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How did you determine that it was a blown head gasket? Did you use a pressure based coolant tester? Second, would it be possible to re-torque the head gaskets if a pressure based test indicated coolant is escaping? If it’s just one cylinder then someone with a service manual can reply back if re-torquing on one or both cylinder heads is possibly a fix and whether it’s labor is what percentage of pulling the heads off?
Heat didn't work and I was burning coolant with immense amounts of smoke pouring out of my exhaust during cold start ups. Now, with the head gasket sealer, only normal amounts of smoke pour out in the winter. I have a photo. Also, I no longer burn coolant. I believe somehow the previous owner overheated the engine with no coolant. Before the sealer, If i didnt drive with the heat on, the coolant temp gauge would rise quickly. Ordered new radiator cap yesterday and it gets here friday. Hoping a broken spring was the cause and not something larger
So coolant never got into the oil and created a milk shake? I’ve seen blown head gaskets on the Cadillac NorthStar engines do the same thing. A pressure tester will also test your radiator cap. Does anyone have the procedure for testing head gaskets and is the Lexus tool any different than a normal pressure tester with varying adapters for cap & neck sizes?
Any cooling system pressure tester with the correct adapter will work. Depending on where a head gasket is leaking (blown) it will have different symptoms. If it just leaks between the combustion chamber and a water jacket you will notice water consumption and an overpressurized cooling system. You can usually smell the burned coolant in the exhaust and will be detected with a "block sniffer" test (it detects hydrocarbons in the cooling system). The oil system is unaffected. Another possibility is a leak between a water jacket and an oil return passage. This failure can't be diagnosed with a compression check. This failure will force water into the oil system as it is under pressure and the oil isn't. This can create "the milkshake" oil. If it's not severe you'll only notice the whiteish coolant residue on the underside of the oil fill cap. A third possibility is the gasket can leak between all 3 areas and can have a whole range of symptoms. Coolant usage, white stream/smoke out of the exhaust, milkshake oil, overpressurized cooling system, etc. A fourth possibility is a leak between two adjacent cylinders and can only be detected with a compression test.
To properly diagnose a blown head gasket a few tests should be done: cooling system pressure, block sniffer, oil cap check, compression check.
Another thing to keep in mind is a leaking gasket should be repaired asap. The forcefully transferred fluids can eventually wear a path into the block or head necessitating replacement. The "head gasket in a can" products basically gum everything up so you can plan on replacing the entire cooling system (radiator, heater core, water pump, thermostat, and possibly all of the hoses).
I have always changed my own oil. For this car i've done it about 3 or 4 times and have never noticed a "milkshake." The oil I always drain is black, normal smelling oil that doesn't look like it has water in it.
I have always changed my own oil. For this car i've done it about 3 or 4 times and have never noticed a "milkshake." The oil I always drain is black, normal smelling oil that doesn't look like it has water in it.
Head gaskets can leak in different ways. Some can cause oil / coolant to mix, others just cause coolant to be burned off creating smoke. It depends on where the leak is and what passages are affected. Compression testing and leak down testing can help to identify where the leak is.
I drove my wife's car for over 4 years with a coolant leak, topping up coolant every 1-2 weeks. There were no external leaks. We fixed the turbo due to another problem and it went away. Similar to you the oil and coolant never looked contaminated it just slowly lost coolant at a fairly steady rate. We still have the car after 8 years and it seems to be fine.
At this point, the worst that can happen is you need a new engine. You will probably need to budget $3-4k for the engine and installation. You can keep topping up the coolant and make sure it never runs dry and your car will probably be fine. In the mean time try and build up enough cash to pay for it if it does become a problem.
If it is indeed a head gasket - confirmed with testing. If you want to see how warped the head and block are, you can pull the cylinder heads and put a metal straightedge across the surface of the head and block. Then buy a feeler gauge with small shims and see what the largest gauge you can pass under the straightedge. That will also give you an indication of how much material you will need to mill off to make it flat.
My car was driven quite a bit with blown head gaskets. It never overheated and ran fine, just used water. Once you have a leak it is best to fix it as soon as possible as the water doesn't circulate near as well in a non-pressurized cooling system. Here's my thread on replacing my head gaskets. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ad-gasket.html
White smoke from the exhaust can be caused from multiple things including a plugged PCV valve. This forum has provided excellent reference material on the most common cause of white smoke & how to test to determine if a head gasket has failed. If the OP is so inclined we are gently suggesting that making assumptions about the cause of the issue is not wise and that testing to determine the root cause is the recommended course of action. Continued use of a “sealer” may work but if your arm needs stitches putting a band-aid on your forehead won’t do any good. Might that gash have coagulated and stopped bleeding on its own? I once owned a new GM V8 that at 15k miles started rolling white smoke out of the exhaust after it warmed up under acceleration. I took it to the GM dealer and there was a TSB published on just this problem. After reflashing the computer it’s never reappeared. What if your assumption is wrong? Test or roll the dice; your choice.
A plugged PCV valve will cause a blueish/white smoke from burning oil. Coolant burns white but is more steam like. For a quick test, hold your hand an inch or so from the exhaust pipe while the car is running. Immediately smell your hand. Coolant or oil? Should be easy to differentiate.
I believe it to be some sort of coolant leak. I used to have to add coolant to the radiator and tank once a week, and since the sealer, I never have to add coolant. Changed my oil yesterday, overflow tank was still full and radiator was also full. Got a new radiator cap put on while I was at it. The car needs a lot of work. It has come down to two choices. Since I got a new job, I can either fix the 430, or save up for a down payment on a 2014 LS 460L with AWD. I'm more inclined to fix the 430, but it also has a few other problems. Got the car looked at by a mechanic a month ago, both mufflers are shot and as of 2 days ago, rattle worse than ever. Since the rattling, i now have 4 check engine lights. I'm going to be honest, I got a little winded typing all of that.
11-05-18, 09:01 AM
