# Possible blown head gasket might do a whole rebuild I don't know what to do



## MickB1331 (Jul 13, 2019)

Cool talk guys


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## Kf-bg (May 30, 2019)

I'm exactly where you are at. Just got the cam locking kit and I'm going to give the head gaskets removal a shot. Looked for an engine swap, but I'm not sure I can handle that.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

MickB1331 said:


> Cool talk guys


It’s a forum not a 24/7 help desk...

You dont need coolant and oil mixing to have a head gasket leak. have you checked the compression on the cylinders? This could very well be a turbo issue. Any codes show up with a scan? 

I never used a special cam tool since I couldn’t find it. I made my own custom cam lock tool from metal bought from Home Depot.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

MickB1331 said:


> checked the oil but it didn't have that milky color from coolant being mixed in with the oil.


Someone else's post suggested that you don't get that with Dexcool mixing with synthetic oil.

I'd do some other tests for head gasket.


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## Kf-bg (May 30, 2019)

Any idea if a bad turbo would bubble coolant in the reservoir or is that coming from a bad head gasket? Guess I need to buy a cylinder test Gage..or do I need a leak down test kit?


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Kf-bg said:


> Any idea if a bad turbo would bubble coolant in the reservoir or is that coming from a bad head gasket? Guess I need to buy a cylinder test Gage..or do I need a leak down test kit?


I wouldn't think the turbo has enough pressure to force air into the cooling system.

I'd think the test you want is compression test, but I could be wrong.


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## eddiefromcali (Aug 21, 2017)

Kf-bg said:


> Any idea if a bad turbo would bubble coolant in the reservoir or is that coming from a bad head gasket? Guess I need to buy a cylinder test Gage..or do I need a leak down test kit?


that's more than likely a blown head gasket. Simply pressurize a cylinder once its at top dead center....pop the coolant tank cap off and see if it bubbles. All you need is 100 or so psi...start there and then slowly bump it up to 150psi.


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## Kf-bg (May 30, 2019)

Just got a 25%off email from harbor freight...guess I'll get a pressure test kit.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

Compression kit is the way to go. You can easily see if your cylinder is leaking that way.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

Also make sure you pull the fuel pump relay/fuse before adding compression to the cylinder.


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## eddiefromcali (Aug 21, 2017)

yup, kill the fuel pump and injectors, pull all the spark plugs and go to town with a compression tester.


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## Maqcro1 (Apr 29, 2019)

You could just rent a compression gauge from Autozone/oreillys. Not sure the cost but you get your money back when your done. 

I have my own gauge set but I use my all the time.


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## Kf-bg (May 30, 2019)

Maqcro1 said:


> You could just rent a compression gauge from Autozone/oreillys. Not sure the cost but you get your money back when your done.
> 
> I have my own gauge set but I use my all the time.


Good call...may have saved me $30


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## dwmccloud (Sep 17, 2019)

We have a 2015 Cruze ... ran hot... now blowing into coolant... and I believe out the exhaust. About to purchase a compression kit but pretty sure it is a head gasket. I have acquired another cruze which was totaled, engine supposedly good. 
What are your experiences with pulling the head? Typical gasket issue? block issue? Replace head? Use dynamite? Issues with remove the head?
Thanks much!


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## eddiefromcali (Aug 21, 2017)

dwmccloud said:


> We have a 2015 Cruze ... ran hot... now blowing into coolant... and I believe out the exhaust. About to purchase a compression kit but pretty sure it is a head gasket. I have acquired another cruze which was totaled, engine supposedly good.
> What are your experiences with pulling the head? Typical gasket issue? block issue? Replace head? Use dynamite? Issues with remove the head?
> Thanks much!


head might be too warped to fix. I bought a "blown head gasket" motor and machine shop said it was too warped to resurface. Its really easy to remove the head, just gotta have the right tools to r&r. You'll need new head bolts too.


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## Jcruze19812012 (Feb 3, 2020)

MickB1331 said:


> I've been fighting my 2011 1.4 L Turbo engine ever since my wife hit a deer a couple years ago.
> I've replaced hoses, gaskets and everything else running around this engine and been still dealing with the same issues and it slowly but surely continued to get worse leaking coolant and overheating.
> Last week my wife was driving it and she said it didn't initially want to turn over but did after a 2nd attempt then after 10 minutes of driving it was idleing lower than usual and from her description it lope-ing between low and normal (like chugging I guess) it had major power loss upon acceleration flashed the stabilitrak/traction control bs and a cloud of white smoke blew out the back of the exhaust. Sure enough thinking well there goes the head gasket checked the oil but it didn't have that milky color from coolant being mixed in with the oil. Every time I look or think about it I just I get that awesome hot feeling and feel my blood pressure start to skyrocket so I've left it parked and sitting since.
> Obviously the best thing to do would be to take it to a shop but atm I'm trying to determine if its worth even fixing at this point with the amount of the costs of repairs to the value of the car.
> ...


I just went thro and felt the same as u about the Cruze. I replaced head gasket. It was a pain. I got tons of info online but the experience is where u learn a lot more. The timing kit u can get keeps it in time so u don’t have to mess with it being out of time.


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## Jcruze19812012 (Feb 3, 2020)

dwmccloud said:


> We have a 2015 Cruze ... ran hot... now blowing into coolant... and I believe out the exhaust. About to purchase a compression kit but pretty sure it is a head gasket. I have acquired another cruze which was totaled, engine supposedly good.
> What are your experiences with pulling the head? Typical gasket issue? block issue? Replace head? Use dynamite? Issues with remove the head?
> Thanks much!


Get timing tool from amazon to keep it in time while taking off head. Be prepared to order a few parts if it’s the first time doing a head gasket replacement. It’s not an easy job but patience is key. Done mine and learned a lot.


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