Combustion leak test

[dmcindiana]

Hi, everyone. I am almost certainly looking at blown head gaskets, just in time for spring. Block Tester BT-500 kit on the way.

I was reading thru the instructions on their website. For those who've used this kit successfully, what is the trick? The instructions say tank cap off, warm, circulating, thermostat open. However every time I've gone thru a bleeding process and been anywhere close to a state where the thermostat is open, the coolant level is threatening to volcano such that maintaining the required separation between the tester bottom cap and the coolant level would be out of the question.

Does this kit in fact work with just a warm system with some flow from the engine return but without the thermostat open? Meaning after just 15 minutes or so. What's the earliest I can do the test and still get a reliable result?

Please take me thru what worked for you.

Danny

[WHO1DMC]

I've watched many videos on this and seen them test on a cold engine. I would suggest watching some videos if you haven't already. There's 100s.





Dave B.

[glockworks21]

cheap inspection camera in cylinders and crack drain plug for a second to see if oil is contaminated. both gave me obvious results.
That and the white smoke---fun times good luck

[David T]

Keep the level in the header tank about halfway full. Leave the cap off and warm the motor up. If the system is pressurizing so that you can't do the test, that alone is a real good indication you are getting combustion gasses/pressure into the cooling system. Another good test is to use a coolant pressure tester. Pump it up to about 5 psi and if you see the pressure climbing a lot with the motor running (more than just a few psi to account for the expansion of the coolant as it heats up) you have combustion gasses leaking into the coolant system. The only reason you would get combustion gasses into the coolant is if the motor was overheated and you popped a head gasket. Pull the cap on the oil fill. Look inside, there should be a plastic grid. if it melted, the motor overheated and you are going to do head gaskets. You can also pull the spark plugs and look for evidence of coolant burning in the combustion chamber. Not definitive but another data point. You can also do a compression test. Again, not definitive.If you pull the heads you should replace the water pump and all of the hoses under the intake manifold. To pull the heads you need the tool to hold the timing chain unless you pull the timing cover.

[dmcindiana]

Thanks for the responses, all. All I?m driving at is what?s the earliest point during warmup I can use the kit. Is warm coolant good enough, not necessarily hot.

Yes, every time I run the engine it?s just a total white haze. Like, it?s really unbelievable. Plus being trapped in the storage facility. Quite ridiculous.

David, the plastic screen on my car exited this world sometime before I had the car, so it?s been under stress and working its way to this point for years. However under my ownership it?s never overheated until this winter.

So will warm coolant do? Warm & swirly but not hot?

Danny