I'm very tempted to pull the head off my engine and change the gasket, but before I do thought I should check.

Though not what I consider to be drastic in any way, the exhaust emits a rusty coloured water, and the coolant doesnt stay clean for long at all.
No smoke or steam when running, just marks on the ground from all the water coming out of the rear end.

This a sign my head gasket is on the way out or something else a possible culprit?

Thanks.

I guess the first qustion is "are you losing water from the coolant system" ??

If not then its probably not a head gasket.

Water and acids are a by product of combustion. It happens in all cars and usually the engine is run long enough to thoroughly evaporate it off into the atmosphere. Engines that dont quite get up to a high engine temperature (short runs etc) allow the gases to remain as "steam" and the cooling process allows these gases to condense in liquids again. Often in the exhaust.

When you next start the car the exhaust pressure blows these condensation liquids out. Its more noticable while the car standing and idling.

I am not discounting a blown head gasket, however, water from a blown or leaking head gasket should be more apparent when the engine is hot and the water is therefore under pressure.

Loss of coolant from the radiator is the key to this if its a head gasket.

Mike

Guess I could always do a compression test too.
That's easy enough.

Thanks Mike.

Everything that Mike said i second

You can also go down to most mechanics/radiator shops and they can pressure test your cooling system, and also test for combustion gases in the cooling system.

The steam should smell a bit peppery if you have coolant in the exhaust! That said, dont go sniffing your exhaust for too long!