How do I know if I need a new head gasket?

To me it sounds like you have only one problem, no heat, since the
first mech seems to have taken care of the coolant loss seeing how you
no longer have the problem. This could be something as simple as a
faulty heater valve or control cable/vacuum line that operates it. As
far as there being a head gasket or other similar problem there is
only one test you need to perform which is something we here in
Australia refer to as a TK test which tests for the presence of
exhaust gasses in the cooling system, if there are gasses there then
it most certainly indicates a head to block sealing issue (blown
gasket/cracked/warped head).

On Sep 18, 8:15?pm, Kruse > wrote:
> On Sep 18, 9:01 pm, Nate Nagel > wrote:
>
> > If this is a V-6 it is almost certainly a head gasket.
>
> Well, yeah, if it's a '98 Taurus, there's a 99% chance that it has a
> V6 engine in it. It either has the V6 or the SHO V8 and the poster
> probably would have mentioned it if it was the SHO 32 valve V8.

It's jest as likely that he would "probably" have said it was a V6 as
it was probable that he would have "probably" said it was a SHO
V8........
probably.

anywhooo.......
you're wrong on yer numbers.......the chance that it's a V6 is
87.35 % not 99%.......though there is probably a 99% chance
that 87.35% of 100% of Taurus's have a probable 27% chance
of experiencing what 100% of all 97% trained technicians know
to be 100% fact.......which is......if it's a Taurus....there's a good
probability that it's probably time to test the cooling system for
exhaust gas's based on the probable percentage of known failures
regardless of engine size and based solely on probable cause.





~:~
marsh
~sips his mushroomtea......man.....i'm good~
~:~

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> get a cooling system pressure tester. i don't have one but i have seen
> one used. they take off the radiator cap and attach the pressure
> tester. pump it up and leave it. come back a little while later to see
> if the pressure dropped. if the pressure drops you have an coolant
> leak somewhere. it may or may not be a head gasket.

If this doesnt show a leak, it does not mean that you may not have a
problem. Some leaks open up when the engine is hot and under pressure.
Still, it is a cheap test and worth the effort.