Title: Beware! Five Signs of a Damaged Cylinder Gasket

Cylinder gaskets are subject to prolonged exposure to high temperatures and pressures, making them susceptible to aging or damage. Promptly identifying symptoms can prevent serious engine damage.

I. Typical Symptoms

Power Loss: Blow-by between adjacent cylinders results in insufficient compression pressure, weak engine acceleration, and the emission of black smoke.

Unstable Operation: Misfiring of individual cylinders causes idle jitter or vibration.

Leakage:

Cylinder block joints: High-pressure gas leaks, forming pale yellow foam and, in severe cases, a hissing sound.

Coolant Blow-by: The oil and water channels are interconnected, resulting in a milky-white coolant and water mixed with the engine oil.

Radiator Abnormality: Bubbles form at the radiator filler, water drips from the exhaust muffler, and the coolant is depleting rapidly.

II. Diagnostic Methods

Observation: After starting the engine, open the radiator cap. If the coolant continues to bubble, this indicates a damaged cylinder gasket.
Pressure test: Use a cylinder pressure gauge to check the pressure in each cylinder. If the pressure in adjacent cylinders is lower than the standard value, blowby can be confirmed.
Cylinder disconnection test: Disconnect the spark plug power cylinder by cylinder. If the bubbling phenomenon disappears after disconnection in a cylinder, the cylinder head gasket in that cylinder is burned.