PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

If I had a blown head gasket, would I notice a drop in oil level over time? I was having a problem with the coolant in my overflow tank "disappearing" and was trying to make sure I don't have a blown head gasket, and I don't have a compression tester.

I did check my oil level today, the last time I changed it was about a month (2000 miles) ago, and the oil level is still at the very top hole on the dip stick. I'm thinking that pretty much rules out the possibility of a blown head gasket, correct?

PM-Performance

i dont think so , usually when the headgasket is gone it will leak out coolant , the poil shoud be unaffected, loss of oil could be bad oil pan gasket or bad cam seals, ofr bad valve cover gasket
or just plain burning oil .
hope this helps for future refernces

fivespeedintegra

i had a car that cracked a head gasket.....it leaked oil down the side like CRAZY (a quart every 60-100 miles). coolant remained fine though.

PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

okay that makes me feel better, since I have no oil loss whatsoever.

Turbo'dMex-A-Keen

It just depends on what area your head gasket cracks in.

mickey513

DEPNEDS on where it leaks. A sign of coolant lost is can also be a sign of a blown headgasket. But to be on the safe side, I would check your hoses, radiator cap and compression test your radiator if possible for leaks. Best though is to buy a compression checker. I just picked one up from Sears this weekend for $24.99. I was going to perform a compression check on my 94gsr but my stupid starter decide to die on me.


[Modified by mickey513, 12:22 AM 3/5/2003]

Brian_TII

Compression test won't ALWAYS show the problem. Sometimes it's just hard to tell if it is a bad headgasket or not. I would look at your spark plugs to see if they have any white deposits on them, also if you have easy access to your exhaust manifold you would likely see some white deposits on the tops of your exahust valves and possibly within the exhaust itself.

Honestly it does not sound like you have a bad headgasket to me, I would look at the water pump and around your hoses for white / green crusty deposits. You don't have to have a drip to have a very small leak. You also may want to look at the bottom of your radiator where the drain petcock is located, I had to replace the o-ring on my drain. It was a VERY small leak... (hardly any noticible coolant loss)

Edit: One more thing, in my experience blow head gaskets on nearly stock cars are almost always caused by over heating... if your car has never overheated... I would be VERY surprised to see a blown head gasket.


[Modified by Brian_TII, 7:33 PM 3/5/2003]

Goldfingiz

yes sir, it would

Mr.Integra

blown headgasket would result in loss of coolant

loss in oil results in worn rings

compression test doens't always tell the whole story

a leakdown test will tell you if you really have a problem