I have been working on cars all my life. I am 61 years old, and you are teaching me how to do more of the work without taking everything to the shop. You are a great person and a great mechanic.

This is proper mechanics in my mind, love the way you go about it, just shows you dont need to pay someone else. Your showing and saving people from spending money that they just dont have, great respect.

This is an Oldskool method, this has been around for a long time. This is how the machine shops I use do this test the only difference is that they use $10,000 to $20,000 dollar machines to do it and some use HOT WATER when they perform this test. I just broke it down and put it on a smaller scale so WE the DIYer can now do it at home. Its simple and very cost effective for me because I do head gaskets all the time. Remember this Never be afraid to stretch the boundaries, never be afraid to try, never be afraid to fail because there is no such thing only another opportunities for you to LEARN, GROW and EXCEL in life but the most important thing is to always put Jesus Christ, first and at the center of everything you do because with God all things are possible KEEP ON SMASHIN ON IT IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME.

I haven't took a engine rebuilding class but I am a6, a8, l1 certified and two months away from getting a smog inspectors license. Having that in mind I just want to say, I respect the trade and this is a great tip. Its an accurate test, and like you said only thing that is missing is the heating up of the water. Thanks for sharing, I appreciate learning something new. Keep those videos coming.

Man you are a true mechanic. You taught me alot today, thank you.

The problem is that people no longer want to do anything for themselves. I have watched quite a few of your videos and they all look good to me. Yes, machine shops specialize in doing all of these services on modern machines and perhaps often with more exact tolerances. Then again, you are letting somebody else work on your parts and often there just isn't any attention to detail. A skilled craftsman is becoming very hard to find. Bottom line is that everything I've seen you do will work just fine! Although I'm not a very big religious guy, I really enjoy seeing that you add this aspect to your videos. Two things that are missing in today's society, hard work and God. Keep the videos coming! One day when SHTF the haters may have to use these old school methods!!! I applaud you! I learned to work on vehicles by myself. I never had a father to teach me. I just started tearing things apart and the rest just came naturally to me, thank goodness! I can work on just about anything now, only limitation are specialty tools and equipment. However, like you are showing, much of this can be adapted!

Very creative! I love all the unconventional methods you use. Because you're only testing the coolant jackets and well above factory cooling pressures this is a valid test. Factory specs for most vehicles is 16 to 20 PSI. You've gone well above and beyond that.

I spent 6 months doing intercooler assembly and leak checks "dry" method which meant I had soapy water dripping on the floor and also like nearly a year and a half doing the wet test method for truck radiators. We had big wide stainless steel tanks and even had water heaters in them so our hands wouldn't get cold. We had fake top and bottom tanks that were basically just a rectangle and the top side would have an air hose fitting. We would use multiple gaskets to get a better seal and avoid using spring washers. And the same bolts would be used over and over til they were starting to get worn. At the point they started getting hard to tighten easily, we would fling them all in the scrapmetal and use a new batch. The radiator core would go to a different department to get properly assembled then tested a second time. We were just testing the core for leaks. Reminds me of staring at a core waiting for leaks around 1am with all the exhaust fans and other gear roaring in the background. Made a lot of money in those days....

love you stuff man . I have never been to a pro shop to repair a vehicle. Guys like you that make it possible!

With God, anything is possible. Amen! Keep up the good work brother. You're truly a blessing. I'm almost done with my head job.

Last guys comment said you talked to him a lot. Short story to tell you buddy. I am disabled and about to start selling parts online. I'm used to old cast iron stuff which I imagine this would work for that too and I don't see one night. But I called a couple of shops today and found out that the aluminum heads are now pressure test it and not electroflux. Corsets obvious. Both places told me $75 a piece and $150 for a block. I know I have a crack somewhere in a Dodge 2500 truck. I don't want to sell junk parts and I want to sell them to make the money so I have to test them. You have saved me so much money. If you don't have a patron account you should get one. And message me what it is. I believe in paying for education and what little bit KZfaq gives you isn't a lot but everything adds up I get that. Dude I most definitely thank you and you have a great one

I think that's pretty cool your daughter is always there helping you and watching

Brother, I have so much love for you. You seriously radiate Christ. Watching you and listening to you confirms so much to me about the Path of the righteous. Yo man thank you for your page and all the information. Sharing Christ and information is the best gift ever to be given from one human to another. NEVER STOP.

Please don't stop making these videos, the world needs them i think. God bless you

Thank you for all of these videos. I think it's excellent that you do a comprehensive step by step without skipping over anything.

I'm right in the middle of a blown head gasket repair on a 4.6L out of Lincoln town car. I'm going to be sure to test for cracks. I already checked for warped by the test.I watched you do. God bless and keep making these videos.

Oh man, you're the best tutor who can teach this stuff in that low details. You're the man brother, keep it up. very nice work and god bless you and your family for doing a great job!

Your videos are awesome brother! I am slowly adding this DIY tools and methods to my garage. I teach automotive tech to inmates in state lock up. We don't have access to alot of things. Your methods open up so many more doors to teach these guys. Thanks for your vids and keep up the good work man.

I don't know who taught you . I have never seen that one outside of the machine shop. That test tells you weather or not those heads are any good.Thank you Dude

my friend you are a jenious and scholar triple a plus mechanic. I have been doing mechanical work for 50 years and you are by far the best I have seen. god bless buddy

I really appreciate what you do, man. Not only the content but the way you explain things is really cool. Thank you!

I enjoyed this video and the thinking outside of the box mentality you have. God bless

Thank you brother, I am gathering my stuff to do this I live 28 miles from my machine shop wow so great considering how a small of an amount of natural presure a coolant system has 60 psi will show any crack I have ran my small shop for 20 years and you helped me so much ! And a big thank you for the motivation God is great and yes all is possible with his Grace .

Do whatever works. Just make it happen. I watch your videos just becase I like you and your ideas.

Thanks oldskool funk. you are always a great source for positive inspiration and knowledge to work on car projects. thanks.

Best home Mechanic ever, solid man, a true fountain of knowledge.

That's a good way to check the heads you're very smart thank you for showing us

What a G!!! I've watched all your videos and have learned a lot cause I to am a DIYer and won't let ANY mechanic touch my vehicles! I do however still take my heads to the machine shop but I personally know the guys down their and know I am getting quality work done cause I stand their and watch the process while it's being done! Keep the videos coming👍👍

1,000% impressed with your enginuity and parking lot know how, thank you for sharing what you know with us, you accomplish more on a fold out table in a parking lot than some wanna be technicians get done in a full shop, well done mate

God is great! Really appreciate how He is using you to help people who are struggling DIYing so they can take care of their families. You are doing more ministry than most churches. Gonna do this to my mercruiser 3.0 so I can fix my ole boat and take my grandson fishing,...in Jesus' name.

very unconventional way of doing things but you get the same results and I can respect that! Love the ingenuity and motivation. I'm not a DIY'er (own my repair shop) but I still can respect your work. Keep up the good work and videos. My brother in Christ -Rob

the head will expand when it's at running temp. you have to put it in near boiling water and warm it up and then check for leaks. love your work.

This is cool, I'm going to present this method to my college and persuade them to let us construct something similar. It's very visual and would be interesting for class.

Your bud in the background with the Capn' America Shirt...KUDOS, man. You got Tony Stark and Steve Rogers working those engines! You the man.

Brilliant stuff brother. May almighty Jesus Christ keep blessing you and your family so you can keep blessing us...Amen

love your videos, the world needs more people like you !!!

Brilliant...!! Thanks man.. taking the time to educate others...God Bless You !!!

You are very intelligent man!.. The need is a mother of all discoveries!.. You have a head not to sit on..for sure!.. Making simple tools and mechanics do wonders in your hands!..Bravo to you! I am trying to bring to life my 98 Ford F150 4.6 Triton!..

You are amazing been fixing cars since 1964 my own shop since 1967 I have never seen this!

I like the stuff you do man and I think you a a real cool dude.

I wished that more mechanics are humble, passionate and god fearing like you mate! Most mechanics are out for a profit and will do anything to maximize

dude you are a genius! How did you come up with all these ideas? Thank God for you! I am learning things i never seen how you teach it. praise Jesus for you...And you are encouraging because many times i feel discouraged and wanna quit.

Great work buddy! I've been watching your videos for a while now and have learned a lot. I love the DIY ingenuity you have, the make due with what you have approach is lost when you start to make it, and finally have some money to throw around. Do it yourself and stretch that dollar smart at all times. Thanks for what you do, and please keep the videos and knowledge coming. bless.

Love your videos and your lover for Christ. Keep on and God bless.

good job brother. the lord blessed folks like you and I with creative minds and the ability to provide for our families and also save other families money on their vehicle repairs. i am a mobile mechanic and have made several home made devices such as this but have not shared them as you have. thank you for your hard work and willingness to be open. I pray for your safety and future of your business. god bless.

Good work with the videos The only thing I could add to this is to add boiling water to the tank to bring the cylinder head up to operating temperature. Sometimes the really small cracks will hold pressure when cold & won't open up until it's hot. Keep up the good work 👍🏼

Thank you again Oldskool! You keep teaching me new tricks and I'm eating it up.

Very, very slick. You're a smart fellow. The marque of a good mechanic is the ability to make tools to resolve issues they don't necessarily have easy access to or for that matter don't even exist.

Very good to teach this method, Another NDI procedure, you can also buy a spray bottle of fluorescent penetrant, etch the head (clean with sodium hydroxide solution, lye) and a black light. etch the head, apply penetrant, dwell (leave it to penetrate 6-8 hrs) hot water rinse the casting, leave it to dwell in hot water until it reaches 180°-195° then inspect with a black light inside a completely dark room, dental mirror with a handle to validate the casting for cracks/porosity. May as well smooth the intake and exhaust ports and gasket match to increase airflow and consider and annealed copped head gasket w/copper kote sealer to increase compression and sealing, God Bless! keep on keeping on...oB

interesting approach. I love the energy and the thinking. The set up is great. If I was doing a lot of cylinder heads, I'd be up for this. for others tapping into a hole, be sure to back off from time to time, go in 2 turns, come out 1 turn. the key is to give the threads and shaving a chance to clear out

Can I use a piece of 1/4 steel in place of the plexiglass?Thank you

This is more work for sure plus a few bucks invested to start but at least you know if the head is good or not for sure. Plus you dont have to wait for a shop to get to it. This can be done on a holiday weekend at 2AM if needed. Thanks, Im trying this. Awesome video. God bless you.

Thanks for sharing all the videos I'm building up knowledge everyday. Also thank you for the spiritual point of view helps me get through the day and gives me motivation

You are an excellent teacher, and an extremely innovative man! What a great video! Nice work!

I cant give you anything but kudos brother. You seriously impress me because you think just like I do... Outside the box. I do almost everything myself. keep it up!!

Enjoy your videos, but just want to give some helpful advice. When overlaying text on videos, just use white letters with a black outline around them. Makes it very easy to read.

Great work man. Very informative and the oil pan video helped me out. Keep it up and let the haters hate. GOD BLESS.

Oldskool funk love you brother! You are a great person and I really enjoy your videos as well as your knowledge.

Thats Championship material right there brother. You would make a great engineer or machinist - work in my shop any day. Stay gold.

+oldskool funk. You are a good man! Don't even acknowledge the haters. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. This shows what a stand up guy you are. Make the haters who can't back themselves with anything better as if the are INVISIBLE. Ignore them. Responding to them only wastes your valuable time and keeps you from making other cool videos. You have proven yourself. Keep up the good work and videos.

I like this dude. Good attitude all around. Good videos too

I work in a automotive machine shop my pressure tester is set at 40psi. The cheap quick connect leaked before the gasket material pretty impressive. Everything you said is a fact and methods are without flaw. I have a question, what adhesive did you use to attach foam rubber to metal backing plate? Thanks for the feedback in advance, keep up the Oldskool method by brother.

Hey mate just seen your pressure test video , I often test cylinder heads by just using super glue and flat steel plates that are bonded over the water jackets ,I have a air intake pad that is fixed to a regular foot pump .Use plenty of glue and let the steel pads set for an hour and you can get them totally air tight and get pressures of 50 psi Nice work my friend !

So, When can I bring my Hemi to you for repair. You definitely have the skills! Love your videos. Thanks for the tips.

You need to be a shop teacher for high skool students....praise God for your skills.

I use blue tack, a blanking plate with a tyre valve in it, and a bicycle pump. Works perfectly.

Thank you for taking your time to put out all these great videos. it has helped me alot.

I see this is a old video, but I thought I'd take a shot.. I have gm 3.8 head that have a crack between the valves ,you can see a black line like a hair.. I was getting exaust gas in my radiator..I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around gasses leaking into the coolant passages from the outer surface between the valves.. is that common on these 3.8 heads because the coolant ports run behind ? I know it's said to be no concern on other heads.. any help is appreciated I'm at a crossroad here.. thank you love your videos

This is great. Only here in UK after watching your sanding and fixing warped heads, I looked into getting the sand paper, but rolls of it cost the same as the shop. If you do lots of them, it makes sense.

I think that I remember my uncle doing something like this on an airplane engine head back in the '60's. I love this tool!! BTW a good source for all sorts of plastic in San Diego is ePlastics, 5535 Ruffin Road, 92123 (Kearny Mesa). They have an odds and ends box out front where they sell sheet plastics, plastic rods, and whatever else may be laying around for $2 per pound. I got a 3/4" piece of plexi dirt cheap, and so far I have made a large cake plate for my wife with some of it. If you can't find a thick enough piece, they have solvent glues where you could just take 2 pieces, and solvent weld them together. All my best wishes, and may God bless.

The heads are about to come off my gm 3.4 and im seriously considering using this method. God bless.

I did this years back on my old Ford 2.0 OHC head. Only real difference was that I drilled the plexiglass and bolted it to the head through the original head bolt holes using bloody great 2" x 1/2" "Washers" to spread the load on the plexiglass. It worked well, But your way with the bar clamps has the added benefit of allowing you to use the same piece of plexi for several different engines....... Wouldn't have thought of that. :)

This was a good tip. I have to try this next time I work on a cylinder head. And save a ton of money.

I’m learning a lot from you man, I appreciate you bro

have you done a blog with this test on a known leaking head? keep the good things coming.

Nothing but good info! Thanks man for taking your time to make these videos.

You can use that same device to do a Leak Down test before you pull the heads. Use the compression test hose fitting hooked to your regulated air. On TDC with valves closed listen where air leaks out. Leaks past valves - cracked or bent valve, air noise through breather - bad rings. It's a reverse of a compression test.

dang this is SMART!

This dude be like "can't stop, won't stop"

Do you have a video on testing the block? I have a Old junk motor I pulled out seeing if I can possibly repair it its spitting water out from manifold. Like regardless if I add water. It just runs out won’t stay topped off it’s not mixing into oil? I replaced all the gaskets at first but still same results Any ideas?

Good staff . Keep it up,. I'm rebuilding my mazda GTR and there are a lot of good info in your videos. God bless you.

Another cheap way to do this is to get the inspection dye and developer in spraycans: Spotcheck SKL-SP2 and SKD-S2. Shop around because prices vary but you can get both cans for under $40. Surface cracks will show up with that (you won't be able to see internal cracks though). Two cans can do a bunch of parts vs paying a shop to do magnaflux $50 each time

Freakin' Brilliant. This may be an old school method but it's new to me ! And it increased my understanding of the structure of the cylinder head. If I changed anything I'd put a flat grey background in place of video when you put text on the screen, it will be easier to read and you can still do voice over during that short period... God bless

I think it would also help to heat the water at working engine temperature so the metal expands and show any microscopic holes or cracks for just in case since you do all that procedure.

Great thinking man! A little grease on the gasket material scraps would help keep them in place on the head while installing the plexiglass

@oldschoolfunk , hey my friends thank you for the great videos. I am about to embark on my first head gasket job and it is on an 05 Saab 93 2.0t , any advice you can give me for the Saab? I would really appreciate it. Thank you and god bless

Well done! Very ingenuitive, practical, and effective. Keep it up!

Hey brother in the aircraft industry NDT can't you use a dye penetrant test are those available for automotive use?

I just wanted to say thank you for the great vids you put up!!

Oldskool funk I love you man.... I've been bugging my sons for years about learning to do things on there own rather then using more expensive ways....:) Not sure if I would go to such length as you do but....you gotta do it yourself if you aren't rich...

You took the pressure up until a leak started, not to failure (that’s usually pretty catastrophic). Good video, take it over to clapper and I’m sure you will have an instant audience. I was thinking about using rtv but there’s two (at least two) problems with that, cure time and maintaining pressure. I know that my 240Z has a cracked head and I have no mill for the deck which means... machine shop. Thanks for the video, well done, safe and informative.

Good to see your brain function on a different wavelengths You have so many ways to get around to get DIY to you cars going without costly professional work.

Great tip! May God continue Blessing you my friend..

buena idea cuanto aire uso para esta prueba gracias.

Hi from the UK. Great vid my man! I do quite a few cylinder head jobs, and hadn't even considered doing this myself until watching this video! One thing I was thinking though, sometimes leaks don't become evident until the engine gets warm. Maybe some form of heating the head/water might be a good idea like they do with the professional setups, I believe they also add like a washing up type liquid that lowers the water's surface tension and makes spotting very small leaks easier. Again, thanks for the inspiration! 😁👍

i love your diy and the equiptment that you design smart man and test have been confirmed great job my friend thank you for taking time to share your knowledge with us

what is the max psi on the freeze plug that is the only thing i keep thanking about as you have that girl turn up the air

thanks old school I got a couple of head gaskets to be doing in the next couple of years. this will help alot

where would you see the bubbles escaping from if there was a valve leak?

When you are checking it like this, 100 degree water isnt enough, it will need to be VERY hot. otherwise magnaflux the head. Still, this is a good method to find cracks in the runners and things you might not otherwise see.