On a 4.3l chevy V6should you check the block for cracks when you have head gasket leaking to a cylinder ,which comes up sometime ? Are the chemical crack test kits worth the money ? I ask because I di

can be valve cover --head gasket cracked head cracked block --find reason and fix

Hey Michael,
How/why do you think you have a blown gasket/cracked head??
....If you have a blown head gasket/cracked head you need to get it fixed ASAP.. Check your oil for cross contamination...( a light cream colored oil indicates water/antifreeze mixed with the oil).this WILL cause major damage if you continue to run the engine..(WATER is NOT a good engine lubricant!!!!) There are several "sealants" or radiator stop leak products... BUT ..cleaning these out of a coolant system is a NOT FUN!!.. Sorry.. trying to "patch" this will lead to more $$$$$ down the road!!

Blown head gasket or crack in a head or block ! Pull the sparks an see if any have coolant on them .

can be lots of things,,,
overheated engine, warped head, and now head gasket blown.
or cracked block.
or cracked heads.
we find this doing tests. want to test or gue$$.
do a compression test or the cylinder leak down test.
on DOHC we do the latter, by hand.

Unfortunately, it sounds like you have a cracked block. To verify this, you can buy a test kit at most autoparts stores.

white smoke is caused by water or coolant entering cylinders, if in over flow it will look like a chocolate milk shake. check on oil dipstick to see if you can see traces of water or anti - freeze in the oil. if you see white smoke coming from tail pipe that smoke means that your car has a leaking cylinder-head gasket or a cracked head gasket. If there is just a leak in the gasket, the problem should be relatively easy and inexpensive to fix, but if the problem is a cracked head gasket, chances are the repair will be a lot more complicated and expensive. If the problem is a leaking head-gasket cylinder you will see white smoke, because the faulty gasket is allowing air and fuel to enter the cooling system. As this mixture burns, white smoke is produced and exits through your tailpipe. If you are familiar with the location of the cylinder head gasket you can check it yourself, otherwise take the car to your mechanic and ask him to check the gasket for damage. may not be but just check it out! if its water or anti-freeze, you will smell a sweet smell coming from tailpipe. good-day ! most of the costs today are labor which is very expensive.

It could be an intake manifold gasket causeing this...it could also be a head gasket and/or cracked cylinder head. You can pressure test the cooling system to check the intake gasket, and compression test the cylinders for head problems.. If you have had an overheating problem in the past the cylinder heads and gaskets would mostly likely be the problem....Removing the spark plugs will give you an indication on where the water is entering...the plug will be discolored.
Good luck..i hope this helps..please rate me a fixya.

your raidator fins my be clogged and also you shouldnt have a clutch fan on it it should be a locked fan!!!! for more air flow!!!

Do the block chemical leak test and coolant pressure test to rule out blowning head gasket.
Check all freeze plugs to rule out coolant leak on the hot engine block.
Check for any hose leak.


Start monitor for coolant and oil lose.

you have a blown head gasket and or cracked cylinder heads or engine block, but most common is the head gaskets leaking.