Think I may have a head gasket problem...

[thegipper]

So I was loosing coolant and found my water pump was leaking. Before I dove in to that job, I bought one of those blue dye testers for cheaking for a leaking head gasket. I didn't want to do a TB job only to find out I also had a head gasket leak. I did the test and the dye stayed perfectly blue, sweet...

I did the whole timing belt job and waterpump and I thought my coolant loss problem was gone.

For the last couple weeks, I've been having to add a little bit of coolant here and there to the reservoir (maybe a half inch in the bottle). I thought it was probably just air escaping since I wasn't adding a lot.

I've also had a "rough" engine feel on cold start ups for about the same time I've been loosing coolant. Usually within 10 seconds or so, it's running fine. It was never major but I could notice it was struggling a bit.

Today, it was running a little worse than normal on a cold start up but it actually through a code (P0303 misfire on cylinder 3). After about 10 seconds, it was idling fine and I cleared the code (never came back on).

when I got home, I decide to pull the spark plug on cylinder number 3. I replaced the spark plugs about a year ago. The plug looked pretty dang clean (not good). I then pulled out my video borescope and took a look in the cylinder. The top of the piston was also very clean (also not good).

Just for reference I pulled the two other plugs on that side. One spark plug looked about the same, the other was a little dirtier. But, the tops of the pistons were all full of carbon like they should be. Not good....

I tried doing the blue dye tester again and AGAIN it stayed perfectly blue. To make sure I didn't have some bad dye, I put it by the exhaust and it instantly turned yellow.

So in totality, I'm slowing loosing coolant, I'm having a rough idle on start ups and my spark plug and cylinder #3 are cleaner than they should be. I don't have white smoke billowing out of the exhaust but there is "steam" which goes away after a few minutes (condensation?). It doesn't smell sweet or anything so its hard to say.

So.....I'm pretty sure I have a minor head gasket leak.

I seriously considering putting a can (maybe half can) of blue devil in it and see what happens.

Worse can scenario I have a spare engine I can swap in but I REALLY REALLY don't want to do that if I don't have to. I have very little free time with two small kids.

Thoughts?

 

[thegipper]

Spark plug from the questionable cylinder (#3) on the right.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Scramble]

aw man, I hope not...

 

[thegipper]

Yeah me too but I thinks it's reality at this point.

Especially since I just put 300 bucks worth of parts on this engine....

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Mark_BC]

Uh-oh spaghetti-o... More of a problem because you don't have lots of time. A head gasket job doesn't look too hard, just a lot of stuff to take off and put back on.

I just got an exhaust tester for coolant but I haven't tried it yet, I suspect a head gasket problem on my mom's runner because it overheated. There is white exhaust but the coolant level doesn't seem to be going down but to be fair I haven't been driving it much.

Have you done a compression test?

 

[thegipper]

No compression test yet. Ran out of time.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[2016 4Runner SR5]

Have you looked at your engine oil? Milky or clean? How about a compression test on each cylinder?

 

[T4R2014]

It is leaking. I'm just not into those sealers. It's going to get in your heater core, radiator, hoses, etc. You could give a head gasket job a shot if you want to DIY. There's a nice video on Youtube of how to do it.

 

[thegipper]

If the blue devil doesn't work, I have another engine to swap in from my 99 parts rig.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[thegipper]

Oil looks fine

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[BrianSD_42]

Year and miles?

How long have you owned it?

If you can do the timing belt yourself perhaps you can swap the heads yourself ... Definitely was above my skill levels.

 

[thegipper]

I'm not interested in swapping heads, I'd rather swap motors.

It's a 97 SR5 with 216k miles. The 99 donor rig has 203k miles but it ran great before I started stealing everything off of it (bought it for the tranny from a member on here).

 

[LittleCaesar]

Good luck. I would say try the Blue Devil but just be ready to pull the heater core if you want heat in the winter.

With that said I would just go ahead and park it until you have the time for the swap.

Do you have a leak down tester by chance? Can't remember.

Having replaced a few heads in my time (actually presently helping someone pull heads on a Dodge Cummins 6.7) doing such with this engine in the body doesn't look too bad.

Did your brother ever let it overheat?

 

[thegipper]

Good luck. I would say try the Blue Devil but just be ready to pull the heater core if you want heat in the winter.

With that said I would just go ahead and park it until you have the time for the swap.

Do you have a leak down tester by chance? Can't remember.

Having replaced a few heads in my time (actually presently helping someone pull heads on a Dodge Cummins 6.7) doing such with this engine in the body doesn't look too bad.

Did your brother ever let it overheat?

From my understanding, the blue devil stuff isn't the same as other headgasket sealers that contain solid material and isn't epoxy based. It stays a liquid unless its exposed to combustion gases.

To be safe, I could bypass the heater core if I use the blue devil stuff and after a week or so, flush the cooling system and hook it back up.

Or, just swap engines but I really don't want to do that quite yet.

Oh and yes, my brother overheated it big time when he got the pink milk shake. I knew this full well when I got it from him but everything was fine, that was about 20k miles ago.

 

[thegipper]

I have a compression tester kit but no leak down tester.

The number 3 cylinder is most definitely washed out. I can read the big "A" on top of the piston in that cylinder. Cylinders number 1 and 6 are all full of black carbon on the tops of the pistons.

The only logical explanation for that and the fact that I'm still having to add coolant (and a misfire now on #3) is a blown head gasket.

 

[LittleCaesar]

Having watched the East Bound and Down boys of the South use Blue Devil on a somewhat regular basis, do bypass the heater core if you use it. It is bought frequently enough to where it doesn't gather dust on the shelf at the local Advance Auto.

No need for a leak down test if you know where it is going.

I am somewhat amazed though that no gas showed up in the test.

 

[thegipper]

That is what has me puzzled.

When I did the dye test again yesterday, in the instructions it has you rev up the engine a dozen or so times while pumping the bulb. It was kind of hard to do myself but what I did notice was when I revved it up pretty high, a small amount of coolant shot out of the radiator. Perhaps that was a small amount of combustion gases but again, it was hard for me to pump the bulb while revving it up.

It's like the leak is so minor that it only does it for 15 seconds or so at start up. When I did the first dye test, the motor was cold though and it still didn't turn the dye green/yellow?

I don't want to do anything on a whim. It's not my DD so I can take my time and make an informed decision.

I just don't know how it could be anything other than a headgasket with a washed out #3 cylinder.

If I go the blue devil route, I would certainly bypass the heater core. If it works, I'd drain the coolant, flush the system and put new coolant back in and hook the heater core back up.

If it doesn't work, I'm in the same boat (heater core won't be clogged) and need to swap engines. If it doesn't work and clogs things up, the engine is already toast. Maybe the radiator would get messed up but nothing a 100 bucks couldn't fix.

 

[LittleCaesar]

Sometimes it is hard not to start overanalyzing things, especially with auto repair, but knowing you have most of the classic symptoms of a small HG leak, then it is what it is.

With the leak down test cold you may hear some air escaping through the exhaust, since that is where the dye turned yellow. Maybe, maybe not.

Keep posting any updates.

 

[thegipper]

Any suggestions on how to bypass the heater core? Do I just complete the loop on the two lines that go into the core and put plugs on the heater core fittings?

 

[sakoluvr]

I am wondering if you can just put the heater on the cool setting. Same with rear heater if you have one.