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Is This A Blown Head Gasket


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ratrace2
User

Jan 10, 2012, 4:47 PM

Post #1 of 18 (2722 views)
  post locked   Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

Hello All,

Well, a buddy of mine has a 1993 accura Legend and the motor always overheats. BOOOOOHOOOOOO....

Now, being the friend that I am I told him that I would help......BOOOO Hooooooooo.....


OK, I thought it was a bad head gasket because it was overheating and seemed to run fine. I then
did a compression test on all six cylinders and here is what it said.

Cyl 1: 180 psi
Cyl 2: 180 psi
Cyl 3: 150 psi

Cyl 4: 179 psi
Cyl 5: 180 Psi
Cyl 6: 180 psi...

OK, Now I'm thinking, this is not a bad head gasket....

Could it just be a cooling problem that keeps the car overheating OR, should I do a Leak-Down Test........

P.s.: I did a "Block Test" with the test tube and the blue fluid that is supposed to turn yellow/green if there is exhaust in the radiator.....it was negative...no exhaust...


Anyone have the "end all " test for a bad head gasket.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jan 10, 2012, 4:57 PM

Post #2 of 18 (2713 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

None of the testing you did is conclusive.

The "end all" would be using an exhaust analyzer to sniff the coolant at the cap but I doubt you have one of those.

Here are some of the things we do.

  1. Remove all the spark plug and pressure test the cooling system. Hold it under pressure and see if it maintains or drops pressure. Do this long enough to try to accumulate some coolant in the cylinder so you can spin the motor and see if anything spits out.
  2. Start the engine after it was shut down hot and then cooled down. Walk around to the tailpipe and smell the fumes to see if you get any coolant odor near the back of the car.
  3. Look closely at the plugs you removed for any that seem to be "washed" clean.




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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



ratrace2
User

Jan 10, 2012, 5:15 PM

Post #3 of 18 (2693 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

I'll try all of that..............thanks.................


Hammer Time
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Jan 10, 2012, 5:21 PM

Post #4 of 18 (2688 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

A couple things I left out.........

Run the engine at idle with the radiator cap off and look for any bubbles coming up on a continuous basis, probably worse as the engine temp rises.

If the engine continues to consume coolant with no external explanation for the loss.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



ratrace2
User

Jan 10, 2012, 5:34 PM

Post #5 of 18 (2682 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

OK, I'll do that.................I'm going to pressureize the water jackets too........see if they pump out some water.

I have thought about a "leak down test" and what it might show..........



Also, Do you know how to set up a timing light to test the timing on these 93 accura Legends?
I have the book and read the procedure but I don't get what the heck they are saying.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jan 10, 2012, 5:47 PM

Post #6 of 18 (2674 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

You could pressurize the cylinder and leave the radiator cap off to watch for bubbles.

There is no reason to mess with the timing. This is an electronic adjustment without a distributor.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
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Jan 11, 2012, 4:02 AM

Post #7 of 18 (2648 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  


In Reply To
OK, I'll do that.................I'm going to pressureize the water jackets too........see if they pump out some water.

I have thought about a "leak down test" and what it might show..........

Pressure testing from rad cap pressurises water jacket too and everything that would be under cap's pressure. Can't do water jackets separately, T



Discretesignals
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Discretesignals profile image

Jan 11, 2012, 5:52 AM

Post #8 of 18 (2635 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

Does it overheat while your at cruising speeds or just at stops?





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.


ratrace2
User

Jan 11, 2012, 6:03 PM

Post #9 of 18 (2605 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

the owner, brought the car to my house a couple of weeks ago after a short drive (10 miles "I guess") complaining that it was overheating.

I'm going to treat the problem as an "over heat" cooling problem until I find evidence to prove otherwise.
I'll:
pull the thermostat, test the water pump, run current to the fans, check for blockage in the heater core and the radiator........




________________________________________-

P.s. HammerTime:

The timing is adjustable on the pre-ODBII 1993 Acura Legends (Haynes manual), because it is listed as a cause--in the troubleshooting section--of engine overheating..................................Crazy......


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jan 11, 2012, 6:32 PM

Post #10 of 18 (2602 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

I know it's adjustable but it's not mechanical, it's electronic and there is no reason to suspect an issue with it so don't create one.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



ratrace2
User

Jan 11, 2012, 6:58 PM

Post #11 of 18 (2595 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

..........O.K.


ratrace2
User

Jan 14, 2012, 12:16 PM

Post #12 of 18 (2565 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

OK,

I put the "cooling system pressure tester" on the car and a couple of things happened.

1. the pressure needle--I noticed for a brief moment--was bounding a few pounds of pressure.
2. When I started the car without the radiator cap on it sprayed anti-freeze all over the front of the car.
3. A steady cloud--and I mean cloud--of white smoke, that puddles into clear water, comes out of the tail pipe.


But, it didn't over heat.................


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jan 14, 2012, 1:17 PM

Post #13 of 18 (2555 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

OH, it's blown.... big time.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



ratrace2
User

Jan 14, 2012, 3:28 PM

Post #14 of 18 (2547 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

Yea, she is a Blown.

OK, the fix.
Oh about we get a couple of head gaskets and swap them out.....Ta Da....New head gaskets...........

Anybody like that Idea????? Hum????




______________________________________________________
FYI: I updated my "chrome flakes in the oil pan" thread.....Bad Cam.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jan 14, 2012, 3:43 PM

Post #15 of 18 (2541 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

Forget it. Pull the heads and send them out to the machine shop for pressure testing and planing. You may need new head bolts also.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



ratrace2
User

Jan 14, 2012, 4:57 PM

Post #16 of 18 (2534 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

OK,........................................


ratrace2
User

Feb 2, 2012, 6:23 PM

Post #17 of 18 (2430 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

Well, we got the heads off and they are "shot".

There is deterioration all around the area of the water jackets...........like.......about ........... (.25)........yea a quarter of an inch deep................


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 2, 2012, 6:26 PM

Post #18 of 18 (2426 views)
  post locked   Re: Is This A Blown Head Gasket  

We can't keep 2 threads open on the same subject. I'm locking this one



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







 
 
 






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