Engine problem troubleshooting?

[Keith Christianson]

I recently took a trip over the mountains my 1990 4Runner 4 cyl, about half way through the trip the engine began experiencing power loss as if the clutch were slipping and it was overheating badly. I rolled in to town and was told that the head gasket had probably blown due to me pushing it so hard up the mountains and not checking the engine temp. Can anyone help me figure out what might be the problem here?

 

[SV_Dude]

Overheating is not necessarily due to a head gasket, however it is guaranteed to be from some sort of coolant issue Check your coolant level, if you blew your head gasket there is a good chance you'll be low on coolant. Also, check for coolant leaks around the upper and lower radiator hoses. Old hoses can get brittle and crack, especially when a lot of hot fluids are being pushed through them for long periods of time.
To tell if your head gasket is bad, do the following:

If it is bad, you can try this (I have never done it so I'm not sure if it works though):

FYI: youtube and google can be your best friends for stuff like this. Lots of info on the web

Good luck!

 

[GonOvr]

Scotty Kilmer is SOOO RAD!!!