Head gasket question

[runawaymach]

Wanted to know if there is a way to tell if a head gasket is bad in a car without having to have it checked. Our neighbor is selling his car and said he was told the head gasket was bad/going bad. He said it overheats,but it runs smooth and no engine noise. Maybe another problem?

[Joe Dirt]

water in oil /oil in the water / excessive radiator pressure/steam from the tail pipe/ running rough/ dead cylinders /overheating from loss of water/etc


Sounds like he may have a bad waterpump/clogged radiator/or stuck thermostat

[RPM]

check compression.if you dont have a tester you can buy a cheap one at any parts store then you will know for sure.

[Bonz]

go and buy a block testor drain some water out of rad. and follow directions make sure the kit comes with the magic blue liquid
some times compression check wont help you its according where it's leaking