head gasket leak

[1fast94svt]

Guys...how do i check if my head gaskets are blown...my temp gauge is going hot than cold and ....than when i top off the radiator...the temp stays ok...keep in mind my overflow is a pop bottle right now...with not top.....and my water pump seems to be leaking a little bit of coolant..but guys at alternative said from what i said its a blown head gasket.....i really hope not...

 

[jrichker]

Do a compression test...

With the engine warmed up, remove all spark plugs and prop the throttle wide open, crank the engine until it the gage reading stops increasing. On a cold engine, it will be hard to tell what's good & what's not. Some of the recent posts have numbers ranging from 140-170 psi. If the compression is low, squirt some oil in the cylinder and do it again – if it comes up, the rings are worn. There should be no more than 10% difference between cylinders. Use a blow down leak test (puts compressed air inside cylinders) on cylinders that have more than 10% difference.

Be sure to use a compression tester with a screw in type adapter. The other kind of test adapters are unreliable.

 

[Michael Yount]

In addition to the above tests, pressurizing the cooling system may give you some indication where the leak is occurring - sounds like you have multiple problems. Any coolant in the oil? Any vapor out the tailpipes that smells like antifreeze (sweet smell) when the car's running?