head gasket

[mk3sons]

well i had a leaking had gasket i think from the day i got the engine back from the machinist. i was hoping you guys could tell me what the fuck is up with this thing?

Any one know where it was leaking? and the part that confuses me is what the hell is with the metal to metal on the other side? ( and it looks like it was leaking between cylinders as well)

 

[CyFi6]

Looks like someone put it together with a head shim. They are used to compensate for having teh block/head machined. From what i have heard they are generally bad news and ive seen many threads lately on peoples gaskets failing, and then they find a shim in there. Its metal on metal sealing so its not going to work well unless the surfaces are perfect.

 

[suprarich]

Who did that? Prob was leaking between the shim and the block since there is no bead. How thick is the shim?

 

[mk3sons]

Who did that? Prob was leaking between the shim and the block since there is no bead. How thick is the shim?

that damn engine builder guy dude... looky here what i found. timing cover is .015 higher than the block. i clearly had a genius of a machinist. oh and he was "familiar" with the 7m's. ya my ass buddy!

Talked to the guy today he told me to file it down and he will buy me a new gasket set with the head gasket thats it. Does the block look good enough for a mhg?

 

[supraguy@aol]

The block looks pretty good from what i can tell.

 

[mk3sons]

The block looks pretty good from what i can tell.

hum it was done 2k ago maybe. so its okay for a mhg? also why is it i cant find the simple answers on this site just the crazy ones? i just want to know what would happen if i used a mhg with stock head bolts?

 

[CyFi6]

File it down my ass, that engine should be given back to him and repaired by him at his cost... No way you are going to get it filed down flat not to mention youre throwing metal filings directly into the crankcase... Have him machine it again with the timing cover installed (which BTW means honing cylinders once again and installing new rings) and install a thicker MHG with ARP studs. Using stock bolts is a bad idea, you are only supposed to torque them to around 72 ft lbs, and you want the extra torque/even torquing of the studs to provide a good seal. Removal of the timing cover and machining it alone has been done but seems tricky, and he is liable to fuck that up as well. He should be fixing everything at his cost.

BTW check your cylinder head to make sure it wasn't distorted from torquing it down on the uneven block deck..

 

[kotu100]

weird, i did a HG job for a local from RI, and his engine had a shim in it as well, and it looked like the timing cover wasnt even with the block.
ARP head studs for sure with the MHG.

 

[lewis15498]

File it down? Fuck him! Thats a major fuck up. As CyFi6 mentioned, torquing the head down on that likely fucked up your head, potentially to the point where it can't be saved. Dont let this guy touch your shit anymore. Letting a fuck up try and fix his fuck ups will only result in more fuck ups. I'm assuming you tried to run it so your bearings may be contaminated as well. I would start over. Either take this guy to court, or cut your losses, but dont let him touch it again.

 

[mk3sons]

guys i drove the engine for four months with no signs of a bad head gasket . Im gonna check the head today and decide what to do from there. this sucks!

 

[mk3sons]

head is warped i don't know whats considered bad but he said he would fix that too for free.

 

[lewis15498]

If it is annealed or warped to a certain point it cannot be fixed. Stay away from this guy, you are only going to dig yourself deeper. Talk to supra rich (posted above). Rich is a great guy, and knows what he is doing. I would send my stuff to him before letting a local machine shop touch my stuff.

 

[mk3sons]

If it is annealed or warped to a certain point it cannot be fixed. Stay away from this guy, you are only going to dig yourself deeper. Talk to supra rich (posted above). Rich is a great guy, and knows what he is doing. I would send my stuff to him before letting a local machine shop touch my stuff.

how would i know if its annealed? and i actually got a real precision straight and the head isn't warped at all i don't know how but its not.

 

[kotu100]

Did you just eye it or did you use feeler gauges?

 

[mk3sons]

Did you just eye it or did you use feeler gauges?

I didn't use feeler gauges but id be surprised if i could fit anything under it. I think i am getting false reading from all the gasket shit but I am guessing your gonna tell me to use feller gauges so ill do that.

Edit: holly balls i never realized how small feeler gauges got!

 

[radiod]

Yeah, feeler gauges will give you a definite answer. If you can feel a wobble in the edge or can see light, it's already more than a couple thou out. If you're aiming for any sort of MLS gasket on the build, you have a ZERO tolerance for any warpage. Any sort of warp might seal for a short amount of time, but it will create a weak spot and will blow very soon after if it doesn't right away. Check the block/head length wise down the center and the sides, then try and do it diagonally from corner to corner, and finally width wise across a number of sections and check it with the feeler gauges. That will give you your answer.

 

[mk3sons]

Yeah, feeler gauges will give you a definite answer. If you can feel a wobble in the edge or can see light, it's already more than a couple thou out. If you're aiming for any sort of MLS gasket on the build, you have a ZERO tolerance for any warpage. Any sort of warp might seal for a short amount of time, but it will create a weak spot and will blow very soon after if it doesn't right away. Check the block/head length wise down the center and the sides, then try and do it diagonally from corner to corner, and finally width wise across a number of sections and check it with the feeler gauges. That will give you your answer.

thanks dude! ill do that but iv decide to not use a mls because of money issues so ill take it easy on her and run low boost again and buy the important stuff. ZZZ...

 

[mk3sons]

Okie dokie ladies and gentlemen, the head came to less than .002 off. .002 was my smallest gauge and i couldn't fit it under anywhere. and i came home and my step papa had the timing cover filled down to .002-.003 higher than the block is this okay or does it need to be better? For a stock head gasket btw.

 

[mk3sons]

Okie dokie ladies and gentlemen, the head came to less than .002 off. .002 was my smallest gauge and i couldn't fit it under anywhere. and i came home and my step papa had the timing cover filled down to .002-.003 higher than the block is this okay or does it need to be better? For a stock head gasket btw.

any input on this?

 

[IJ.]

Needs to be exact or slightly lower, if lower you can apply a smear of RTV along the cover to make sure it seals.