Hi all, I drive an 86 4 cyl pickup that I very much love. Recently, I left a friend's house after the truck had been cold all day, drove approximately 4 miles, ascended a short hill, parked the truck, and shut off the engine. When I got out, coolant began pouring out of the reservoir onto the pavement. I would estimate that I lost 16 oz of coolant. I refilled what I had lost and drove home, befuddled.

A good mechanically minded friend is convinced that my head gasket is bad. My very trusted auto mechanic is not at all sure that that's the case. Since this incident I have driven the truck all over, had no overheating, found no coolant on the oil dipstick. Until tonight, no more coolant overflow. Then, once again, the truck had been cold all day, I started it, drove approximately 4 miles, ascended a short hill, parked the truck, and shut off the engine. And guess what? Coolant pours out!

What do you all think? I'm hearing everything from replace the radiator cap to the head gasket is definitely bad. I would appreciate any advice or insight. Thanks!

 

Do a compression test and a cooling pressure test and that will tell you more than anyone guessing including myself. Good luck keep us posted

 

Wabistan,

What did the tests show? Any more coolant shooting out of the reservoir overflow?

If both tests turn out ok, yet the problem persists there is another test you can do... Let us know how it turned out.

-Mike

 

Radiator cap seems to have done the job! Thanks for your help everybody.

 

Was about to post that but you figured it out!

I'd have to say your mechanically inclined friend is not as mechanically inclined as he lets on. A bad head gasket consumes fluid, not blow it all out!