Reply to "Do I have a blown head gasket"

There are several ways to check for a head gasket. Start the engine cold with the pressure cap off the pressurized surge tank. Watch the coolant in the surge tank for signs of bubbling or "false boilling". If so then it may be a sign that combustion pressure is entering the system through a failed head gasket.

Pump up the cooling sytem pressure with a cooling system pressure tester pump. Hold it at 15psi for several hours. Keep pumping it up if the pressure drops. Pull the plugs in the mean time. After several hours holding pressure rotate the engine with the starter with the plugs out. Watch for coolant spewing out the spark plug ports as a sign of a leaking head gasket.

With the cooling system full, apply 120psi shop air to each of the combustion chambers, one at a time, thru the spark plug port. Make an adapter out of an old spark plug shell and run shop air to the port. Rotate the engine so that the valves for that cylinder are closed. Watch the coolant in the surge tank for bubbling. If the chamber holds the 120psi with no bubbling then chances are the head gasket is fine.

Another way is to have an exhaust sniffer put into a half full surge/coolant tank...if the head gasket is leaking into the water passages it will show up on the exhaust sniffer.

Also look for water in your oil.