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i have a 2004 dodge ram 1500 4.7 2 wheel drive i bealive i have a bad head gasket.is there a way i can check it to make sure that is the problem. i was told it had a bad gasket. the oil still looks like oil not milky at all. but it is milky a little bit under the fill cap. help me out please. thanks
they are known for bad head gaskets and warped heads... usually after an overheat.. where the coolant level dropped..i came up with a way to verify blown head gaskets...it requires some tools and equipment.. that not everybody had...a quick release hose type compression tester set...an air compressor to supply air at 90 pounds or more of air pressure..a remote starter switch...some kind of clear vinyl hose on a radiator pressure tester , radiator adaptor...tools to remove the spark plugs...with the radiator pressure tester adaptor.. install the clear vinyl hose and loop it over the hood latch .. so its a vertical column to allow you to see tiny changes in the fluid level in the cooling system...you can just remove the water pump belt and use this device with the coolant part way up the clear hose to see if when you start the engine.. if the coolant rises.. or bubbles appear.. since you don't have any water pump rotation.. you will be able to see what is going on..with the compression tester hose... i remove the valve core from the end.. and save it .. they are special.. i make sure that i can hook the compression tester hose to the shop air hose to get full air pressure and volume into the cylinder...i remove ONE spark plug at a time... use the remote starter switch to position the cylinder being tested at IT'S own TDC ..i then apply compressed air to the chamber.. once in a while the engine will spin.. just use the remote starter switch to reset it..when you apply compressed air.. if the coolant level rises or bubbles appear.. you have verified a leaking head gasket or a cracked combustion chamber. i have removed the rocker arms and done this test with the piston down.. this allowed me to test not just the head gasket and the head.. but also the cylinder walls for leaks.. if you are going to do a head gasket job.. probably a valve job with surfacing the head.. please pick up a tube of hylomar and use it on both sides of the head gaskets .. let them hang for 20 minutes prior to installation.. to let any solvents evaporate.. it will never get hard.. and thats the idea.. works great.. good for 500F..