At least my heads are still good!

[tompumped]

I'm in the middle of doing both my head gaskets. For two years i've been driving around with it leaking. I went through probably three quarts in twenty thousand miles, maybe less. It also appeared that one or more of the corner oil drain holes was leaking. I was a little nervous after seeing a picture on here of a head that was damaged from a leak. I should be alright though.

I was just thinking about doing the gaskets and not bringing the heads to a machine shop, but i'm going to. When I took the engine apart I noticed two of three of the national cam seals I used were leaking one worse than the other. That was pretty discouraging, since they were replaced twenty thousand miles ago. Yes, I used anaerobic sealant.

Would anyone recommend using the cam seals that are going to come with my DNJ head gasket set? This time when I replace the seals i'm going to do it when I install the camshafts.
How do I set the timing belt tension if my aftermarket pulley only has one timing mark? Afaik I had to use more than one of the timing marks when I last set belt tension.
Is it recommended to reseal the oil seperator plate at this time?
I'm going to use copper gasket spray on the head gaskets. When I did head gaskets on my fathers subaru ej25 last winter it was highly recommended. I don't see how I can go wrong doing that here.
thank you

 

[rubydist]

what brand are the seals that came in that DNJ kit?

the timing belt pulleys only have one mark, its the belt that has two marks to get the orientation correct for either mtx or atx setup.

 

[SHOtimer]

I'd replace the cam seals with Ford ones.

When I built my motor I didn't spray anything on my HG's and they have been fine (82k on the motor so far).

That plate is so that PCV tube/adapter can attach to the block. You can re-seal it I guess, but if it isn't leaking i'd be more inclined to just leave it alone. That is not really a leak source.

I would certainly replace the PCV hose that comes off of it and goes to the throttle body. That gets really brittle with age. Replace it with specific PCV hose, it will last longer.

Also, a great time to replace the knock sensor - as it will be right there.

Good idea to have a machine shop take a look at the heads, make sure they are ok. I would talk to them before they 'shave' them - if they do. They can only be shaved so much, very low tolerances.

Another thought....it is very easy to replace valve stem seals when the heads are off....

Edit: Why are the HG's leaking in the first place? Was the motor overheated?

Doug

 

[tompumped]

I'll post back tomorrow when I get the seals. I was talking about the timing marks on the balancer. The balancer I got from shosource only has one timing mark. I reread the timing belt tensioning procedure after I posted and I figured out what to do.

I'm going to have the valve seals done at the machine shop. I've never seen pcv/vacuum hose in half inch but I know they make it. I'll try to get some, I replaced it a while ago with heater hose.
Since i've owned the car I never overheated it. I had the same problem other members have had with slight loss of coolant and hard starting sometimes, globules in the overflow. The temp would creep up in traffic or if you hammered it, but it never over heated. I had a gut feeling it was the head gaskets because of the slight coolant loss for years.

 

[SHOtimer]

...odd, because the SHO motors are not really known for having HG issues.

Doug

 

[tompumped]

I thought the same thing, but after doing research it seems i'm not the only person with the problem. I'm not too happy at all, I have terrible luck. When I got the car I drained the coolant and it was rusted bad I should've known then.

The cam seals say THG, then there's an arrow and it says HTCR 40 54 6. They are rubber coated. I test fit them onto the camshaft and they are way tighter than my national seals. I will never use the national seals again. I realize it could be my fault 2/3 leaked, but the rubber seems way to stiff for only twenty thousand miles. I'm going to take OD measurements and see if the new seals will fit snug and not have the same problem as the fel pro ones.

One thing I noticed is the valve cover gasket is silicon and it's grey. Maybe it will work better? I was also surprised to see rock gasket printed on the head gaskets. I never thought they would make their own gaskets. If i'd known that I probably would've went with a different company, but i'm going to use them.

Also the valve seals are both the same color. I just looked on rock auto and they are different colors on there for DNJ part number VSS4111. Both packages they included in the head gasket set are brown and say Viton? I'll see what the machine shop has to say. thanks again

 

[tompumped]

I don't know why I can't get any advice sometimes on here. I guess it's because i'm not a sarcastic ******* and I don't come on here to talk about meaningless ********. I stopped giving my input because whenever I did I was ignored. After all I don't know anything, I just sit in front of the tv and drool while I watch faux news.

I'm probably going to have to end up getting another engine. Maybe someone can explain why the head and block don't look so good after only 130k. I've only done head gaskets a few times, but I never saw a block that looked like this. I can't feel the piting with my nail, but there are a lot of dots. There's also a ring around the cylinders from the old fire ring, the heads had it also, and the machinist said they had to be resurfaced. I'll be amazed if everything works out. I have a spare motor, but it's 200 miles away.

 

[SHOtimer]

I don't know why I can't get any advice sometimes on here. I guess it's because i'm not a sarcastic ******* and I don't come on here to talk about meaningless ********. I stopped giving my input because whenever I did I was ignored. After all I don't know anything, I just sit in front of the tv and drool while I watch faux news.

I'm probably going to have to end up getting another engine. Maybe someone can explain why the head and block don't look so good after only 130k. I've only done head gaskets a few times, but I never saw a block that looked like this. I can't feel the piting with my nail, but there are a lot of dots. There's also a ring around the cylinders from the old fire ring, the heads had it also, and the machinist said they had to be resurfaced. I'll be amazed if everything works out. I have a spare motor, but it's 200 miles away.

Wow, not sure that was really called for?

-it seems that most of your questions so far have been answered.

-You asked about the cam seals - answered

-You asked about timing the engine w/ your pulley - answered, and you stated that you discovered the solution yourself.


Then you just provided info, and stated you were going to follow up with the machine shop. Now you post, getting all bent out of shape.

If you post of picture of these problems with the engine, maybe we can be a bit more helpful, re: the 'dots'.

There is always a fire ring, that i'm aware of.



Doug

Edit: Insulting most people here on the forum (your first paragraph), doesn't really lend well to getting advice.

 

[Bob Gervais]

?? What advice did you ask for and not get?

IMHO, since your spare motor is kind of close, I'd ditch the idea of putting money into this one, and use that money to go get your spare motor.

-King of sarcastic ******** discussing meaningless ********

 

[hawkeye18]

I don't know why I can't get any advice sometimes on here. I guess it's because i'm not a sarcastic ******* and I don't come on here to talk about meaningless ********. I stopped giving my input because whenever I did I was ignored. After all I don't know anything, I just sit in front of the tv and drool while I watch faux news.

I'm probably going to have to end up getting another engine. Maybe someone can explain why the head and block don't look so good after only 130k. I've only done head gaskets a few times, but I never saw a block that looked like this. I can't feel the piting with my nail, but there are a lot of dots. There's also a ring around the cylinders from the old fire ring, the heads had it also, and the machinist said they had to be resurfaced. I'll be amazed if everything works out. I have a spare motor, but it's 200 miles away.

Well, you're getting a lot better at the sarcastic ******* thing, so props for that.

Nobody's responding because - frankly - I, like many others, just don't know what to tell you. Yamahammers don't just shit head gaskets. They only crap them when they're led to - i.e. extreme overheating, loss of coolant, too many PSI in forced applications, etc. There are always exceptions to the rule, and your engine might've just been a bad egg, but it's 100:1 odds that the engine was abused - knowingly or otherwise - in its life.

If there is significant pitting on the head deck and there is other damage, then I'd have to say you should probably start looking at another engine. If it's been resurfaced once already, then another resurfacing would likely render it an interference engine, and I don't even know what other issues might crop up.

Sucks you're in a bad situation, but there isn't much you can do about it. Faux news is good to watch sometimes, just as long as you don't start believing any of it.

 

[itwonder]

I'll toss this out, maybe others will disagree, but my impression is slight coolant loss is fairly common on SHO engines. Maybe there are many more than we think with slight head gasket leakage, or maybe it is something else.

It would be helpful if you could post some pictures. I'm having a bit of a hard time picturing the situation with the block.

Does the package the CAM seals came in say Made in Japan? If so, they are the same as the Ford seals. If not, they a probably Felpro seals. My experience is the Felpro seals work fine in the forward two locations, but are difficult to install without leakage in the rearmost position. I've had success with the Ford seal at that location.

 

[hawkeye18]

Coolant loss is fairly common in SHO engines because the engines are surrounded by 15-21 year old coolant hoses. How many "My heater hose asploded HALP" threads a week do you see on here? I see at least 2-3. Trust me - these engines have plenty of problems with coolant loss, but it's got nothing to do with the head gaskets.

Now, if the engine ran too low on coolant due to said ruptured/leaking hoses, then by all means that could've created an aforementioned condition that would cause the head gaskets to start leaking.

 

[tompumped]

I'll respond to the replies later. That was uncalled for I apologize. Don't take offense. I'm a sarcastic ******* just not on here and I too talk about meaningless ********. I haven't posted in a long time, because i've been busy though.

I got really angry that I waited to clean the gasket material off. I should've done it before I took the heads to the shop and ordered the head set. I'm going to pick them up now. I don't think what I saw on the block would compromise the gasket sealing, but I don't know. I'd think my problems would've been worse if that was the case. If I didn't have to rent a truck to get my engine i'd probably get it and be done with it. That engine is questionable though, but the compression was good. It would probably need rod bearings, timing belt, it had a lot oil leaking. I didn't buy the car for the motor. Although I probably would've been better off fixing that engine rather than swapping.

 

[SHOtimer]

If I remember correctly when I built my motor the deck of the block did have 'dot'-like marks from the prior head gasket. That is normal. Mine have held fine for the past 80k.

Doug

 

[hawkeye18]

And there you have it. If Doug says it is so, then it is so. His word's always been good enough for me.

 

[kevinspann]

Another recent HG failure here is member Rubix's.


I looked at the HG, and the fire ring on the cylinder that had coolant it seems to have failed - it was cracked and split.

 

[tompumped]

I did a block test with the fluid more than once to determine it. I did a pressure test and found no leaks. I did a leak down test, and I guess I didn't use enough pressure to determine which cylinder it was, but it was definitely the head gasket. All the cars i've owned never used a little coolant, and they've been old unfortunately.

I picked up my heads the other day and I should be done today. The machinist told me two coolant jackets were questionable one worse than the other. I really hope this works out. I wasn't about to take the block out, I have to get the car out of my step fathers' garage.

When I tightened one of the rear cam seals they squeezed out, all I had to do was hold them in place with a pvc pipe. I trust them, since ultra black changed their formula I think they're stronger. It used to smell like vinegar IIRC, now it smells like the right stuff.

One question I always put the raised portion of the intake gaskets up. Have I been doing it right? These new gaskets are much heavier and better quality, I think, than the fel pro. The raised portion is more noticable too.
I never got a chance to respond to all the earlier posts i've been busy. Thanks guys

Some of the dots were from the old hg, but some were from pitting. There was a couple spots where I could feel the old impression from the metal fire ring, that worries me the most and the fact he told me two jackets were questionable. The new surface on the head has lines that feel the same depth as the ones on the block, but i'll find out soon enough.:banghd: