Full Version: Why not to use head gaskets
a pic of the damage!
Wow! nothing else contributed to the damage?
How many miles on that motor?
hey thats my head...I just posted that pic a few minutes ago.. anyhow what do you use if not head gaskets?
Looks noisy.
this is what i did as a result of information taken from this board. this may or may not be the best thing but.....
in assembling a 2.0L motor, i took the cylinders and matched each cylinder to the cylinder location in each head, that is, i identified the cylinders for piston and cylinder numbers I, II, III and IV. i took a small amount of valve grinding paste, like a small amount of toothpaste, on the cylinder edge that would mate to the cylinder spigot. i inserted the cylinder into the spigot and gently rotated the cylinder back and forth through an angle of about 30 - 45 degrees for roughly 30 seconds. upon cleaning the spigot, i could see a slightly roughened surface resulting from the grinding. the purpose of this is to create a good sealing surface between the top of the cylinder and the spigot in the head. i did not use the head gaskets this time, i have used the head gaskets in the last 3 type IV motors i reassembled. the 1st one is still running
but only has maybe 20k on the rebuild. the 2nd one was sold and the new owner had motor problems unrelated to the head and my rebuild. the 3rd is still running strong but only has 3k on the rebuild. the 4th one (that i used the above process on) is still in the basement waiting to be installed
in assembling a 2.0L motor, i took the cylinders and matched each cylinder to the cylinder location in each head, that is, i identified the cylinders for piston and cylinder numbers I, II, III and IV. i took a small amount of valve grinding paste, like a small amount of toothpaste, on the cylinder edge that would mate to the cylinder spigot. i inserted the cylinder into the spigot and gently rotated the cylinder back and forth through an angle of about 30 - 45 degrees for roughly 30 seconds. upon cleaning the spigot, i could see a slightly roughened surface resulting from the grinding. the purpose of this is to create a good sealing surface between the top of the cylinder and the spigot in the head. i did not use the head gaskets this time, i have used the head gaskets in the last 3 type IV motors i reassembled. the 1st one is still running
but only has maybe 20k on the rebuild. the 2nd one was sold and the new owner had motor problems unrelated to the head and my rebuild. the 3rd is still running strong but only has 3k on the rebuild. the 4th one (that i used the above process on) is still in the basement waiting to be installed
I'm not one of the pro-removing the head gasket guys, and lapping the cylinders is a long out-of-favor process that substitutes random Mk1 hand-eye-coordination for precision machining. Did you have the heads surfaced? The Cap'n
I disagree with ya Cap't. I like the lapping method as it only polishes out any slight machining blems that might be. The heads should always cleaned up via surfacing or they will leak and burn thru as in the pic.
Seem a few examples like this pic in my type4 lifetime, maybe not as many as you, but enough.
Seem a few examples like this pic in my type4 lifetime, maybe not as many as you, but enough.
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