Triton Head Gasket inspection by Brisbane Tuning & Turbo. Real Workshop Case – In this post, we discuss Blown Triton’s Head Gasket. Grab a brew and read on…

We had a Mitsubishi Triton in the shop recently—nothing out of the ordinary at first glance. The customer brought it in with signs of overheating and coolant pressurising. Classic symptoms: flat white coolant, loss of water, no visible leaks. A job we’ve seen hundreds of times.

But what started out looking like a standard head gasket job ended up telling a deeper story. A story that every Triton owner, and honestly, every diesel ute owner, needs to hear—because it’s not always the gasket that fails first. Sometimes, it’s the part no one typically checks until the damage is done.

The Diagnostics: Triton Head Gasket Blown- Confirmed…

The first step was simple—run a TK test. This checks for the presence of combustion gases in the coolant, and in this case, it changed the color of the agent instantly. Triton Head Gasket failure is confirmed.

That means the seal between the combustion chamber and the cooling system has let go, allowing hot gases to enter where they shouldn’t.

At that point, the next step is mechanical. We pulled the cylinder head, sent it to our trusted machinist to have it decked and inspected for cracks. All routine. But during disassembly, we noticed something else—the injectors didn’t look right. This is where we need to throw the towel and ask you to stop reading. The reason – this is where the majority of the workshops keep going yet we called the customer. We had to advise the customer that we needed to look for the actual reason and recommend that the injectors be tested.

Injector Testing: The Hidden Problem Comes to Light

When removing the head, we always take a close look at the injector tips. In this case, all four showed signs of excessive heat. Burn marks, uneven colouration, and residue that indicated poor atomisation or over-fuelling. It raised a red flag, yet what we can and should do is always based on the customer’s decision.

We sent the injectors for professional flow testing. We are thinking about a special test bench, yet it’s all planned for now.  All four failed. Poor spray patterns, high return flow, and inconsistent fuel delivery across the board. Keep in mind this is where, regardless of the outcome, the customer is paying the cost: $360, and we have also provided the customer with a quote for new injectors -the replacement cost for a new set: $ 2,100, including GST.

This wasn’t just a case of worn injectors. These were injectors that had been leaking fuel into the cylinder long enough to overheat the combustion chamber—and caused the head gasket failure in the first place.

What Leaking Injectors Do

Let’s break it down.

Diesel injectors are precision components. They don’t just squirt fuel—they atomise it into an ultra-fine mist. This ensures clean combustion, controlled cylinder temps, and even power delivery.

But when they fail—whether from age, heat, or poor fuel—the following happens:

Customer Decision: Head Gasket Yes, Injectors No

Here’s where it gets tough. Triton Head Gasket replacement is confirmed, yet put the injectors back.

The customer approved the gasket repair—he had no choice. The engine wouldn’t survive without it. But after hearing the cost of new injectors, he decided to pass. Said he planned to sell the car.

We understand the logic, but it leaves the job incomplete. The new gasket will hold for now, but those leaking injectors will continue pushing heat into the chambers. It’s a ticking clock on another failure. The bomb is set alive again.

And who buys that vehicle next? They’ll be facing the same issue, with no clue what caused it, in the relatively near future.

This Isn’t Just a Triton Problem

We see this scenario too often across all diesel platforms—Navara, D-Max, HiLux, Ranger. The head gasket fails, and the focus is entirely on machining and reinstalling. No one thinks to test the injectors—until the next head lets go.

If you’re towing, off-roading, or driving long distances in the Queensland heat, injector health isn’t just a performance issue—it’s an engine protection issue.

What BTT Does Differently?

At Brisbane Tuning & Turbo, we don’t guess, and we don’t just bolt parts on. We test injectors as part of any major top-end job. If your vehicle shows signs of overheating, misfiring, smoke, or poor fuel economy, we’ll recommend flow testing every time.

For us, it’s a preventative measure that can save you thousands in repairs.

We also offer injector spray testing and flow matching for all common rail diesels. Within 48 hours, you get:

This Triton case is the perfect example of how small problems become big ones. For less than $400, the injector issue could’ve been diagnosed before the gasket failed—before the head needed machining, before the vehicle was almost gone.

We’re not here to scare anyone, but if your diesel is running rough, using too much fuel, or blowing smoke under load, don’t wait for the coolant to boil call to book 0732767969

Book a fuel system health check today, and let us help you fix the real problem—before it becomes an expensive one.