Need some opinions about my ongoing head gasket issue... :(

[1989STAR-ESIR]

The AJUSA is it then. I will just need to prep the block up front near the chain area much more and make sure to remove the RTV around the timing cover which I think may have been my down fall. I only added so much but it may have been too much.

 

My new buddy Scott (Koolbreeze here on the forum) just sanded his block and everything before install and had steller results. I was amazed that his old 87 (pretty original mechanically, stock turbo and head) could still move like it was V8 powered. Truely inspired me to keep going at it.

 

Again, thank you for your comments, advise and so on. Till next time.

[Caliber308]

The AJUSA is it then. I will just need to prep the block up front near the chain area much more and make sure to remove the RTV around the timing cover which I think may have been my down fall. I only added so much but it may have been too much.

 

My new buddy Scott (Koolbreeze here on the forum) just sanded his block and everything before install and had steller results. I was amazed that his old 87 (pretty original mechanically, stock turbo and head) could still move like it was V8 powered. Truely inspired me to keep going at it.

 

Again, thank you for your comments, advise and so on. Till next time.

 

Just make sure your Cylinder Head and Engine Block are perfectly true. Don't remove anymore material than is needed to make them both flat. Here is a trick I learned on the Engine Block.....Don't shave it beyond to where you can't read the serial numbers

 

Bill

Edited July 25, 2012 by Caliber308

[1989STAR-ESIR]

My head was brand new upon install so I am just focused on the block and making sure its true. I will take your advice and just shave down on the block the proper amount. After draining the coolant (Looked perfect no oil), and draining the oil (Looked ok, maybe had 1/4 quart of coolant in it. It may have just been coolant from the original failure. Very milky at the bottom with no wateryness. Just antifreeze. Regardless, the front most cylinder is low on compression and burns coolant.

 

I hope that I can get it running right this next round. I can only wrench so much before I go insane and want to take a hammer to the car...

All work and no play make me a dull boy.

[scott87star]

I said it before, its not the cars fault, and I'll say it again. It's your job to make sure everything is square and true and clean and within specification before you go bolting stuff back together. If you get it together and it isn't right, its back on you to make it right. All we part time mechanics live by the same rules.

 

Having said that, sometimes its a lot easier to make certain if the motor isn't in the car.

[1989STAR-ESIR]

I said it before, its not the cars fault, and I'll say it again. It's your job to make sure everything is square and true and clean and within specification before you go bolting stuff back together. If you get it together and it isn't right, its back on you to make it right. All we part time mechanics live by the same rules.

 

Having said that, sometimes its a lot easier to make certain if the motor isn't in the car.

I completely agree. Everything was per spec aside from the front cylinder so I did a decent job considering it was my first G54B top end rebuild. Being as I bought a new head, new turbo, injectors...etc. I did not really cut corners aside from not just bolting in a new engine. Everything looked good. Not my first head gasket. Followed the manual like it was a bible. It was my first unsucessful HG but I will give it another shot with the engine in the car and if that does not take I may just consider an engine swap or move on. Thanks

Edited July 26, 2012 by 1989STAR-ESIR

[StarquestRescue]

 

 

Did a compression test and I had good numbers 95ish (With th throttle body closed... Doh!) except for the front most cylinder was only 60ish and it was the cylinder obvioulsy burning the coolant. This next week I will be pulling the head again and sanding down the front area and I will be sanding off all of the RTV between the timing cover and the block. That may be why I have a leak.

 

Also the throttle body seemed to check out just fine as I thought there was coolant leaking in through there. No leaks there from what I could see and it smelled of only fuel. I believe the issue completely lies in the front cylinder. That and the Fel Pro 8770PT will not be the next gasket I use. I am considering the TEP $60 eBay gasket as they say its the best for the 2.6L Turbo engine.

 

95 is low, 60 is terminal even with the tb closed. The isc should open the throttle plate a little when cranking any way.But gauges varies some and the isc could be dead, bad or way out of whack.

 

I just have this nagging feeling the problem is not the head gasket. You might want to pull the # 1 piston and inspect the rings and ring lands.

[1989STAR-ESIR]

95 is low, 60 is terminal even with the tb closed. The isc should open the throttle plate a little when cranking any way.But gauges varies some and the isc could be dead, bad or way out of whack.

 

I just have this nagging feeling the problem is not the head gasket. You might want to pull the # 1 piston and inspect the rings and ring lands.

The engine is burning coolant in the low comp #1 cylinder. It is not burning oil (yet or I only smell burning coolant) and I am pretty sure the low comp number has to do with the head gasket leaking or cracked cylinder wall maybe. It starts fine and runs good but eventually starts to suck coolant in and from then on its a stinky steamer.

 

95 does seem low but the car runs good aside from the one cylinder eating and burning coolant. The rings may need to be run a while as the engine has sat for a long time. It may just be time for a new short block or engine swap. I will have to check the isc and see if its opening when cranking.

 

Doubt bad rings are my issue... Then again the whole car could be f'd

[markhansenconquest]

it sounds like its some where else!!!!!!!!!!I dont think its your head gasket....cracked block....bad turbo seals...when you take it apart you should be able to see where the gasket is blown...is one of your pistons clean...If so thats the place to look at the gasket..or cylinder for cracks!!!!!

[1989STAR-ESIR]

it sounds like its some where else!!!!!!!!!!I dont think its your head gasket....cracked block....bad turbo seals...when you take it apart you should be able to see where the gasket is blown...is one of your pistons clean...If so thats the place to look at the gasket..or cylinder for cracks!!!!!

I have a newly remanufactured 16g turbo, all seals are new... its either the gasket failed upon initial startup after assembly or the freking cylinder wall is cracked or... there are imperections on the block decking... Or the brand new head I installed is a POS and it hasa a crack somehwere.

[Tim_C.]

My vote is block deck.

[Indiana]

 

Beat them to hell....And then ask for help

 

Bill

That's how you move forward. You learn nothing following what someone else says as far as upgrading your individual setup since no two are ever alike or are driven the same. I'm sure I don't drive you like do. For the most part I drive under the speed limit but if I hit 40psi on upshifts from 2-4 its no big deal you're talking fractions of seconds of being there but those new so called performance cars are way behind you by then and that's about all that matters to me its not about top speed. There's always going to be another car that's faster than you are. You say do this and not that and you need to add in ten pages of other details about what that means exactly and ten more of dos and don'ts. The only bad part of what you do is like anything else its always about heat and how quick its generated and it has nothing to do with boost pressure. You remember that yellow car on the dyno in California with all the high numbers? How long did that all last in total? 3 seconds? How did that effect the cooling system? How did that effect the water pump rpms and the flow rate in both the radiator and the block and in all of the block or just part of it? How does the flow rate in the front of the block differ from the back of the block at say 6000 rpms? This is what blows up the motors, its this horrible uneven heating and its always hot in the back of this motor. Its not hard to see how that is happening but what did you see anyone do about it? I never saw anyone do anything about it. You'd think they would use the rear mounted water pump or leave those Magna intake thermostat housings in the back or use a forklift water pump and blow the coolant into the side of the block and use a Magna head and two damn thermostats but oh that would make too much sense I guess its just easier to copy what Joeblow did cause it worked for him. Maybe by now that motor is all blown up and you're still trying to play catch up and while he's moved forward 5 times you are still with a stock POS setup. That's the case with me. You think I've told EVERYTHING I've done of have I'm working on? Hell no. I'm done with telling that you can try and understand why you get different air fuel ratios at idle when you change your compressor wheel that's how ignorant most are in here. Its pretty basic but its all covered up by BS.

[Tim_C.]

Well said Indy!