Headgasket may be a goner

[vstrom]

So here's the scoop:

Ever since I've had my coolant/thermostat problems last winter I've kept a pretty close eye on my rig. It seemed to run right with no major leaks... I say 'major' because it is alittle wet behind the injector pump and a small leak at the back end of the valve cover. But nothing has leaked enough to leave a puddle or even a drop, or white smoke, or milky oil or anything to concern me.. until today.

I've spent the past month in the city that refuses to fix roads (thanks Winnipeg!) with a van that, to me, seemed to work just fine. Two days ago I left Winterpeg for Saskatoon. Prior to leaving, I filled my rear tank (90 liters) and added one full can of Seafoam. That whole drive over the van felt kinda weak and almost sluggish, but not in a way that was definitive.. it just seemed off. I chalked it up to Seafoam doing it's thing and driving against a decent wind. So now I'm in S'toon, and I'm no longer driving on my rear tank (I only put seafoam in that tank, not the main tank) and it STILL feels off.. almost like the turbo has failed or partially failed. Well, today, going to the park with the dogs..I park and hop out with the engine going (letting the turbo cool) and I notice I have a puddle! Between a fast drip to a slow steam is comming off my oil pan! It looked clear so I assumed it was fuel, and since my injector pump has always been wet I figured that would be the culprit. Nope.. get back to the house and I collect abit of the fluid.. green.. damn coolant.. check the rad.. lower than it was last time I checked. (Note: I've been checking my coolant level religiously ever since I had those other problems this winter.. haven't lost a drop). Start poking around and it seems that along my headgasket and below is wet and above is dry. I figure that the slight lack of power I've been feeling since YWG has been low compression due to the gasket. I also wonder if Seafoam did something or knocked something loose.. I don't know, but it just seems weird to me that everything was good before (ie: no puddle of coolant and running fine) then one can of Seafoam later and the van runs slightly off and I have coolant puddle.

I hope it's not a crack.. STILL no white smoke.. oil STILL looks good..

Guess it's gonna get parked in S'toon for the summer 'cause I wont be able to trust it to get us back to Winnipeg THEN north bound for Thompson.

I'll have to start ripping it apart in the fall and take the head to someone to make sure it isn't cracked.

Bit of a long post.. bit of a rant as I try to figure this all out.

I'm sure there will be a Part 2 to come soon..

[Manitoba deli]

The winds encountered between Manitoba and Saskatoon have had me wondering if there was something wrong with my l400. Those winds are brutal. Before you condemn the headgasket, be sure to put a pressure tester on the system, and pinpoint the leak. The engine fan will cause leaking coolant to follow along ridges and seams of the engine, giving the illusion of leaks in other areas. It is not always the headgasket, and I have experienced the same loss of power on that same drive enough times now to just chalk it up to wind. That route is one of the main reasons my van is covered in veg oil. There is never a calm place to refuel.
Jason

[vstrom]

Yeh I may have been alittle quick to blame the headgasket and Seafoam.. I guess my previous post was more about ranting.

Turns out I had some engine de-gunker, so I soaked the engine thoroughly and rinsed it off as best as I could. Let her dry out then started her back up. Turns out that it is my block heater that's leaking like a sieve. So it should be a nice cheap, but pain-in-the-ass, fix. In fact, I probably just need a new o'ring for it.

I don't know why it was wet from the gasket down.. maybe the air currents just happened to blow the coolant leak up that way? Doesn't seem reasonable but who knows? I've taken deli out for a test drive and the gasket seems to be doing it's job.

Guess I'll be extra paranoid on the drive back north, now.

[Manitoba deli]

Good to hear, I've had a few l300's that were diagnosed with headgaskets, that were nothing more than an o-ring, or even a leaky hose clamp. It's always a good idea to have the system pressure checked before condemning the headgasket. On yours, I would recommend changing the block heater, as the bending tabs that hold it in place will weaken from being reused, and because it is a pain to get at, just change it.

Jason

[vstrom]

Good call.. ill just replace the whole thing. WAY cheaper than what I initially thought.