> I know they can 'sniff' the air above the coolant to see if this is the
> case -- but I vaguely recall there was some homemade test that would do
> the same thing. Anyone know of one.
The tool the professionals use is only about $20-30 on eBay ...
The test without a special tool goes something like :
1) Disconnect fan belt/water pump drive.
2) Remove thermostat housing.
3) Fill system so water is very near top of opening in head.
4) Start cold engine.
5) Watch for bubbles to rise in opening in head.
6) Open throttle suddenly (and close it again quickly) to raise combustion
chamber temperatures, while still watching for bubbles.
7) Terminate test (shut engine off) within a minute or so (so that boiling
in the head doesn't give a false positive).
You can also try pressurizing each cylinder in turn with shop air, but it's
been my experience that it takes a pretty severe leak to show up this way.
'Normal' combustion chamber pressures are much higher than the average air
compressor can manage.
Randall
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