Is there a head gasket test?

[Keviny707]

My truck is in the shop getting the oil cooler, EGR cooler and turbo rebuild. I was on a 300 mile trip while towing about 5000 lbs when the check engine light came on and it started to run rough. I was able to get it home (300 miles.) Ford dealer pulled codes for EGR and low boost on turbo. The EGR was wet. The diagnosis is what is stated above. I had pulled over to visually inspect the motor and noticed dried white material around the degas bottle cap. I carefully opened the cap and was surprised by a fairly strong blast of pressure and an empty bottle. I filled the bottle with coolant and headed on down the road. This after I had broken down in the Nevada-Utah desert and was towed into Elko NV. where the High Pressure Oil Coupler and dummy plugs were repaired. Two days later I was back on the road heading to California when this happened.

So they're going to fix these three items and also flush the system, but what about the head gaskets? What are the chanced of getting a few miles down the road and finding that my coolant is still blowing/leaking/missing from the degas bottle? Is there a definitive test they can do to tell me if the head gaskets are still holding, or should I just go ahead and get them replaced and ARP bolts installed? By the way, after unloading the vehicle I was towing my truck ran fine.

[dannyboy950]

There is a tester for sampleing any exhaust gas in the coolant system. It runs about 45.00 and can be ordered thru napa or oreilley be shure and get the one for diesel engines. It uses a special fluid that changes color if exhaust gas is present.

It hooks up to the degas bottle and is simple and easy to use and pretty reliable test.

[Term3]

HG check

[03RaptorCV]

Update since that idiot from PSH no longer has a valid link:

HEAD GASKET TEST for 6.0 POWERSTROKE - YouTube

HEAD GASKET TEST for 6.0 POWERSTROKE - YouTube

[Term3]

Yah I'm sure he didn't come up with that check himself. LOL

[03RaptorCV]

It is a lot more enjoyable if you mute the video and just watch what you need to see!

[jmeaby]

Is that the best way to check? Def should mute it he is annoying.