Dave wrote:
> That doesn't sound good. Is there a test to find a head gasket leak ?
> Could it just be condensation from having sat for so long ?
Such condensation would burn off quickly. You can look in your oil for
signs of water (a mayonaisse-like goo in the valvegear and under the
filler cap). You can also look in your coolant for signs of oil. This
should be pretty obvious. If your coolant is really green antifreeze and
water (i.e. it is not just water), you should smell something sweet and
faintly almondy in the exhaust if coolant is being burned.
If nothing turns up, I would pull the head, inspect, clean, install a new
gasket and retorque to the manufacturer's recommendations.
There are other tests to determine if leaks exist. One could perform a
leak-down test on the cooling system to see if it loses pressure. The
idea is simple: pressurise the cooling system with compressed air to
normal operating limit (around 14psi I guess) then see if it loses
pressure. Listen and look for where the loss may be. To do this
cheaply, you could modify a pressure-release radiator cap and attach it
to a foot-powered air pump with a built-in pressure gauge. Pump to 14psi
and then wait.
Do you know the condition of your gasoline? It may be wise to siphon out
the fuel in the tank and fill it with fresh brand-name gasoline.
--
<mml@pobox.com> Matt Liggett
'60 Mini, '70 Midget, '89 SAAB 900t SPG
|