Hi. I find it easy to check for blown head gaskets when a running hot problem
arises. When car has sat for a
time remove the radiator cap and fill the radiator as full as possible
. Start the car and look for bubles in the radiator. Evon the smallest amount
of bubles indicates a blown head
gasket between combustion chamber and water jacket. I am of the opinion that
most wear on an engine is
before it reaches operating temperature, thus I always use a thermostat. It is
a good idea to locate a head
before changing a head gasket since there is a good possibility it may be
cracked. Adding water to a cooling
system, if hot, without the engine running is the best way to crack a head. The
hot combustion gases entering the
combustion chamber causes the engine to run hoter due to the extra heat in the
cooling system. Oil in the
coolant or coolant in the oil indicates the head gasket more than likely is
blown between oil and coolant
passage. Blocks have been known to cause this problem. I offer an exchange
service on heads and stock most
for the British cars. I repair cracked heads and blocks, aluminum or cast iron.
Thanks Walter.Menge@gte.net
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