did a search and came up with nothing. i just ordered a kit, do these work on diesels. seems like it would be the same. didnt feel a compression test would tell everything. i think ill do a cooling system pressure test to an maybe save the hydrocarbon kit.

 

You didn't post much info that's why the slow responses. But I think your talking about the kit that you put on top of the radiator (where the cap would go) and if there is exhaust gases getting in the coolant system it turns color. Useful for detecting blown headgaskets, cracked heads, cracked block, ect.. Never used it ($$) but I'm sure it works, especially on gassers and should work on diesels.

Are you experiencing issues that makes you suspect headgasket failure? You would get more response if you post your probs.

 

yes the kit the you secure to the radiator cap. its got some fluid in the pump that detects hydrocarbon.

i dont even know that i did the test properly or not but it came up negative. i drove the truck home from work (3 miles) towing about 2500-3000 pounds. top of radiator was hot but the bottom was still cool. drained the coolant level down about 3 inches and ran the truck. i kept repeating the test thinking that maybe it wasnt hot enough. i picked the throttle up hoping to get more heat into it and the dash temp came up to its normal on road temperature. i must have ran it about 15 -20 minutes repeating the test, even put a sheet of cardboard in the radiator to slow the air flow. the bottom stayed cool but the input to radiator felt about operating temperature.

i bought the truck a few month ago, there was a lot of oil around the valve covers and head gaskets. the truck has 93000 miles and the previous owner never did the cdr valve. he had it since 60000 miles. maybe it never was done. i cleaned it and its now working properly. that was another thing that made me worry about the head gaskets. the next thing is that at cold startups sometimes it smokes like one isnt fireing. its not severe. it does not do it all the time. sometimes its a clean startup.

another thing is is that it had green coolant in it. previous owner says he thinks he added some cat sca to it once. i flushed it and it now has napa kcool in it.

the truck sat for about two years. it was leaking a little coolant in the water pump area but they seems to have gone away and the oil leaks seem to have really slowed down if not stopped.

when i flushed the cooling system i noticed that the level would drop a little at each check. it seems to be holding its level now.

fuel pump, injectors and glow plugs are fairly new.

the question i have now is should i run it on the road now with the coolant level low and get it maybe a bit warmer and redo the hydrocarbon test?

maybe im worrying over nothing but all in all this is a pretty good truck that like all my other stuff id like to take care of.