Question on hi-mileage Roadtrek

[booster]

Originally Posted by Average_alice

Make sure you run a chemical block test! We didn’t know about those...around $40 maybe...our biggest buying mistake.

Are you referring to a combustion product in the coolant test? Water in the oil test? The only way I know of to check a block itself is with it disassembled and Magnflux it.

[Average_alice]

I probably am mis-quoting our mechanic but it was done through the radiator; my understanding was that our coolant was mixing with engine hydrocarbons, and we had a blown head gasket (even though there were no signs of overheating). The cost to repair a V8, with noisy valves and possibly other unknown problems as yet to be discovered, persuaded us to get the new engine. Who knows if that was a good call but we are enjoying the relative peace of mind anyway.

[booster]

Originally Posted by Average_alice

I probably am mis-quoting our mechanic but it was done through the radiator; my understanding was that our coolant was mixing with engine hydrocarbons, and we had a blown head gasket (even though there were no signs of overheating). The cost to repair a V8, with noisy valves and possibly other unknown problems as yet to be discovered, persuaded us to get the new engine. Who knows if that was a good call but we are enjoying the relative peace of mind anyway.

That is the combustion products in coolant test and a very good thing to do. If there are combustion products in the coolant it is most often a blown head gasket and can also be a cracked head or block.