How do I know if I need a new head gasket?

If this is a V-6 it is almost certainly a head gasket. But pressurizing the cylinders (with an air hose through the spark plug holes) with the rad. cap off should prove it. If you see bubbles in the coolant while pressurizing a cylinder then that's the issue.

good luck

nate

Well, yeah, if it's a '98 Taurus, there's a 99% chance that it has a V6 engine in it. It either has the V6 or the SHO V8 and the poster probably would have mentioned it if it was the SHO 32 valve V8. Now, if you are referring to the 3.8 that is notorius for head gasket problems, it was last used in 95 in a Ford Taurus. The 3.0 engine that this car most likely has has very few head gasket problems, but in this case might very well be the problem. I

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There is a chemical "kit" that can detect exhuast gas's inside the radiator. ANY.....decent garage should be familiar with it's availabiltiy and how to use it.....not to mention....should already own the kit. I paid around $45 for mine about 15 years ago.....the chemical that you use in it is readily available through NAPA.

It resembles a bigass Turkey baster, made out of glass. Pour the chemical liquid into it, it seals against the radiator cap opening, squeeze the bulb on the top of it to draw in air......if ANY exhaust gas is in the radiator......the fluid turns colors. Fact, not fiction.

anywhooooo....... NOTHING....is gonna gaurantee any exhaust gas entering the radiator....is because of a bad headgasket.

Heads.......crack.

and.......yuh gotta yank that sucker to be sure!!

:)

~:~ mm ~:~

get a cooling system pressure tester. i don't have one but i have seen one used. they take off the radiator cap and attach the pressure tester. pump it up and leave it. come back a little while later to see if the pressure dropped. if the pressure drops you have an coolant leak somewhere. it may or may not be a head gasket.

I can't comment on whether or not it's a head gasket - I'm just a DIYer, and a GM guy, so no experience with Tauruses.

What I can comment is the Pandora's box - your mechanic is worried that once he starts a major $$$ repair like a head gasket, he's going to find the total price is actually 2x$$$ or even 4x$$$ because of the mileage and/or the internal coolant leakage. Coolant kills bearings. 100,000 miles = maybe new rings, maybe needs a valve job, maybe a timing chain, etc etc.... before you know it, it's a $2500 repair and you're freaking out. He's "not wanting to go there" if you know what I mean. My mother had an 86 Hyundai with a nasty oil leak way back when and no one would touch it - it was leaking from the edge of the head, and they were concerned that either the block or head was cracked or warped and that she'd be effectively looking at a total engine overhaul on what was then a $500 car. (FWIW, I didn't want to touch it either because I'm a GM guy and I'm not a machine shop so I couldn't even measure the heads or block to tell if they were warped.)

Ray

If its a 3.0 these vintage units had problems with the water pump impellers getting eaten away. I am amazed that not one of your mechanics suggested changing the water pump out.

Its not unheard of for a 3.0 to break a head bolt and cause a head gasket leak.

If it is a head gasket, a inspection of the spark plugs would relieve one or two that are much cleaner than the others from being "steam cleaned".

Bob

irishgirl1957 wrote:

There are so many different engines over the years and some of them have these inherent problems that you mentioned.

Wonder if there is a website that categorizes them for each make and generation?

If not, someone should start one.

i posted an answer and it didn't show up. whats wrong? any way i suggested that you pressure test the cooling system.

I see it fine.

You are on the Google groups way of getting newsgroups, not directly on Usenet. They can sometimes take a day to update their Usenet feed.

Mike

To me it sounds like you have only one problem, no heat, since the first mech seems to have taken care of the coolant loss seeing how you no longer have the problem. This could be something as simple as a faulty heater valve or control cable/vacuum line that operates it. As far as there being a head gasket or other similar problem there is only one test you need to perform which is something we here in Australia refer to as a TK test which tests for the presence of exhaust gasses in the cooling system, if there are gasses there then it most certainly indicates a head to block sealing issue (blown gasket/cracked/warped head).

It's jest as likely that he would "probably" have said it was a V6 as it was probable that he would have "probably" said it was a SHO V8........ probably.

anywhooo....... you're wrong on yer numbers.......the chance that it's a V6 is

~:~ marsh ~sips his mushroomtea......man.....i'm good~ ~:~

If this doesnt show a leak, it does not mean that you may not have a problem. Some leaks open up when the engine is hot and under pressure. Still, it is a cheap test and worth the effort.