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headgasket tips.. sigh 

 

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 Post subject: headgasket tips.. sigh
Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:32 pm 
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About to do a headgasket.. nothing worse than hearing different things.

The auto manual says to use loctite on the head bolts, others say just oil, other say grease, is it just me or is loctite the opposite to these two?

the manual says just to install new bolts as they are, I have just read that you should put hardened steel washes on the bolts on alloy heads..

about the only thing i've found consistant is to use a genuine AU gasket and nothing else.. but even then i've just read that these MLS gaskets can be too rigid to get a cold seal as they have very little conformability.

I will definately be getting my head crack tested and re-surfaced.

I just want to fix my stupid headgasket once and properly. :(

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:50 pm 
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Dont use loctite!

Just a bit of oil or moly on the new bolt threads and torque them as specified.

Steel shims wont hurt, but you dont need them.

You can use other head gaskets, but the AU one is better. If you do a proper job, a standard ACL head gasket will last another 200,000k's/10 years. I have read all about MLS gaskets sealing problems, but I nobody seems to complain about head gasket problems after installing one.

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:01 pm 
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strange that the auto manual says loctite the bolts..
engine oil it is then.. seems to be what everyone else does.

while I've got the head off I may as well put a regrind cam in it..

oh and since the AU gasket raises the compression slightly.. should I also skim the head to raise it or will that be enough?

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:27 pm 
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I just used some engine oil on mine when we put her back together.

On this topic, whats people's opinion on Holymer? (however the fk it's spelt) The guy who helped me with my head gasket swears by the stuff.

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:41 pm 
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Hylamar (still not spelt properly) but I know what you mean seems to have a good name and supposedly Rolls Royce use it, but I wouldnt touch the stuff. A guy I knew used it on a rebuild on a kawasaki 650 head gasket. Everything had been machined It still leaked. The best gasket sealant IMO is permatex non hardening but from what I hear if your surfaces are straight and clean you dont need any goo. Removing something like permatex to redo a job, or in a few years would be difficult. I have used permatex succesfully when reusing gaskets on motorbikes though.
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 3:34 pm 
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Don't use any sealer on a Head gasket. Head gaskets have their own sealant on them. Use Permatex on intake and water gaskets.

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 4:31 pm 
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so eveyone disagrees with using loctite on the head bolts then? just some oil? do you run down the block suface with light sandpaper? then rub with kero?

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 4:40 pm 
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Thats pretty much what i do

Clean the deck with gasket remover (toxic s**t) until thats removed all its going to. Then with fine sand paper and light touch to remove any remaining marks. Finally wipe down with clean rags and metho until the rags come off clean (no residue left on the deck).

Also important to clean the head bolt threads in the block with a tap or slotted head bolt. You want them clean to get a true torque setting and even clamping.

As for the loctite - does it say what loctite product they recommend?

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 5:31 pm 
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whats a slotted head bolt? :?

I'd be scared sticking a tap into the block incase I fuct it up..

oh and yes the manual says ''coat the cylinder head bolts with LOCTITE 243 sealand or equivalent and tighten with finger."

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 5:38 pm 
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Make sure you run a sealant over the top timing cover and back onto the block before you put the head back on. I didn't do this the first time and the thing leaked from the front on both sides. Why it does this i don't know considering the head gasket seemed to cover the whole area.

Also check out this doco:

http://www.eseries.com.au/portal/kb.php?mode=article&k=15
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:07 pm 
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JT wrote:
whats a slotted head bolt? :?

I'd be scared sticking a tap into the block incase I fuct it up..

oh and yes the manual says ''coat the cylinder head bolts with LOCTITE 243 sealand or equivalent and tighten with finger."


I am guessing they are generic instructions as many engines do need thread sealer on the headbolts (different from the blue/red loctite stuff you use to stop threads commng loose).

slotted headbolt is kind of a homemade tap. Get one of the old headbolts and thin cutting disk to cut a slot down the side. Neaten up the thread and use that to clean out the threads in the block.

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:18 pm 
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what i do is dip bolts in about 1 cm of clean engine oil then put them in the head and suqirt a bit of oil on the head where the bolt will touch.

DO NOT USE ANY SEALER ON HEADGASKETS.
make sure surface of block and head is clean and place head gasket on.

done about 6 head gaskets now ranging from xd to au and havent had a problem with one yet
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:38 pm 
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Bluexr6 wrote:
Make sure you run a sealant over the top timing cover and back onto the block before you put the head back on. I didn't do this the first time and the thing leaked from the front on both sides. Why it does this i don't know considering the head gasket seemed to cover the whole area.

Also check out this doco:

http://www.eseries.com.au/portal/kb.php?mode=article&k=15


from that doco:

Quote:
Once cleaned out, a bead of blue RTV silicone must be applied. It wasn't applied when we did it and it leaked oil later on. Place a bead of silicone along where the rubber gasket will sit, and a little bit over lapping onto the head gasket so it seals that corner. Place the rubber gasket on top, and apply a small bead of silicone on top of the rubber gasket as well, with the same overlap on the head gasket as before.

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:40 pm 
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Here are some things I wrote down from the mistakes i made that might help you:


remove the dipstick before starting as it can get damaged when the intake is removed.

Use hexagonal sockets on head bolts or you will round them. (impact socket is better)

Beware of the timing chain guide, it snaps very easily as it is usually very brittle. requires lots of work to replace.

To remove auto-trans coolers lines, use the right spanner (the one that comes back in at the end) so you dont round it.

once head is removed, block all oil galleries with rags INCLUDING the gap around the timing sprocket.

despite my hardest efforts, the head cleaning I did was not satisfactory so get it checked, inspected and cleaned by a pro.

 

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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 7:18 pm 
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i didnt use any sealer on mine when i did it and no its leaking and have to do it again.

i got the head faces and cleand and i cleant the block side.

torked the bolts up following the guides and it still leaked.

so id say just use some sealer just to be safe.

 

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