Well, after many back breaking hours working on my car... I quit.

I've replaced the headgasket twice now and just 400 miles later is is pissing coolant. I machined the head, I cleaned the block, I used new gaskets, I used ARP head studs and torqued them properly, all for nothing. It was holding fine until last night for the first time in 400 miles, I hit boost at 25 psi and then the leak started. I ****ing hate this car. Why won't it stay together!?

I will not remove that head again. I don't have the time, energy, or apparent skill.

Maybe it's time to leave it to the professionals. I am going to to buy a 2.3 short block and have it assembled at DSG in Norwood Massachusetts. I have always loved Buschur Racing, so I'll probably go with them. This is gonna be a ton of money that i don't have, but I WANT MY CAR TO BE FUN AGAIN! It hasn't been in so long

Am I the only one to have a head leak twice after such extensive precautions to prevent it?

 

Why did you replace the headgasket in the first place ? - That may be the reason for your continued problems.

You state you torqued the ARP studs properly, but did you re-torque them after several heat cycles ?

Did you use the OEM gasket ? - the only one you should use frankly

Are you logging your car ? Have you been seeing excessive knock ?

 

Yes I retorqued after many heat cycles, they did not tighten any further.

I only use the OEM gaskets

I have not logged my car to check for excessive knock. I should, however the car saw boost once and that did it. I'd be shocked if one trip to 6k knocked the head loose, but at this rate wtf do I know....

 

Sorry to read you are having trouble. Sometimes things will fight you. Still, it seems like it would make more money sense just to have a shop pull the head and pop it back on if this is all your engine needs.

 

Your car needs to be logged to be sure it it running properly. i would suggest going to an evo specific shop and tuner. good luck.

 

Any overheat condition, or possible chance of warping the head?

 

He lists machine work on the head, but that could be the issue. I'd still check for flat after any machine shop has touched anything. I've seen bad cuts on heads.

aaron

 

What caused you to replace the head gasket in the first place? Go get a leak-down test done.

 

Car prob has a leak somewhere else and he thinks it is the HG. Take it to a shop and tell them it is leaking coolant. Let them diagnose and repair it. Then if it doesnt fix it thats their problem. If you go in and tell them to replace the HG and they do and that wasnt the problem they will tell you they did what you wanted.

Summary:

1. Pay shop to Diag problem.

2. Pay shop to fix problem.

Good Luck.

 

The issue may not be your head, but your block. Should you feel compelled, take an actual straight-edge and slide it slowly along the surface of the block and the head and check to see if you can see light along any of the flat surfaces.

 

man that sucks and i can def relate to your poblem with my dsm days..BUT i learned one thing during the process of working on your car, is to TAKE YOUR TIME. Don't force it if you are tired, if its a big job such a hg, make it a week of work, take your time to evaluate things and things are back in place properly. When you take something back from a machine shop, take a gauge and start to measure and make sure the head IS flat, cause shops make mistakes too no one is perfect. Good Luck hopefully i encuraged you a little

 

I took off the head to bring it to a shop so it could have the dual valve springs pressed on. I couldn't do it with the tools I had. ( I KNOW, I BROKE THE FACTORY SEAL, LESSON LEARNED). I wanted to put ARP headstuds in too without the 1x1 method.

The first time it leaked was after I raced a Mercedes AMG 63 and blew the doors off it. Oil was seeping out from under the intake manifold. I r&r'd the HG and this time I decked the head at a shop. Came back very nice and clean from a reputable shop. I put the second HG on, torquing to spec in sequence and the first time I hit boost after babying it for 400 miles it started pissing out over the exhaust manifold.

I used dye and a UV light to be sure, but it was pretty obvious as I can see it coming out of the HG.

batty200, I just don't want to throw away money anymore. I might as well man up and do the 2.3 right? I've convinced myself that in the end it will be worth it.

I'll just be in debt up to my eyeballs, no big deal.

 

Thanks for the tips guys, I appreciate it. One day I will look back and laugh. The real joke is that I could not make it to the track once this year. In fact, I've never been to the track. She just won't hold together.

Dfelton mechanic skill -1

 

head prolly wasnt machined smooth enough. not all machine shops are capable of correct cut. And you have to specify you are using a metal gasket.

metal gaskets move around when engine is running. stainless steel has different expansion rates of aluminum an steel. the gasket need to be able to slide around. a rough cut cylinder head would likley leak first heat cycle.

 

If your car is in good shape otherwise the 2.3 is MUCH more expensive. If the car hasnt overheated there is prob an easy fix. Just let a pro do it. The cost of a 2.3 installed will easily be $5000 MORE than fixing the headgasket.