Re: Re: Re: Blown Head Gasket or Cracked Block

Posted by Cylinder leak test... on March 17, 2000 at 13:41:19 from (167.142.20.76):

In Reply to: Re: Re: Blown Head Gasket or Cracked Block posted by kent on March 17, 2000 at 10:45:19:

Kent- Compression test is a similar operaton, but gives completely different information. The leak test is strictly a measurement of % leakage, plus it tells you where the leakage is going and you can deduce why. Yes, generally speaking low leakage will give higher compression test readings.

If you never done it get ready for one of those "Why didn't my daddy tell me about this!", type reactions. If the local repair shops are no help, snoop out a neighbor that's into race cars. Those guys know all about this and then some!

That white smoke after short or overnite shut down is a bad sign, so git ready for some heart breake in this. After a long shut down the coolant seep stops and what leaked is clear down in the pan and the rings and combustion chamber area have dried out- no smoke.

Parking in a closed building on a dirt floor is bad news because the place and contents never really dry out. Dirt floor buildings need to have gable vents or roof cupola vents. Check Kontry Life board hints page for my post about a cheap & easy wood shop floor trick. You might like that one.

Top the coolant level up into the filler neck, so when you apply air to the cylinder any leakage into the water jacket will immediately cause some coolant to visibly puke up & out the filler neck. After that you can stand there and watch the bubbles and try not to cuss to much.

Yes, your temp sensor location will read the cool water coming into the block from the radiator. That sensor needs to be plugged into the coolant someplace close to the thermostat, perferably just before the coolant gets to the thermostat, to give you a good idea of what's happening.

Your comment about getting the engine up to full operating temperature tells me that you got lots of good going for you there. Without a coolant seep into the cylinder and oil pan it should dry itself out during normal operation.

The crankcase venting design does not use a fresh air purge, like most engines do. Blow by blows on out the vents in the oil filler cap and the little shroud on the fwd side of the cap uses fan blast to create a slight suction. You throw the filler cap in the solvent tank while doing lube services, blow it dry, and the design works pretty well. It is a coin toss deal, in that the crankcase don't get fresh air that most likely will be full of dust. Ford's design kept out the dust, but created a stagnation & condensation potential.

Don't keep the filler cap clean, or put it on with the shroud to the rear, or use a replacement cap without the shroud, and you get what you got!

My bet is that you got a very small coolant seep into the combusion chamber. Run it hard for an hour or so, then pull all 4 spark plugs and lay 'em up side by side under good lighting. When you "read" the plugs, if you see an odd ball as to deposits and color, that is probably the cylinder where the problem is.

Do the needed repair ASAP, 'cause the problem will just get worser & worser. Think positive & use your "prayer bones"- Hope the problem will be just an old, cheapie and now leaky, head gasket! Good luck Kent, IHank

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