Orion Commander
Veteran Member
Is there a way to determine if the head gasket is bad without just replacing it? The oil change guy thought there may be antifreeze in the oil. I skipped the coolent flush but did change the oil.
A whine could also be a bad bearing in a pulley.Our truck, OC and I are married for those who do not know this, is a 2001 Ford Ranger (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that's the problem right there ) with the small 6 in it, if this matters at all.
He also told me it's making a whining noise when the motor is running and I thought it might be the water pump having issues since it didn't sound like a belt squeaky kinda noise.
A whine could also be a bad bearing in a pulley.
What type of vehicle is this in? There are some where this is a common problem and others where it rarely is... But the Tech is most likely correct...
The 3.0l engine was pretty reliable motor, and bearing whine can from many places so have a reputable mechanic check it out, not talking down oil change mechanics.. but I am.. Unless I miss-read the post if it started off with my mechanic was doing an oil change on my 3.0L Ranger and he discovered antifreeze in the oil, and showed me the chocolate milk shake that had come out, then I would request further investigation from him. Or the steam coming from the tail pipe..
One at-home test is to put a latex glove or maybe a condom in place of the radiator cap. Fasten in place with a rubber band or some such constricting device and run the engine. Pressure leaking from combustion chambers will cause glove/condom to expand. Should help with diagnosis.Pressure test the cooling System.
...Old trucking neighbor swore by bars leak...
One at-home test is to put a latex glove or maybe a condom in place of the radiator cap. Fasten in place with a rubber band or some such constricting device and run the engine. Pressure leaking from combustion chambers will cause glove/condom to expand. Should help with diagnosis.
A great place for questions, help and searching out problems is The Ranger Station site.
That looks cheap and easy.I used this
Block Tester BT-500 Combustion Leak Test Kit - Made in USA
I'm not much of a mechanic but it easy.That looks cheap and easy.
This.When the oil looks milk. Kinda a grey brown color. You either got a head gasket leak at one of the coolant ports or you got an internal block crack
Look at regular oil new. And used. Old oil will look like coffee
You can tell
Why did the head gasket fail?
Usually, things like that have a cause.
Often overheating, your front end whine may be a water pump?