Yes, i did an extensive search and basically everything points towards a blown headgasket. A friend of mine has a turbocharged Si and is having problems with his coolant dumping into his reservoir. We replaced the radiator cap with a new one, flushed the system, and it remains dumping coolant into the overflow tank. In the radiator you can see there is a thin layer of oil and small oil bubbles in the coolant, however; there is no mixing of coolant in the oil. The oil looks pure, no milky substance present. When we let the car heat up without the cap on, i noticed small tiny bubbles rising to the top of the coolant, another sign of a blown headgaket. A compression test yielded: 165-163-175-162 on 9:1 compression. So his question is, how long can he safely drive this car without doing extensive damage to the motor? He wants to put it off for like 2 weeks so he can do this during thanksgiving holidays.

 

Honestly he should be ok, just NO boosting whatsoever, drive like grandpa mosses for those 2 weeks, and check oil/coolant regularly, and for excessive smoking from the tailpipe....

 

You know ive never had luck with compression tests, on his car its reading perfect everything is pointing towards a blown headgasket. Why is this?

 

Just because you have good compression, doesn't mean you don't have a blown headgasket.

 

Ive realized that. Ive done 3 compression tests on different cars and ive gotten good readings on all 3. But once the head was yanked.... well it was a complete different story from there. I think im ditching compression tests from now on, time to search up the "cylinder leak down test" those are way more accurate...


[Modified by GudeH23a, 11:02 PM 11/13/2002]

 

GUDEH23...

My motor was doing that same thing. Compression check was good and did everything you said you guys tried. I was left with no options but to change the headgasket. When i took it off i couldnt see anywhere that looked blown or appeared to be leaking, but put on the new gasket and she has been fine ever since.

 

You know i have YET to see a bad headgasket... does anyone have pictures of a blown one?

 

I had the same problem on my Si. I'm almost done! I'm putting an ARP head bolt this time, plus converting to OBD1 at the same time

 

Before you go ripping the headgasket out retorque the head. i bet you the head is loose on the block.

 

Yes, that is also an option to the matter. He used ARP head studs and says he did the proper 3 stage torque as well as the molylube. I havnt heard of ARP bolts backing out...

 

http://www.geocities.com/dsmgrrrl/FAQs/leakdown.htm

 

I have a brand new cometic HP headgasket for the vtec head...$85 shipped if you want it.

 

I just blew my headgasket on my ls huge white clouds come out of the exhaust and the engine bay everytime I start her up it sux.