what now!!! Head gasket?

[68442]

Ok, i've put maybe 30 miles on this car in the year plus I've had it. Switched a tran since that was toast when I got it. Lots of new parts to unrice the car. Just getting it going, today was the longest test run, has always idled fine etc. For giggles I am doing a boost leak test. I hear bubbling like noice, not uncontrolled blow in a straw but a blip blip blip like dripping when I pressure up the system. Oil is clean, not losing antifreeze.

Head gasket going out????

You can really hear it with the oil cap off. Nothing coming out the overflow or nothing from the radiator cap with it off.

 

[assault187]

You may only be loosing some of the pressure through the rings which will bouble in the oil pan. Remove the dip stick and listen for airflow


Do a compression test, if the #'s are low, move on to a leakdown test

While doing a leakdown test, If your loosing pressure to the next cylider, suspect the head gasket

If you have boubles in the radiator or over flow tank, suspect the head gasket

If there is no mixing of oil with coolant in the rad or on the dipstick, i think your OK

 

[68442]

heres what I got on the C test

1 180psi
2 160 psi
3 179psi
4 170psi

 

[Kastigir]

heres what I got on the C test

1 180psi
2 160 psi
3 179psi
4 170psi

Those are pretty good numbers. Cylinder 2 seems a little low, but not overtly so.

 

[talonDSMerr]

It shouldn't be all over the place like that. I'd check your headgasket, it might not have sealed right.

 

[assault187]

It shouldn't be all over the place like that. I'd check your headgasket, it might not have sealed right.

His numbers are fine, There is nothing to worry about here....

To the OP (68442) You may just have a slight blow-by problem with the rings under static pressure or the pressure is pushing its way past the valve seals or valve seats. The pressure is going to escape somwhere regardless the condition of the engine (ring gaps, valve seals, valve seats etc.)

 

[JEFFREYCASTGSX]

yeah those compression numbers are fine.. more than likely the noise you heard was probably from blowby because you had to much pressure build up when you were doing the boost leak test,

 

[Auto RS T]

Are you pressurizing from the turbo inlet? This could be air making its way to the turbo oil return line through the turbo bearings, the drip you are hearing may be oil from the return line splashing into the pan.

 

[68442]

Car 69k on it, orig miles. I'll try a boost test at the intercooler or something instead of the turbo inlet.

 

[Kastigir]

It shouldn't be all over the place like that. I'd check your headgasket, it might not have sealed right.

A difference of 20 psi isn't "all over the place". It's a little more than desired, but not by much.

Was this a dry or wet test?

 

[68442]

It was dry. Since there were no huge gaps i left it at that.

 

[Nihad]

Another way to tell if your head gasket is bad is if you coolant has air blowing out so if its going crazy then its not good...

 

[68442]

I think auto is right. I had the rad cap off and the overflow bottle open, the noise is from inside the engine and into fluid so It almost has to be oil. Guess I could drop the oil and see if it stops.

 

[68442]

Just a update on this. After fixing a few other things over the weeks I noticed oil leaking from the front corner, took off the valve cover to retorque and there is antifreeze in the oil now. I guess that noise was air. Car has only idled a few minutes since the original post date. Bummer. Into the garage she goes.

 

[Remyink]

I bought my car with a similiar problem. It would run fine but I would lose slight compression thru the head gasket. the motor had just been rebuilt too. If your losing any type of compression, I would put my bet on the head gasket.