Thought I had a very slow coolant leak due to my level being low so I refilled and found it low again a month later. Brought it in to the shop for a pressure test and they found no leaks. He said he also did a block test and found nothing....What now where is it going?

 

you might be like me and have a really slow leak. If you want to test it yourself advance autoparts has a loaner tester that works.

 

Update: After I got off the phone with him I told him to do an oil change. Then he noticed a drip of coolant behind the right head. He says its a head gasket and wants $1800 for it. Thoughts?

 

$1800 is waayyy too much for a head gasket job. I'd also want to make sure that it is definitely the head gasket leaking, and not the intake manifold thats leaking.

 

same location as my leak that i suspect to be a valley pan gasket

 

I suspect extreme pressure in the coolant system is a problem with the engine block or I messed up when I changed the head gaskets. I have fabricated an engine pressure check/leak tester and would like to know if the same psi used when checking the radiator/cap/hoses is sufficient? That may sound like a dumb question to a few of you here(I am very sorry if it is and has irritated you to the point you must insult me). I am hoping it doesn't require as much pressure as a firing cylinder; as of yet I have not found an expansion plug the size to seal off the coolant pump inlet. If the test only requires 15-17 psi the rubber plug I have secured with gorilla tape will most likely hold. I have never had to perform a pressure check on an engine block but my experience testing INS systems; some chassis(which flex when pressurized}required higher psi to force verification of the failure. I want see if that has been the case on some engine blocks although I doubt an engine block could flex. Thanks to all.

 

check this out. [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4odA3l2BAg[url]

 

I don't know enough about these blocks to argue but Turner Engineering UK builds and sells new and remanufactured blocks with ductile iron flanged liners(sleeves). They also sell the sleeves separately so its possible to "remanufactured" your original block here in the state and not have the shipping costs of your core block and the delivery of the new/rebuild. From what I see navigating their website their new 3/4 blocks are cheaper than the remanufactured. I suspect I either misunderstood or it is harder to re-sleeve a failed block than it is to pour a casting. BTW; Thanks for the link; I hope mine fails the same except my steam cleaned cylinder is #4.

 

If you have an SAI engine and if he is including a new t/stat and a set of 8mm plug wires, then $1800 can be just about normal.
If it is the valley pan, then your only looking at around$400 or less.

 

That is a great You Tube post, thanks for posting it.