# Blown Headgasket or Head or Something Else?



## Helpmeplease! (Aug 15, 2010)

I own a 1986 fuel injected 4-cylinder two-wheel drive Nissan Pickup and I recently have started having some pretty big issues with the engine. I think what happened is the radiator fluid got too low and the engine overheated and some crack formed somewhere within the engine between the radiator fluid and the cylinder. 
When it first happened, white smoke that was definitely burning antifreeze came out the tailpipe until the engine heated up and then it would slow down and basically quit once it was all hot. After several months of adding new fluid (started just using water to refill) we tried some head gasket repair stuff and put it through the system. This helped some but the engine still occasionally overheats and white smoke still comes out on cool mornings.
I drive it daily and what ends up happening is the car will overheat, get near the top of the temperature gauge, I turn the car heat on (which all my friends make fun of me for doing in the 96 degree summer weather) and the engine cools down for the most part. Still having to add coolant regularly, but the steam only comes out of the tailpipe in the mornings.
My mechanic said it was most likely the engine head, although he said it was possible it was the gasket.
I decided to go DYI to try to find out whether the crack was in the head or the gasket and so I have taken the engine apart and have found no obvious crack anywhere. Where should I be looking for the crack and what would it look like? Is there something my mechanic and I are missing, could the crack be somewhere else?


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

is the head still flat? or did it warp...


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## Helpmeplease! (Aug 15, 2010)

Not entirely sure, we tested it but all the gasket residue is all over the surface still so it was not terribly accurate. The tolerance was 4/1000 of an inch and most places it was good, but some places it wasn't, maybe because of residue, maybe because of warpage.


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## Helpmeplease! (Aug 15, 2010)

Took it to the mechanic and he said it was most likely warpage. Taking it to the head repair shop tomorrow, so we will see for sure.


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## Shadao (Aug 14, 2007)

with odler vehicles i would suggest adding " redline water wetter" this stuff works very well and will reduce engine temps from 10-35deg ive seen it with my own eyes...

your head prolly warped a lil... but it could also be other things... like cracked block between the piston walls and the water jacket... you need to clean the deck of the engine VERY well so it shines... then inspect for tiny tiny cracks... they could look like they are in this picture


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