Blown? Get Head?

Blown head gasket or air in cooling system?

My car is ill, and I cannot diagnose its problem. So here are the symptoms:

When sitting at idle there is an obvious bubbling coming from the coolant reservoir. My initial reaction was to drain the fluid and replace the thermostat. In circumspect I now realize that the temperature gauge never raised significantly as it surely would have had the thermostat been the problem. My radiator fluid was new, and I replaced the water pump four months ago. I know that my cam seals are going bad and therefore leaking oil. Is it possible that the oil leaked onto the water pump seal causing failure and in turn causing air to surge into the overflow tank?
I am about to start my residency and am therefore limited in both time and money (especially money). I know that a blown head gasket is expensive to have replaced, but even more I know that I cannot do it myself. This being the worst-case scenario I may be riding a bike for the next five years. Any advice/information will be GREATLY appreciated. You all should be ashamed for thinking what you were when you read this thread's title.

[UberRoo]

Unfortunately, I think your intuition is correct. Exact symptoms of a blown head gasket. When the engine is cold, start it and remove the radiator cap. If you see a steady stream of bubbles, you're in luck - I mean, darn - it's definitely a head gasket. This test is much less reliable when the engine is warm.

There is a kit many auto parts stores carry that will confirm exhaust gasses in the coolant. Dip the Q-Tip in the coolant, put a drop of their special juice on it, see if it changes colors - that sort of thing. I'm not sure how much the kit is - cheaper than an unnecessary head gasket change no doubt.

The other test is to pull the spark plugs and blow compressed air into them to see if bubbles rise from the radiator cap. (This is normally done by a shop because the tool is a little pricey.) Normally this test is called a leakdown test and it's used to see if your cylinders are capable of good compression, but it also exposes leaky head gaskets. The side effect in your case is that it's a wonderful way of showing the condition of your engine cylinders, pistons, rings, and valves. It tells you things you won't find out even by pulling the head.

...but I digress. If you want to be certain, either of the latter two tests are sure-fire. I've never seen an occasion where the first test wasn't accurate, but if I tell you it's infallible, Murphy's law takes affect.

[svxsubaru1]

I know its not the best way to fix a blown head gasket but some sort of stop leak may be able to fix it, at least for a while. I have used it in a K car and have had mixed results but every time it at least slowed down the leak.

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by svxsubaru1
I know its not the best way to fix a blown head gasket but some sort of stop leak may be able to fix it, at least for a while. I have used it in a K car and have had mixed results but every time it at least slowed down the leak.

I don't think you'd have much luck with this at all. Radiator 'stop-leak' liquids work by depositing some sort of sealant around a hole as the coolant leaks out. As the coolant and the additive you put in dries around the hole, it deposits a sediment that eventually clogs the hole. It's sort of like a scab.

But leaks in head gaskets are a more serious affair because of what a head gasket does. Instead of just keeping the coolant inside a system and away from the outside world, a head gasket (among other things) keeps very different environments (coolant passages, oil passages and the combustion chambers) separate.

Whether coolant is being forced into the combustion chambers or exhaust gases are being forced into the cooling system, radiator stop-leak will do very little, if nothing, to prevent further damage.

Orthopod, it sounds to me like one of your head gaskets is blown. By all means have somebody look at the car and find out definitively, but that's what I think. The longer you let it go the more likely you'll warp the head on the bad side and that's going to be way more expensive.

I think you have a tough decision on your hands.

[svx_commuter]

Oh I am so concerned about the head gasket leak. I too had that problem at one time and replaced my engine with a used one. It was the least cost / less downtime choice.

A fellow co-worker has recently received a recall on his 2.5 engine. Subaru is adding a coolant system conditioner to help seal head gasket leaks. Maybe you could try that first?

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by svx_commuter
Oh I am so concerned about the head gasket leak. I too had that problem at one time and replaced my engine with a used one. It was the least cost / less downtime choice.

A fellow co-worker has recently received a recall on his 2.5 engine. Subaru is adding a coolant system conditioner to help seal head gasket leaks. Maybe you could try that first?

Well that totally blows away my previous post. Yeah, by all means, give that a try. It probably won't hurt.

[svxsubaru1]

Yeah I aculy think subaru put out the haed gasket stop leak stuff for external leaks ( heads leaking radiator fluid out of the engine) not internal leaks but i would give it a try.

Thank you all very much for your replies. I will try to locate some of the stop leak and postpone the stagnation of my vehicle. If it actually works I will let you know.

[CDG]

Just a quick question, you stated that you see bubbles from the radiator reservoir, not the rad itself???
If its just the reservoir, then try a new rad cap. If its the radiator, then think Head gasket.

Yes, Subaru does have a stop leak that we are installing as a Service Campaign (NOT a recall) for certain 1999-2002 vehicles. We've done a ton of them so far, but it's too early to tell how well it works. I don't think your local dealer will sell you any though because we have to save them for the campaign cars, and at the moment there isn't a ton of this stuff around. Doesn't hurt to try though....




Dave

[Amazonparrot]

shocked acutually that someone didnt recognize the gutter minded potential of the Thread title "Blown? Get Head?" It sounds like a perverted ad...mwuahah. Sorry, I just laughed when i saw it, but i knew better than to assume what the content was. LOL

YES! please check the radiator, not the puke tank-er coolant reservoir.

You mentioned new coolant and thermostat replaced... better make sure you are not just seeing air purge as the system starts to warm up. Also, if there is a slow leak (water pump mentioned) on cool down you may be sucking air back into the system when it cools down rather than water back from the puke tank. (that's twice) That could be the source of the air in the system.

I'm not real fond of the stop leak stuff for a HG leak. (actually for any leak)

Here to hoping it isn't a HG.
-S

First off THANK YOU CDG, and PAXTON71!!! After checking the radiator and seeing nothing but normal circulation I was able to pinpoint the air leakage to a faulty line running from the radiator cap. I’m sorry I took so long to post a response to this problem but I have been very preoccupied. I finally found out that I am moving to Chattanooga for the next four years!!! I wish I could use this forum for patient consultations. Do any of you feel up to providing unbiased medical advice? If it weren’t for HIPPA maybe a forum such as this could be started for medical consultations. Then there would actually be a valid excise for excessive office visit wait time... " Umm I’m sorry Sir, I had to wait for a response from my online discussion page...” Well maybe not. Anyway thank you to all who responded to this.

[svx_commuter]

That's good you found the leak

I belong to Lyme Disease forum. It is the closest thing to what you were looking for that I know of.

I had once upon a time dropped my radiator and cleaned it, and i must have gotten distracted and didnt rinse it out, well the motion of a water pump had me bubbling so bad, it was kinda funny...after fixing that, I didnt know the overflow caps were special and would only function properly when placed a certain way, of course i put mine in upside down, my car would spit out all its coolant onto the road from the overflow....


=)