head gasket advice needed

BenI · 10-01-2000, 01:25 PM

I believe my head gasket is leaking on one side, if I cant stop it by retorqing the head nuts, is it ok to remove the gaskets from just one side?

Here's the story:
Had the 2.0L engine rebuilt 7000 miles ago-went to the wrong place. I was crossing Kansas when I snapped the #4 exhaust valve. I replaced the head on that side as well as the P+C. Ive heard that people have had trouble with the gasket between the head and cylinder leaking, but the builder had them in and I wanted to be consistent, so I put new gaskets in on that side (the other side i did no work on). Anyway, I believe now its leaking-as I am almost positive the spark plugs and heat exchangers are not.

If I can tighten the head nuts-best case scenario.

If you think its OK to just remove the gaskets from one side of the engine, that wont be too much work.

If you think I shoul;d replace the gaskets, then ill have to drop the engine a bit.

Do you have another idea?

Thanks for any input you can give!

Ben Ihas

JP Noonan · 10-01-2000, 07:59 PM

Usally head gasket leaks are very obvious, the escaping gas make a black mark on the head. Try re-tourqueing them, prober patternand torque rating obviously.

I would advise against removing the gaskets from just one side, it will increase the CR of only that side probably causing idle and drivability problems. You 'could' remove them from only one side IF you were to put base shims under the cylinders to compensate for the loss of the gasket. That would require you remove the cylinder from the block, so it probably wouldn't save you anything time wise.

BenI · 10-01-2000, 08:26 PM

Thanks. I would rather keep gaskets in than add cyl base shims. If re-torqing doesnt work, do you think it would help to replace the gaskets? is the gasket to head connection the one that usually leaks?

JP Noonan · 10-02-2000, 01:38 PM

You say you are sure the exhaust is tight, and the spark plugs aren't cross theaded. Then the most probable cause would be the head gasket. There is a very remote chance the head cracked in such a way as to leak exhaust, but that dosen't happen on type-IV's very much and only rarely on Type-I's. One last thing to check is to see if you have 75-76 cylinder heads. These have an air injection tube that can come loose,beleive me it sounds just like dropped valve. I thought I blew up my motor when one fell out. Also if the tubes aren't connected to an air pump make sure they are capped off properly.

Head gasket leaks usally happen after the motor has been over heated. The head lifts off the gasket and once the leak starts the gasket can't seal itself back up. If it goes on for a while the gasket melts and just about welds the cylinder to the head BTDT. Had a 2.0L bus cylinder that would not come off the head no matter what I did.

Head gasket leaks leave a trail of carbon and oil all over the bottom fin of the head so look for that.

The only other reason I can think of a gasket leaking is if it was bent or pinched when installed, but then I would think the problem would have surfaced earlier.

FWIW

jmcleod · 10-02-2000, 04:55 PM

it sounds like you are going to try to retorque your heads with the engine still in the car. if that's correct, i don't think you will be able to get to the top 4 cylinder head nuts with the engine sheet metal still on. (but you could still reach the bottom 4 nuts with the rocker shafts off). if you are going to drop the motor, then ignore this post.

BenI · 10-11-2000, 07:57 PM

Well, I know know its possible to replace cylinder shims and head gaskets without ever dropping the engine. Im such a bonehead, when replacing the head and jug originally I put the wrong thinkness shim behind one cylinder. This made the head sit crooked on the jugs and one side of both head gaskets literally blew out (I think the hot gas destroyed the gaskets). Unlike most jobs it seems, I was very happy to be able to find the problem and cause! It only took me 6 hours total to replace one cylinder shim and both head gaskets. Now the car is running top notch! It times like these (when you first get the car running after weeks or months of sitting) when you remember why you love these cars!

Thanks for the comments-although the gasket melting to head story was a little too scary for my taste!