Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 23:34:33 GMT From: palmierinopsament.umass.edu (Stephen Palmieri) Subject: Re: They say I blew my head gasket!!!!!
On Wed, 4 Nov 1998 16:46:06 -0500, "Larry Tobin" <tobljtnopsamnt.ca> wrote: Also, have a look at the spark plugs, if one or two of them seem a lot cleaner then the others, it's a good bet you have coolent leaking into those cylinders. > >Bob Charlap wrote in message ... >>So They say I blew my head gasket!!!!! >> >>My 1988 900T overheats within 3 miles and lots of steam starts pouring >>out from under the hood! My local mechanic (Dallas,Texas) said he was >>sure it was a head gasket and I would be screwed to the tune of at a >>minimum $1000.00 (OUCH!) >> >>Before I take it to the one and only SAAB dealership and shell out the >>big bucks next week anybody have any suggestions? >> >>Thanks, >> >>Bob >>bob2nopsamie.com >> >If your car is leaking that bad it should be easy to see where the leak is >as the coolant is green and tastes sweet "for those who dare lick their >fingers". There are a few basic checks that anyone can do. First you can >have the system pressure tested. A hand pump is inserted at radiator cap and >system is pumped up to around 30-40 lbs. If it holds steady, there are no >leaks in the system. You can do a compression test on the cylinders. Low >pressure on 2 adjacent cylinders usually means a bad head gasket between the >cylinders. Another indication of a bad head gasket is water in the oil. The >oil will turn a whitish grey and the oil filler cap will collect a lot of >condensation and sludge. If your coolant level is always dropping and >nothing is leaking onto your driveway or into your oil pan then it may be >leaking into the cylinders, in which case it will come out the tail pipe as >one great cloud of steam as you drive down the highway. In 25 years of >driving, I have never seen a cloud of steam under the hood as a result of a >bad head gasket. It is usually the result of overheating(boiling over). >If you have let your engine boil over or run dry, you can cause the head to >warp and blow the head gasket. You can also burn or warp the valves. A new >head gasket will not last long on a warped head and a new head will cost >$$$$$$$$$. >Final note: Ocassionaly a leak will not show up until the components reach >full operating temp and everything starts to expand etc. Good luck, hope I >didnt scare you ! > >
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