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Head Gasket Concern

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GM Truck Family Man Enthusiast

GM Truck Family Man

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Posted

I was given a 1989 S-10 with a 4.3 V6 by my uncle last fall. The truck is original and has 13,600 miles. When I got the truck I did a radiator flush and replaced the coolant to -35 (I live in WI) I changed the oil and everything seemed fine. I got the truck out of storage today and drove it about 40 miles. I got a light wiff of coolant when I started it after it had gotten to operating temperature. The truck is not running hot and the coolant looks fine. It was at the proper level for a hot engine and I did not see any leaking coolant. When I pulled the dipstick it looked about a half to a quart too high and I when I pulled off the oil fill cap there was some white foam on the inside of the cap. I am concerned I have a internal leak somewhere. What else should I look for? Due to the fact the truck is 21 years old with so few miles is there bound to be gasket issues? Any help would be appreicated.

Jsdirt Senior Enthusiast

Jsdirt

Posted
Posted

On something that has been sitting that long, gaskets & rubber parts tend to dry up, crack & shrink -- even in cold climates. I'd perform a compression/leakdown test to verify head gasket condition. If that checks out ok, make sure all the hose clamps are tight. Then take a flashlight to the underside of the waterpump & see if the weep hole is leaking.

 

With small leaks I usually cheat with a little stop leak, but that is on my personal vehicles -- and that option is entirely up to you, and you'll find many opinions on that. Use at your own risk & don't go overboard if that's the road you so choose.

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