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In an internal combustion engine, what are the main symptems of blown head gasket, and how can be sure the gasket is damage without openining head?

If an internal combustion engine is over heated by any other reason, the thermal expansion between the head and block will litterally crush the armour of the gasket around few cylinders especially the center ones because more heat generates at center.

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Question added by Sebastian Amar , Project in-charge, Kochi Metro , Addyuthiya power projects pvt ltd.
Date Posted: 2014/02/26
sateesh kondaveti
by sateesh kondaveti , Good position , Operational Energy Group India Pvt Ltd

Overheating engine

time pired (gasket life time pired)

How To Tell if a Head Gasket Is Blown:
  • Coolant leaking externally from below the exhaust manifold
  • White smoke from the exhaust pipe
  • Bubbles in the radiator or coolant overflow tank
  • Overheating engine
  • White milky oil
  • Fouled spark plugs
  • Low cooling system integrity

External Head Gasket Leak

A head gasket leaking external would cause coolant to come from below the exhaust manifold and often only happens when the engine is completely warmed up.  If there are no other cooling passages or hoses near the head gasket you may be able to positively identify the leak as a head gasket leak, but if there are other cooling passages nearby, a cooling system pressure test with dye in the coolant may be the best way to identify the leak.

White Smoke From Tailpipe

Most head gasket leaks are internal to the engine allowing coolant to flow into the combustion chamber on every intake stroke.  When this happens to coolant burns/evaporates with the combustion process and appears as white smoke coming from the tailpipe.  This smoke can be differentiated from moisture during a cold start by a sweet smell and will continue even when the engine is warm.

Bubbles in the Radiator

The same problem can cause bubbles to be in the radiator or coolant reservoir making the coolant look like it’s boiling even when it’s cold.  The bubbles are exhaust gases that force their way into the cooling system during the combustion process.  You can perform a chemical test on your coolant to check for the presence of exhaust gases to see if this is happening in your car and is a positive sign of a blown head gasket.

Overheating Engine

If you’ve got a blown head gasket, your engine usually will overheat after longer drives.  This happens both due to the lack of coolant as your engine consumes it, but also the efficient combustion process, the excess heat from the exhaust in the coolant and the inability of your vehicle’s radiator to cool the dirty coolant.

White or Milky Oil

As coolant leaks into your combustion chamber, it will seep past your piston rings into your oil.  Over time oil and water will mix and cause the oil to turn a milky white.  You can look for this on your dipstick and around your engine oil cap.

Fouled Spark Plug

As coolant burns in your combustion chamber, it will leave tiny white deposits on your spark plug usually around the ground strap and electrode.  Other problems can cause these white deposits so this isn’t a conclusive blown head gasket symptom but if others are present it could give you more proof.

Low Cooling System Integrity

If there is a leak from your head gasket, pressurizing your cooling system and watching for pressure loss can help prove you have a blown head gasket as well.  Since there could be other leaks you don’t know about, this also isn’t a conclusive test, but again just more indications that you may have a blown head gasket.

Lebbe Thamby Mohamed Haniff
by Lebbe Thamby Mohamed Haniff , Head Of Logistics , Qatari Diar Saudi Binladen Group (QD-SBG)

Overheated, Make sure gas leak into cooling system and open a radiator cap and watch while babel coming out.  

Sreenivasa Devajji
by Sreenivasa Devajji , Head - Electric Power, Oil & Gas, Marine & Projects , Gainwell Commosales Pvt Ltd

The most common symptoms are:

1.  Oil dilution (water mixing with Engine oil)

2.  Increase in Blow by gases from the crankcase as the compression gases leak into the cylinder block

3.  Loss in engine power 

 

Abdul Basith
by Abdul Basith , Mechanical foreman automobile , HBK ContractingCo,WLL Doh

The symptems of biown head gasket is. 1.pushing back coolant from the radiator cap.2.commpresson leakage from head gasket

Hisham Mohammed Mohammed Tolba Abdelmaksoud
by Hisham Mohammed Mohammed Tolba Abdelmaksoud , Contract & Project engineer , Egyptian electricity holding company

1- increasing engine temp (cooling system not  work good) it  leads to the gasket damaged

2- the cooler of cooling water and the engine oil is the same cooler (beige)

3- may be some oil leakage around the gasket

4- change in engine noise

5- the wariest case the engine temp. increased and the engine stop 

turki hussein
by turki hussein , mechanical automotive engineer , F.A.S.T. Automotive LLC

the2 main symptems of blown head gasket are

1. Coolant / Radiator fluid mixed with the engine oil causing the engine oil to be discolored and milky like consistency

2. Combustion gas entering the cooling system causing the radiator hose to swell up while engine is running.

If any engine is overheating 

1.check the thermostat first

2.check your radiator tanks temperatures. Must be the same when running 

3.check your oil level and viscosity if not mixing with water

4.check for any oil leaks because during overheating the oil boils also and builds pressure and force to escape. Through weakest point which are mainly seals and breathers 

6.the easiest. Way is it produces bibles to the expansion tank where water is reserved. For the radiator that is if. The gasket is blown between the water jackets. Holes to the cylinders

7.temperature will continue to rise even after radiator checking and thermostat. Then u can also say it's blown

Ahmed Salah Ahmed Abd-Gelil EL-Baaly
by Ahmed Salah Ahmed Abd-Gelil EL-Baaly , مهندس ميكانيكا , El-Mohandas International company & El- wahab Group Inter Bus Company

i can discover the gasket damaged without opening heat in case of founding the color of oilluibraction diffrent that means oils connected with water

when water connected with oil of lubrication we found the color of oil different in this case i knew the gasket damaged

Ramakrishnan Pattathil Menon
by Ramakrishnan Pattathil Menon , Territory Business Manager , Valvoline Cummins Ltd.

Oil leakage will be visible. In some cases you will also hear a wistling noice on account of compression leakage.

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