Radiator problem or blown Head Gasket?

Bastman Boys

Didn't I tell you, the phone in the limo is busted
Original poster
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2019
Messages
5
Location
Phoenix, AZ
1999 4cyl 2.5 JT
My son was pushing it hard on the freeway 70-75mph and noticed smoke from under the hood. Pulled over and opened the hood to see coolant everywhere. I had it towed home and went back to work. My neighbor (youtube mechanic) took a look at it while I was at work and said it looked like oil in the radiator, "blown head gasket." When I came home and checked the oil dipstick, the oil looks perfect, the transmission dipstick look great although a little overfilled. Took the cap off the radiator and I see no oil but what looks like very dirty coolant and lots of small particles (maybe metal, and pebbles/rocks?). literally it looks like there are little rock chunks or something in there and the overflow bottle. Cant tell where the coolant spewed from but was thinking of doing the following:
flush the radiator until it looks clean, refill and do a pressure test to see if it has sprung a leak, check hoses and cap, replace if necessary.
Any thoughts? Should have taken a picture but can tonight if it helps. I also should have looked at the oil cap nut will also take care of that tonight.
 
I’d flush the coolant and check for a plugged radiator. Also pressure test the system for leaks. A blown head gasket is a possibility depending on how hot it got. I can usually smell a blown head gasket in the radiator but have had years of practice. A quick block test will tell you if it’s blown. If the fluid turns from blue to yellow you have combustion gasses in the cooling system.
 
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UPDATE!
Flushed the radiator and heater core, pretty dirty but seemed to run clean after a few tries. Here is what it looked like before flushing.
Crap in Rediator.webp
Also, took off the air intake and lots of oil in there as well as the throttle body. Picture is after wiping the small puddle out.
Oil in throttle body.webp
After flush, refilled the system and ran a pressure test, found two leaking areas. I'm pretty sure one is the thermostat body but have no idea what the other one is. It almost looks like some kind of plug blew out, can you guys tell from this video? Intake/exaust Manifold gasket?
 
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