Blown Headgasket Sypmtoms?

[B18C Turbo]

How do you know if your head gasket has been damaged or blown? What do you look for?

[Running925]

are u losing / consuming coolant?

do u see white smoke comming from your exhaust?

[Flatland2D]

I'm wondering the same thing. Would it be possible a blown head gasket would only smoke at high rpms? My car smokes around 6k (been talking about this in my other thread) but I'm not 100% positive the smoke is "blue," because I was thinking it was oil. Come to think it of, I remember it being pretty white. I'll have to wait till daylight again to be sure. Maybe I can run outside and see if I've lost any coolant.

I do however have to top off with oil every once in a while, so I am burning it somewhere.

[B18C Turbo]

I have no smoke except for blueish black smoke (oil) at high rpm's. But whne I start my GSR it blows all this NASTY black soot what is it from?

[B18C Turbo]

but I changed it like 7 months ago, brand new OEM denso!

[Running925]

I have no smoke except for blueish black smoke (oil) at high rpm's. But whne I start my GSR it blows all this NASTY black soot what is it from?

i get that a bout a week b4 i blow my motors!

[sollivier]

welcome to my world i just spent $2300.00 getting this fixed my 2nd and 3rd cylinder where cracked and stuck. the black smoke could be a result in bad exhaust rings and my mechanic quoted me $1500 to get it fixed im leaving it for now cuz its not as bad as it was, the cracked cylinder had a huge effect on the smoke, fluids like cooilant where leaking thru and being burned get it checked out if that dosnt work then get your exhaust rings checked.

[Provocateur]

I have no smoke except for blueish black smoke (oil) at high rpm's. But whne I start my GSR it blows all this NASTY black soot what is it from?

Sounds like the same issues I had with my B18C before I replaced the piston rings. My money is on the rings since they are highly stressed at the high RPMs and are leaking oil into the combustion chamber. Mine also blew gunk during cold starts.

I would suggest a compression and leakdown test to confirm but that is what I am willing to bet what the problem is.

[B18C Turbo]

compression test as shows

cyl1: 205psi
cyl2:210psi
cyl3:200psi
cyl4:210psi

[Running925]

no bad.. numbers should be a little closer together but none the less it's got good compression.

[Provocateur]

no bad.. numbers should be a little closer together but none the less it's got good compression.

Mine had good compression when it was chugging through 3 quarts every 1000 miles. I was showing over 200 psi consistently in all cylinders. The top ring was fine but the oil control rings were shot to shit. I would do a leakdown to confirm the problem.

[B18C Turbo]

ya im trying to get a leak down tester cheap but nobody wants to let them go for under $40. Im all about cheap tools/parts so Im just gonna wait.

[Provocateur]

ya im trying to get a leak down tester cheap but nobody wants to let them go for under $40. Im all about cheap tools/parts so Im just gonna wait.

Just take it in and have someone test it for you. You will most likely use that leak down tester once, so what is the difference between buying the tool and taking it in except convenience?

I actually never got a leakdown test since I knew it was the piston rings since it had 130,000 hard miles on it and it was going through oil faster than any other problem could explain. How much oil do you burn between 3k mile oil changes?

[B18C Turbo]

I don't even change the oil it burns that much. Im adding so much clean oil to it I just change the filter every 3k miles. Im adding oil only when Im really getting on it. Im still getting that black soot when i do cold starts, and yeah your right, im sure my oil control rings are done @ 110k miles. The engine was boosted on before which was what did it.

[Provocateur]

I don't even change the oil it burns that much. Im adding so much clean oil to it I just change the filter every 3k miles. Im adding oil only when Im really getting on it. Im still getting that black soot when i do cold starts, and yeah your right, im sure my oil control rings are done @ 110k miles. The engine was boosted on before which was what did it.

Sounds EXACTLY like my problem with the rings. You could waste your time/money getting a leakdown, but there is no reason. Replace those rings ASAP since that oil loss isn't good at all for the engine.

[B18C Turbo]

do you think that bad oil control rings and burning oil could lead to failing/fouling of the O2 sensor? Every cold start black soot comes out the exhuast, its nasty.

[Flatland2D]

When I replaced my O2 sensor with a used but much newer one, I still have the black soot problem. Unless it fouls up the sensor really fast, I think the problem may be elsewhere.

[Provocateur]

do you think that bad oil control rings and burning oil could lead to failing/fouling of the O2 sensor? Every cold start black soot comes out the exhuast, its nasty.

Yes, it will eventually foul your O2 sensor. But what is worse is that it will kill the cat.

[B18C Turbo]

man this is so gay. Its making such a mess of my garage floor, it looks terrible. I don't care about the cat, I actually am going to run with a 2.5" test pipe when I put the turbo kit on (thursday). I bet the cat just failed recently and now won't burn up the excess carbon/fuel/crappy black soot.

[Provocateur]

man this is so gay. Its making such a mess of my garage floor, it looks terrible. I don't care about the cat, I actually am going to run with a 2.5" test pipe when I put the turbo kit on (thursday). I bet the cat just failed recently and now won't burn up the excess carbon/fuel/crappy black soot.

Regardless of the health of the cat, this problem needs to be fixed. It is very unhealthy for the engine to be burning that much oil.

You will need to fix the problem before you turbo. If the problem is this bad N/A, it will be aggravated a hundred times more by boost.