did i blow a head gasket?
05-09-2008, 09:44 AM
#1
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 671
did i blow a head gasket?
alright guys i figured i'd post in here about this since theres more 5.0 guys obviously.
what i'm going on about is, i have a 289 (technically not a 5.0 but neither is the 302
) anyway, i got a brand new radiator, brand new 165 thermostat, high vol water pump, new cap, and a taurus fan. the car likes to run at like 190-200F all the time now and i keep losing water from the radiator. every time i get done driving it and i go to check it, it's low.
the car doesn't seem like it's lost any power, and the oil pressure is fantastic, 80psi down to 40 when at idle etc. i don't have any smoke, the oil isn't milky so i'm stumped. do i have a blown head gasket or do i have a cracked head? what's the easiest way to check? obviously for the head gasket i can just pull the heads and physically look at them. all i know is cruising down the interstate at like 70mph it heats up to like 210 and just stays there. any help is appreciated.
what i'm going on about is, i have a 289 (technically not a 5.0 but neither is the 302
) anyway, i got a brand new radiator, brand new 165 thermostat, high vol water pump, new cap, and a taurus fan. the car likes to run at like 190-200F all the time now and i keep losing water from the radiator. every time i get done driving it and i go to check it, it's low. the car doesn't seem like it's lost any power, and the oil pressure is fantastic, 80psi down to 40 when at idle etc. i don't have any smoke, the oil isn't milky so i'm stumped. do i have a blown head gasket or do i have a cracked head? what's the easiest way to check? obviously for the head gasket i can just pull the heads and physically look at them. all i know is cruising down the interstate at like 70mph it heats up to like 210 and just stays there. any help is appreciated.
05-09-2008, 10:19 AM
#2
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Haverhill, MA
Posts: 3,664
RE: did i blow a head gasket?
sounds to me like there may be an air pocket or blockage in the cooling passages.
maybe thermostat was put in backwards?
easiest way to test head gasket is do a compression test on all cylinders
maybe thermostat was put in backwards?
easiest way to test head gasket is do a compression test on all cylinders
05-09-2008, 10:52 AM
#3
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 671
RE: did i blow a head gasket?
nah i doubt the thermostat was put in backwards but there could be a blockage that i never knew about, but i'm kind of doubting on that one too since we completely tore the motor down, bored it out, rebuilt it etc - and everything else is new. i guess i'll do a compression test, i just don't know what the #'s should read.
05-09-2008, 11:33 AM
#6
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Ft Worth, TX
Posts: 346
RE: did i blow a head gasket?
Coolant doesn't just disappear..... you either have a leak, or it is burning away. Do the compression test but you should be able to see the plugs as well when you pull them out. If it all checks out place a large piece of cardboard under the car and run it at 3 grand for a few minutes and check the cardboard for wet spots.
05-09-2008, 01:24 PM
#10
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Warner Robins,GA
Posts: 2,872
RE: did i blow a head gasket?
Check your weep holes on the water pump. It's very common and often overlooked. I know it's new but that doesn't mean it's perfect. It happened to me, i kept loosing coolant and getting hot. I could not see where it was coming from. Drove it to work and went back out to the parking lot and noticed a tiny puddle and finally saw where it was coming from.