325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 26, 2007 hey guys the ol mazda of mine, has blown a head gasket, im 90% sure how do i know whether its low end or top end? can some one just confirm that im right about head gasket. there is a lot of smoke when its running (alot!!!) water in coolant is very very brown some times the car doesnt start, so that sounds like water in the engine. over heats easily, especially in idle so with these symptoms can i find out whether its low end or top end ? any help? DIY's are becoming more and more common Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike 1 Report post Posted November 26, 2007 is it smoke or steam? can you smell coolant? oil milky or creamy? is the coolant in the radiator bubbling or foaming? - all classic signs of blown HG. what do you mean by low end or topend? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 26, 2007 a engine has only 1 head gasket aye ? thats what i thought, another mechanic must have mis understood my question the coolant is brown,havent checked coolant when car is running over heats too quick no steam, alot of smoke when running so its obviously burning oil so its just a simple head gasket job? and this low end or high end talk is probably just a misunderstood question? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jpp 0 Report post Posted November 26, 2007 a engine has only 1 head gasket aye ? thats what i thought, another mechanic must have mis understood my question the coolant is brown,havent checked coolant when car is running over heats too quick no steam, alot of smoke when running so its obviously burning oil so its just a simple head gasket job? and this low end or high end talk is probably just a misunderstood question? Head may need skimming. Not an easy job. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonty m50e30 0 Report post Posted November 26, 2007 do you mean top or bottom end? bottom end relates to bearings , rods, crank , pistons etc and if it is smoking as bad as you say then I would say you have some issues here. A blown head gasket could show some of the following symptoms, water in oil or vice versa, loss of power, poor idle, steam from exhaust, obvious over heating. From the symptoms you describe I would suggest that your issue is a bottom end one, this will cause overheating also as if something is crook friction will normally increase burning oil and raising temps. Is your coolant just rusty brown? I think a head gasket would be the least of your worries from the sounds of it, I would drain the oil and have a look for either water in it or bits of your engine!!, flush your cooling system until the water is clean, replace the oil with some cheap stuff, go for a drive then inspect both again, will give you a better picture of what is going on. Any strange knocking noises from the engine? Compresssion test will also give you some info. Good luck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 29, 2007 yeah bro, i suspect engine is fine to be honest maybe valve seals and head gasket. the head gasket had probably been seeping for a long time, and ihaveben outting off replacing it. the coolant is a very rusty brown and there is alot of smoke coming out exaust not sure about steam tho does this just sound like head gasket? or smoke suggests other wise? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonty m50e30 0 Report post Posted November 29, 2007 if the smoke is blue then it is oil burning, could be valve seals but if it is heaps of smoke continuously I would suspect other problems, the only way to check I guess is to pull the head off. You will then know if the gasket is a problem and you can then turn the engine over by hand and get a feel for what else is going on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 29, 2007 what am i looking for ? grinded down pistons ? i could probably take pictures and put up on here bloody mazdas lol i should just hurry up and get my e34 535 manual on the road, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pureboiracer 0 Report post Posted December 7, 2007 how hot has the car engine got? like have u completely overheated it? when the car gets hot check the radiator hoses if one is cold and the other is hot the the overheating problem is a stuck thermostat. has it been smoking for a while or is it a sudden thing? and if its smoking alot like u said i would suspect that the car has over heated which would posibly cause the headgasket to fail. you may have also cracked the head which would explain the oil burning either that or you may have frozen up your rings causing oil to flow round them. this would be found by alot of air coming out the oil cap or the dipstick hole. and it would run prety rubbish. please carry out a few of these test and let us know so we can narrow down the problem Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
