasket.

It seems like it does, as before I ran it, I put about a gallon of water in it. But if I rev at all it goes into the overflow tank. But the cap is new.

What is a good estimated on a shop doing all the work if it is a hg?

 

[Frskrgps]

drain the oil to see if there is anti freeze in it.

 

[Calan]

Why not do a leak-down test yourself and find out, before spending big $$$ with some shop that may not know much more than you?

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-engine-fuel/338152-compression-leak-down-testing.html

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-engine-fuel/336535-do-you-have-blown-head-gasket.html

 

[Mr_Mao]

Why not do a leak-down test yourself and find out, before spending big $$$ with some shop that may not know much more than you?

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-engine-fuel/338152-compression-leak-down-testing.html

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-engine-fuel/336535-do-you-have-blown-head-gasket.html

Thank you kind Sir, i'll try that when I have some time and I'll report back. But this may take a while as I'm changing to 3rds today.

 

[socalmk1]

Pull off the oil cap and if the oil on the bottom of the cap looks like chocolate milk, you have a blon hg. Leakdown test is more definitive though.

 

[LiquidX]

Pull off the oil cap and if the oil on the bottom of the cap looks like chocolate milk, you have a blon hg. Leakdown test is more definitive though.

Again, that's not a guarantee, you can have a blown head gasket and NOT have coolant and oil mixing. It all depends on how the gasket is destroyed and if it's allowing the coolant and oil passages to meet.

The same thing can happen if you over tighten the oil filter on a water-to-oil cooler. You'll crush the internal fins and the coolant and oil will mix there.

OP, a leak down test is where you should start but if you are concerned that the vapors you are seeing out of the rad are infact from the combustion chamber consider testing the coolant for combustion gasses.

Amazon.com: Lisle 75500 Combustion Leak Detector: Automotive

First one I selected. The chemicals react with combustion gasses and will change color indicating a leak into the coolant.

 

[renogsx]

A typical hg job on a 4cyl is around $800 and up at my shop. The steam or smoke appears to be pulsing so put each cyl at tdc and pressurize each one with the rad cap off and look for bubbles. I think you will find compression is leaking into the cooling system. If you continue to drive it like that the problem will get worse I have seen radiators blow from this. I'm suggesting this based on the pulsing coming from the radiator in your video. If this vehicle was in my shop I would run all of the previous tests stated by other members. Good luck.

 

[bryanwheat]

A typical hg job on a 4cyl is around $800 and up at my shop. The steam or smoke appears to be pulsing so put each cyl at tdc and pressurize each one with the rad cap off and look for bubbles. I think you will find compression is leaking into the cooling system. If you continue to drive it like that the problem will get worse I have seen radiators blow from this. I'm suggesting this based on the pulsing coming from the radiator in your video. If this vehicle was in my shop I would run all of the previous tests stated by other members. Good luck.

Good luck keeping the piston at tdc while pressurizing it. If will just push the piston down. Bdc works the best.

 

[renogsx]

E brake in 5th gear.

 

[bryanwheat]

E brake in 5th gear.

If it's a 5 speed than sure.

 

[renogsx]

Most cars don't have bdc marks and he's not mechanic so finding bdc might be difficult for him. I guess you could argue tdc at 2 & 3 would also be difficult so to each his own.

Also true IF it was an auto but I think he was practicing shifting

 

[bryanwheat]

You don't have to find it, it goes there itself when you pressurize it. The main reason that i recommend it is so that you don't roll the engine backwards and possibly skip time when the piston is forced down in the cylinder.

 

[renogsx]

I wouldn't pressurize the cyl without knowing where it was at first.