Test Strips for leaking head gasket

[Fearless1]

Using Google, Yahoo, and Dogpile, I have spent quite a bit of time trying to locate and purchase said elusive test strips. Several forums make mention of them, even this one. One even gives “NAPA Fil 4106” and says they are the real deal. NO, I checked with clerk who had product in hand. It would be good if someone could steer me in the right direction for those strips. If not, I'll have to get the tool from AZ. Loner is free, but have to buy solution. Strips would be better.

[Rickf1985]

Basically what you are looking for is hydrocarbons in the coolant, hydrocarbons are in the form of a gas so I am not sure how the strips would pick that up, I have never used the strips. I always used an emissions machine and waved the wand over the radiator fill.. If I got any reading for hydrocarbons I knew I had a blown head gasket or cracked head. The tester I have seen is a tube that attaches to the radiator and to a vacuum line and has a chemical in it that reacts to hydrocarbons.

[Fearless1]

Yes, I wondered how strips could pick up the presence of hydrocarbons, but with modern technology...? Maybe they stopped making them? Maybe they're like the "Loch Ness Monster"? Appears I may have to go the liquid solution route, Aye?

[Rickf1985]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lisle-Combustion-Leak-Detector/19654714?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=202&adid=22222222227017319293&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=51753046271&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=83147973431&veh=sem

https://www.napaonline.com/napa/en/p/BK_7001006/

This may be the rental?
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/uview-combustion-leak-tester-uvu560000/22981757-P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1om5kFlT7E

This last one is a pretty good one for showing the whole procedure. NOTE how he mentions to lower the coolant level in the radiator!!! You do NOT want to pull coolant into the tool or it will ruin the test and you will be cleaning everything and starting over. Here is a little trick I have found in the past, in a perfect world you can see a blown head gasket by filling the radiator right to the top and watching for a steady stream of bubbles. Unless you know how the system works and expect it to spit at you occasionally this is not a good test and is easily misinterpreted. If you have an overflow bottle and you can see into it clearly then you will be able to see the regular stream of bubbles there once the engine is up to temperature. If you have this tool, put it in the radiator when it is cold and pinch off the overflow tube and as it warms up you will see bubbles in the test fluid from the normal expansion of the coolant as it comes up to temperature. Sometimes this alone is enough to change the colors if the head gasket is blown. I usually wait until it is hot before doing the squeeze. If yours is getting as hot as fast as you say I think you will see it in the tool pretty quickly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHp5E7XnbXo

[Fearless1]

Yes, all those links are for the tool with solution. I really wanted to go with the strips, but since they are like hen's teeth, I went with the loner tool from AZ. Solution was $9, but enough for about 10 tests. Good News - Test was Negative for hydrocarbons.