head gasket failed?

Hi there my c3 desire 2007 I found that my radiator was leaking and have now changed it I will be filling the coolant system back up tomorrow but while pipes and caps where off noticed emulsified oil around tubes and caps does this mean that the head gasket is shot and what should I do now and how hard is it to change this gasket thanks scott

Scobo53 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 03, 2021 6:07 pm Hi there my c3 desire 2007 I found that my radiator was leaking and have now changed it I will be filling the coolant system back up tomorrow but while pipes and caps where off noticed emulsified oil around tubes and caps does this mean that the head gasket is shot and what should I do now and how hard is it to change this gasket thanks scott

Hello

The best way to be sure the head gasket has failed, it to test is with this head gasket tester (eBay), because it it such a big job to do, you need to be sure it is really worth doing.

You have had some previous problem that may have contributed to what you have found and getting the radiator repaired and cooling system bled and then doing the test, only then can you be sure it is worth spending even more money on the car.

The original head gaskets were prone to what might be considered premature failure.

Changing the head gasket is not overly complicated by comparison to other engines and cars. There are a lot of youtube videos on the subject.

HOWEVER in your case I would highly recommend that you get it done by a mechanic. The main reason why is that the engine has potentially been exposed to an over temp situation and the head might be warped. In this case the head would need to be checked for flatness and possibly, machined.

If you still want to DIY it you can take the head to a machine shop yourself to get it checked out.

Again, be sure it is the head gasket before you do anything else.

Hi there thanks for the advise I'm unsure if it's the head gasket as there's no coolant colour in the mayonnaise in pipes or on header cap yeah I think stripping it down myself is probably a bad idea as I'm an engineer not a mechanic thanks again