head gasket or ring?

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tzayoh

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so last night, i park my car at work. when i started it to come home it was running pretty rough. i have only had this car running for about two weeks, previous to that it was sitting for quite some time. so today i pulled the plugs to see if i needed a tune up (i do)...however, i also found on cylinder #6 a bit of oil...so i checked my oil and it is little low. then out of curiosety checked my water, low....so i was thinking i have a bad head gasket. i called my dad becuase any time i do anything on my car i cross reference it with him, he said if there is no oil in the water or water in the oil then its not my head gasket, and said its probly my rings. said im prolbly leaking water elsewhere (even though i dont think i am)...

so obviously i can do a head gasket, but i cant do rings and that would be way more expensive....i dont really want to take it to a shop, so i was looking for an outside opinion
 
Just a question....if you can do a head gasket, why can you not put rings in? Are you afraid you do not have the skill level? If so, you should not be. You have access to probably the greatest wealth of experience and knowledge right here in the damned best online automotive forum that has ever existed. We have people here who can walk you through anything.
 
check the radiator cap, if it's tired...it will let pressure push out coolant while driving/stoping.

the oil could just be burning in the cylinder, sign is the plugs.
 
the cap and radiator are new (as well as my entire cooling system save for the fan, mechanical fans dont really go bad)...

and yes that is exactly right stroker, ive never done them before nor would i know how to start...im under the impression you would have to pull the engine, and i dont really have that option.....

thats kinda what i was thinking about the oil though...i mean there was a very thin coat of oil not burt when i pulled it...i guess its possible i cought it on a down stroke before that oil had a chance to burn...but even if i got a pressure tester, wouldnt i also loose pressure if there was a hole in the head gasket?
 
Before tearing everything down, check the valve seals. More common problem than other options.
 
i will...but i had bad seals on my last car, and it would pretty much stop after the car got going, especialy by the time it warmed up, and they didnt make me miss so hard...would that not be the case with these cars?
 
Do a compression check. When the low cyl. is found do a leak test. Put air pressure in the cylinder with it on top dead center with both valves closed. If the air leaks out of the crank case its the rings. If it leaks out of the radiator could be head gaskets. If its comming out of exhaust or intake could be a burnt or bent valve or a head gasket blown between next cyl.. These are just some test to narrow it down before tear down.
 
how can you tell where its coming out (ive never used a pressure tester)
 
listen to the breather hole in valve cover for ring leak, carb for intake leak, exhaust pipe for exh valve leak.

it's normal to hear a lil in the valve cover on a worn in engine.

the gauge will tell how much leak down u have, much more than 12% is no good with 4%-8% being average from what ive seen, race 2%'ish maybe
 
how can i tell for head gasket...will it make bubles in the radiator or somethinig?
 
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