is my headgasket blown?
05-14-2015, 03:26 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
is my headgasket blown?
'06 ls2 all stock - recently replaced the rad with a Dewitt's after cracking the factory job. Now I can't seem to get the thing to stay full, found a weeping hose and tightened the clamp, but never saw water drips and it's still using water. For others that have swapped radiators, How fast did your system purge the air? did a test drive this am and the coolant got to 240 in about 5 min or 2 miles of mild street driving. I'm thinking head gasket and will pull plugs tonight looking for the steam-cleaned one to confirm. Oil looked fine.
thanks,
Steve
thanks,
Steve
05-14-2015, 05:06 PM
#2
Racer
'06 ls2 all stock - recently replaced the rad with a Dewitt's after cracking the factory job. Now I can't seem to get the thing to stay full, found a weeping hose and tightened the clamp, but never saw water drips and it's still using water. For others that have swapped radiators, How fast did your system purge the air? did a test drive this am and the coolant got to 240 in about 5 min or 2 miles of mild street driving. I'm thinking head gasket and will pull plugs tonight looking for the steam-cleaned one to confirm. Oil looked fine.
thanks,
Steve
thanks,
Steve
05-14-2015, 11:13 PM
#3
If head gasket is blown and it affects water either your cooling system will be very pressurized or white smoke(steam) will be coming out your exhaust.
Purging air is very easy. Pull upper hose from radiator, raise it up reasonably high and fill with water until it comes out radiator (leave surge tank cap off). Re-attach hose and top off at surge tank. Jack up right front corner of car and run motor to full operating temp for a few minutes. Add water as needed. The system itself is setup to be self-purging, but the above makes the process faster.
To me it sounds like you may have a steam pocket somewhere however if the above process does not work then you need to inspect further.
Purging air is very easy. Pull upper hose from radiator, raise it up reasonably high and fill with water until it comes out radiator (leave surge tank cap off). Re-attach hose and top off at surge tank. Jack up right front corner of car and run motor to full operating temp for a few minutes. Add water as needed. The system itself is setup to be self-purging, but the above makes the process faster.
To me it sounds like you may have a steam pocket somewhere however if the above process does not work then you need to inspect further.
05-15-2015, 11:55 AM
#4
Racer
Thread Starter
If head gasket is blown and it affects water either your cooling system will be very pressurized or white smoke(steam) will be coming out your exhaust.
Purging air is very easy. Pull upper hose from radiator, raise it up reasonably high and fill with water until it comes out radiator (leave surge tank cap off). Re-attach hose and top off at surge tank. Jack up right front corner of car and run motor to full operating temp for a few minutes. Add water as needed. The system itself is setup to be self-purging, but the above makes the process faster.
To me it sounds like you may have a steam pocket somewhere however if the above process does not work then you need to inspect further.
Purging air is very easy. Pull upper hose from radiator, raise it up reasonably high and fill with water until it comes out radiator (leave surge tank cap off). Re-attach hose and top off at surge tank. Jack up right front corner of car and run motor to full operating temp for a few minutes. Add water as needed. The system itself is setup to be self-purging, but the above makes the process faster.
To me it sounds like you may have a steam pocket somewhere however if the above process does not work then you need to inspect further.
The plugs all looked normal and I was hoping to get it wrapped up last night for a track weekend but I tore two wires getting them off to inspect. So now the urgency is over and I'll have all weekend to figure it out.