I'm wondering if my second heater core blowing apart in under 50K is perhaps a sign of a leaking head gasket?

I'm theorizing that the head gasket is leaking and over pressurizing the coolant and the high pressure blew the heater core. It has been using some coolant with no signs I could see of leakage anywhere. Feasible?

I guess you can't look for bubbles in the radiator(show in the coolant tank?)
Will a coolant pressure tester work to test this?

Ross

If you have the orig heater core it is not all metal! the core is awesome but they cheese it up by putting plastic end tanks!I bet you have a cracked end tank, most likely right by a hose connection! Was the first thing I had to replace on my car when I bought it! Believe it or not Advance Auto had a all brass heater core!

Actually it was my second heater core to go. Stock lasted like 170K, all aluminum one just went at 201K.
Yes, good point fuzzbeaner, if it was overpressurizing the system, a hose would be more likely to go, or the plastic heater valve.

Ross