89fairlane

How would I tell that a Head Gasket needs doing - I've only just thought about it but in normal driving the Fairlane shows the temp at 1/2 way, almost immediatly after starting - is this normal? I'm used to my dads ED and it usually its just above cold - and on the fairlane the actual gauge is alot smaller but this is concerning me.....

__________________

 

351zd

Is it still running fine and is it overheating or just stable at half?

Weazle

Hello,

Are you loosing coolant ? The other car may need a thermostat.

Weazle

jas24zzk

G'day,
as suggested above, are you losing coolant?
Have a look about the block for tell tale water streaks on the block.

If you are using coolant, other questions apply. does it steam from the exhaust, do you have rough running? yes to these point towards a headgasket.

How much coolant do you lose?

Is the cooling sytem leaking? A pressure tester is INVALUABLE here...it will also show a head gasket, but enables you to pressure the system and check around for leaking hoses etc.

As for guage indications...it really is a case of know your car. My mum and I both have E-series falcons...different models, but with the same instrument cluster. Mums appears to run hotter than mine, but a calibrated temp probe says they are close enough to the same......i mean the gauges are wildly different!

KNOW YOUR CAR....yes that takes time.

Cheers
Jas

Kuai

Yeah...
Ever since I got my NA in 2000.
It has had just over half way on the temperature meter.
They're supposed to heat up to a level quickly.
This is the role of the thermostat.
If it gets somewhat hotter though, and the needle goes up just a little.
Then the car stops from overheating, by cooking the module on the Distributor.
And then to make things worst, the head cooks, and then warps, then you might find oil dripping from the side of the head gasket.
But, a good way to see it the head has warped, & the head gasket stuffed, is to check the oil.
If the oil has water in it, then you can say the head and or head gasket is stuffed.
And, check the water, and if there is oil in that, well, the same problem.
And another indicator, is if the car blows smoke.
That would be from oil in the head channels, leaking through the broken head gasket, into the cylinders.
But if it blows smoke, it could be other more serious problems aswell...

And the cost? If you don't have money to burn. Make sure your sitting down when you get the quote/ bill.

I just get the NA Gregorys manual, and do it myself, to avoid gettin' stressed out.