Cylinder Clamp

Is there any way to determine if I have a blown head gasket?

Ok my coolant gradually decreases. It seems like it’s starting to decrease faster. All the hoses and clamps are good. I don’t see any coolant in the water pump weep holes. So I’m down to engine freeze plugs, radiator, or head gasket. Because the leak is obviously internal. Is there a way for me to pinpoint this rascal? Worst case scenario is a cracked block or cylinder head.

If you have a blown head gasket, you’ll have a leak between:

1. Cylinder and oil passage. This leak will cause a lot of BLUE smoke in the exhaust because the piston will draw oil into the cylinder during the intake stroke. You’ll burn a lot of oil.
2. Cylinder and water passage. Similar to #1, you’ll have a lot of WHITE smoke in the exhaust as the piston will draw water into the cylinder during the intake stroke. Additionally, you’ll notice a lot of air bubbles in the radiator fill cap because some of the compression pressures will force air into the cooling jacket. This air has only one escape route – out the radiator fill neck to the overflow container.
3. Oil and water passage. Less likely because the pressures are much lower. But if it does happen, you’ll have a milky colored oil in the crankcase and/or notice oil floating in your coolant recovery tank and the radiator when you view it through the filler neck on the radiator.
4. Cylinder to cylinder. Wont’ cause oil or water loss but can cause poor performance as compression is lost between adjacent cylinders. Maybe it will show up as a trouble code in the OBD.

Cracked block would be similar to a blown head gasket depending upon where the block is cracked. Also, a small leak may not be detectable unless you really, really look for it. On a hot engine, the coolant can evaporate before enough accumulates to drip onto the ground. You could stil have a freeze plug leak, radiator or heater hoses leak, water pump or radiator leak, etc.

If the leak is big enough, maybe a compression check and a compression hold check will tell you where the leak is.

I had a very minor loss of coolant until the radiator finally had a big enough leak to detect.

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