Block leak test kit vs coolant

[jblueridge]

I attempted to use a block leak test kit today.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_7001006

The method is use a suction bulb to draw air from the open cooling system into a small plastic container containing some blue test fluid.
If the cooling system has exhaust or hydrocarbon gases mixed in it, the blue indicator fluid turns yellow or yellow green.
The engine must be running, coolant at operating temp and there must be LESS than enough coolant in the system: you want the tester to pull up air, not coolant from the filler neck.

I ran the engine at 2,000 rpm for quite a while with the filler cap off the t-stat housing. I was never able to use the tester because the engine kept burping out coolant at varied intervals. I used a baster to draw out coolant but a minute or two later another vomit of water came out. Even after a constant temp was reached the burping continued.

How can I get rid of these air bubbles (or their opposites)?

 

[morganism]

That might be a symptom that head gasket is leaking, as it is pushing compressed air/fuel into cooling lines.

edit: Bad rings ALONE wouldn't do that. Rings and seats may put pressure to your dipstick if everything is sealed, like the EGR, which shouldn't be open at idle.

R u the cat that got blasted with oil while checking the dipstick?

leakdown Compression test next.

 

[coldtaco]

did you run it at idle when you used the tested? I just did this last week and instructions say to run engine at idle after the thermostat has opened.

 

[jblueridge]

Coldtaco: I bet I was not idling. Good call there.

Morganism: I did not get an oil blast.
I have white smoke from exhaust and a buzzing sound from turbo.
Vehicle seems to run just fine.
Oil level remains constant, as far as I can tell.

 

[elkaholic]

Buzzing sound from turbo .... have you checked the impeller for play? Wondering if the bearing has gotten so bad that cooling water is either going straight to exhaust or through intake ....

 

[jblueridge]

Turbo is still in vehicle. Can't say about impeller play.
You saw the pic of the toasted air intake hose I posted elsewhere.

 

[jblueridge]

I took oil filler cap off and checked dipstick: no nasty brown oil+coolant emulsion sludge.
No oil film floating on top of coolant under pressure cap.

I am hoping it is just the recently-rebuilt turbo.

 

[jblueridge]

So I used the block test kit again today.
Idled engine this time (thanks @coldtaco).
Realized I was pulling coolant from reservoir up through overflow tube: plugged the tube.
The suction bulb extracted gas from the thermostat housing as desired.
Suction bulb pulled enough vacuum to lower boiling point creating steam, etc, etc, etc.

After 15 minutes of idling and fooling around i saw the small puddle of engine oil that is dripping from inside exhaust downpipe.

White smoke I am getting is probably engine oil leaking into exhaust side of turbo, maybe intake side too.

I will take turbo out.

 

[elkaholic]

There needs to be a like and hate button. Good luck!

 

[Lomoski]

So I had the same issue with my 1kz-te in my kzj78 prado. I would start the motor with the rad cap off and it would start burping and there was obviously exhaust gasses in the fluid. It would burp and spit at pretty regular intervals almost immediately. Turned out to be a cracked head and my turbo has a ton of play in it as well. I'm guessing (hoping it's not the case) that you also have a cracked head. I had white smoke on startup, hard to start when warm and was using a bit of coolant. Also had bubbles in the overflow while it was running.

 

[jblueridge]

When I got the turbo out it was drooling oil all over.
There was oil going down the exhaust pipe, inside and out, as well as oil being drawn into the intake.

I am banking on just the turbo being the problem.