RoseyEm2

My EM2 blew a head gasket today. I was doing a D16y8 intake manifold swap and it was idling high like around 3500k and so I went to go drive it and I look in the mirror and I see a smoke screen. I've had symptoms like bubbling coolant for a while. Also cracked my exhaust manifold. /: well the bright side is ive had a EX head sitting in my garage for the longest and I think I can finally swap that head in now.

5.0Thunder

Get that head milled flat and checked before you go through the trouble. If you have a head ready to go before you tear your D17 down, you can have the whole job done in half a day.

Wankenstein

The symptoms you described certainly sound like a head gasket breach. If you want further confirmation you could do a Block Test on it. Block Test is also good for check after HG repair. As 5.0 suggested bring the cylinder head to a machinist for crack/leak inspection, valve leak inspection, levelness.

If the machinist recommends a rebuild that generally entails:
1) mill for level (flat)
2) remove valve train and clean entire head in a hot tank
3) valves lapping or 3-angle valve job (more expenssive)
4) replace valve stem seals
5) polish valves

Also, use a quality straight edge and feeler gauges to check the block for level. Unlikely it's warped but in the realm of possibility.

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

When I did my HG, machine shop told me to use a can of brake cleaner to clean the head. His words, specifically, "honestly dude, I can charge you 35 to hot tank it or you can DIY with a $5 can of brake cleaner. You know what youre doing"

My rebuild entailed milling the head, reconditioning valve guides, replacing valve stem seals. Lapping and polishing wasnt necessary for mine.

ezone

And a single edge razor blade. Nothing more is needed to clean the gasket surfaces.

You don't have to get all the discoloration out of the metal. All you have to do is get it flat and free of lumps.

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

well, he also milled .004" off that head, so the surface was flat and free of ****. To get the gunk and crap out of the rest of the head is what he was referring to

ezone

I was thinking of the many people who want to attack the surfaces with Scotch-brite, sandpaper, or similar abrasives, that might cause damage to the finely machined surfaces of the block and head.

Absolute flatness and the extremely fine finish of the machined surfaces (15-30 RA preferred) are critical for a good seal of the MLS type head gasket.

RoseyEm2

Well what I did is so took a Polishing abrasive pad and put it on a grinder and I polished the head clean and I made sure it was flat. Think it's good to just slap on? Ran my hand over it no bumps and even but a legend on it. I bought it from a guy who crashed his EX. He gave it to me for 50$ I remember talking to you Ezone you help me with alot of my problems. Still haven't got to the base of those senors problems lol. And I think I've talked to you too riceboy about the VAFC? maybe it was both of you but I'm probably not gonna wire that in my self im just gonna take it to a shop they want to charge me 200$ to wire it in.

ezone

This is exactly what you are not supposed to do.
Visually flat and feeling it with your hand is not precision measurement. You'd never be able to see 0.002" out-of-flat with only your eyeballs, nor would you be able to see low spots ground in the surface from your handiwork that can compromise the sealing ability of the head gasket.
I'd strongly urge you to send it to a good machine shop for proper resurfacing.

I sure hope you don't do anything of the like to the block surfaces either.

Wankenstein

OP..here's a google search on scotch brite + engine damage: https://www.google.com/search?num=50...k1.xvUlLiEuMag

ezone

Witness.

Watched a former parts replacing employee use those Scotch brite discs on the managers nephews 3.4L DOHC Grand Prix (cylinder head gasket work)...... that engine didn't make it 20 miles before it wiped out all the lower end bearings.

I tried to tell him not to do it that way, but he's far too smart to listen to anyone else (or freekin read).

Of course it's not his fault, he's never had a problem doing it that way before. In reality he still hasn't ever had any problem doing it that way before, even now...because he can't understand how he caused the problem, and admit fault.

RoseyEm2

Yeah I'll just go ahead and send it to a shop then literally I don't want any more problems with this car.

RoseyEm2

There was oil in my intake manifold and throttle body. Another symptom?

ezone

No, that's pretty typical.

RoseyEm2

No like ALOT of oil

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

pic?

ezone

Define "A LOT".



2 quarts would be a lot LOL.
A small puddle in the bottom of the manifold seems pretty typical, because the PCV system dumps into the intake and PCV air can contain engine oil vapor/mist which may condense or cling to the walls and eventually run to the bottom. Oil is pretty heavy so it will usually just sit down there.

Did I read somewhere you had tried seafoam or B12 or some sort of similar intake douche product? If so, that might have pooled in the manifold too. Same for gas and coolant if any was spilled into the intake during your work.

RoseyEm2

Well I did a D16y8 intake swap and I didn't have a hole for the PVC hose to go in right next to the IAT sensor so I had a port on the back of the manifold so I just ran it there no idea if that has anything to do with it.

And nope wasn't me. Everytime I use seafoam I do it correctly.

RoseyEm2

I circled where I ran the PVC hose to

ezone

I had pictured in my head the stock plastic manifold, it has a huge open plenum chamber below the throttle body that can catch a lot.

But anyway, some residue is normal.
If the amount you saw couldn't be normal, how would it get there? (logically)

ezone

Then I'd expect the PCV to be the source and it's probably not a problem.

RoseyEm2

Sent the head to the machine shop. Gonna have valves redone and new seals for 300$ not bad huh?