Is This My Head Gasket Or Not?

[Rmachines]

Hi, I have a 1990 Celica with a 3S-GE engine, I bought it under the impression the head gasket had blown, how ever before I start striping the top end down I want to be sure.

I got good compression results

1 - 179

2 - 170

3 - 175

4 - 180

When I bought the car he said that it was using allot of water, I ran the car up to temperature, the fan kicked in as expected and cut out again, it kept to temp as it should do.

There is no sludge on the oil cap, I can’t see any water getting into the oil, but it does steam allot out of the exhaust. I put a bucket under the pipe to see exactly how much came out but from 15 min’s running up to temp there was about half a shot glass or water which I don’t think is much at all. It was still steaming quite a lot even once the engine was warm.

As the compression readings were ok and the engine runs absolutely fine… could it possible be any thing else? Or will it certainly be the head gasket?

Cheers.

[T600]

Burning Hydrogen (a component of petrol) and Oxygen (a component of Air) produces H20.

The fact that it's coming out as a liquid, rather than an invisible vapour is not really a problem. At this time of the year it can take much longer than 15 minutes for the exhaust to warm up - if it ever does. As a result, it condenses the water out of the exhaust gases, resulting in it emerging as water.

So that could be it. That said, if it's using water, then and it's not leaking out them maybe your HG is on the way out.

HTH

[Rmachines]

Thanks for the reply! Hopefull its not the head gasket, its only done 115K miles which isnt all that much for this engine! fingers crossed its not the HG. I dont know where the coolent is going but its odd the engine runs absolutly fine and has good compression

[fiz-vvti]

if the heads gaskets fried, ur temp gauge should go rto high after a while. easiest way to find this out is by giving it a good thrash around and see if it over heats, if it does then ther is a good chance it is. but i woundnt recommend that due to our english 4 seasons in 1 weather.

so u could try revving it for ages.

or take it on a dual carraige way and let her rip.

if it doesnt over heat by any of these then thats a good sign.

if u have some smoke coming out the back...it just might be some ***** that needs to be blown out...revs or a good drive.

and the water coming out....t600 is spot on

touch wood u'll be alright

[propnut]

Condensation is normal at idle but if the car is steaming whilst driving you have a kissed head gasket. Look at your compressions, you have a wild variation between 2&3, so you either have a blown head gasket or a cracked head. If you can't see where the coolant is going AND you have checked to make sure the RAD cap is good then I am afraid it is going out of the combustion chamber via the head gasket. If you leave it the silicon within the coolant will coat the catalyst and will destroy it costing you even more money.

You can get a cylinder block/head tester kit off eBay which comprises a glass tube which plugs into your radiator and a fluid. The system changes colour if it detects the presence of CO in your water jacket. There is only way way CO can get into the water jacket .............

[Rmachines]

hi thanks for the reply! the engine runs absolutly fine! very very quiet and smooth, Although once it is up to temp it does knock a little from the top end (sounds like a blocked lifter) but thats nothing to do with it i dont think. It didnt over heat at all! the fan would cut in and bring it down to temp with out any problems.

[propnut]

Gaskets seldom go all of a sudden, it is a gradual progression. As I stated earlier if you cannot account for the coolant loss and you are having excessive water coming out of the pipe you really should get the head tested. Running fine or not your compressions are NOT right and the fact that two adjacent cylinder are down means that either you have sticking/tight valves in both those cylinders which is highly unlikely, unless someone has been fiddling, or the pressure is leaking through the gasket.