Blown Head Gasket repair w/pics

[jfunez]

What i did in that situation was simply cut the wires and splice them back when you're done.....make sure you use weather ticght butt connectors...

[IHateHacks]

Thanks for the reply. I thought my supra was special or something, turns out Toyota is just as bad as Chevy when it comes to the details. I was going to cut them and solder but using connectors sounds better just in case this job has to be done again in the future.

Here's where I'm at. Its hard to get things done working out in the cold when the sun goes down at 4pm let alone doing this between my regular job and working out at the gym.






I'm torn between getting a dealer head gasket or getting a metal HKS 1.2mm one. I'm also contemplating upgrading the stock turbo with maybe different compressor and turbine housings or maybe getting a whole new one. The more and more I pull parts off the more I realize everything is in need of either rebuilding or upgrading. Next pic will be with the head off.

[ddmcse]

why do you need to pull the crank pulley ? you can release the tension and slip the timing belt right off .

get the head off and look at the condition of the block and the head to help decide on the gasket you are going to go for .i'd say you need metal

i sent my turbo out for an upgrade while it was off , it was back the next day

now would be a good time to think about the downpipe too

[IHateHacks]

I need the crank pulley off because I am replacing the timing belt also. So far I tried a craftsman 1/2", a snap on 1/2", and an IR 1/2" impact gun and it still hasn't budged yet. Trying a black series IR gun tonight. I might just have to break down and buy the SST's.

Why do you think I'll need a metal one? Which one needs better/smoother surfaces metal or stock?

I had you in mind when I was thinking about upgrading my turbo. I liked what you had done to it.

That downpipe is as good as gone. I'm also looking for a better O2 housing.

[kwnate]

If you go to a mhg you need to have the head and block preped or it won't seal right. This means taking the head and block to a machinest who can smooth it out, most machine shops can't get it smooth enough and you'll need to hand lap it.

For a stock gasket its a good idea to have the head checked and shaved if its not flat, check the block with a machinest straight edge. The stock gasket is much more forgiving when it comes to imperfections. Use ARP bolts or studs and follow the manufactures instructions for torque. Follow the TRSM for torque sequence.

As for the tranny connector, put the car on jack stands. put a floor jack under the trans crossmember and unbolt it. Now lower the tranny until you can reach the connector. You'll have to get under there and bear hug the tranny.

[IHateHacks]

Then it looks like I'm using a stock gasket.

I was going to check both the block and the head with a straight edge myself and if they were not warped then I was just going to clean it up myself. If the head surface is bad then I was going to send it out to get machined. If the block surface is bad then I'm going to buy a JDM 7M from osaka.

I am buying ARP head bolts. TSRM says 58 ft-lbs but everyone here says that is too low. Any suggestion on torque specs with a stock gasket.

[kwnate]

The arp bolts will come with instructions, follow them for torque specs. Yes 58 is way too low.

[Monkey]

Originally Posted by ddmcse

why do you need to pull the crank pulley ? you can release the tension and slip the timing belt right off .

Yeah, you CAN do it that way, but if you want to make sure you have everything lined up properly, then you want the crank pulley and lower timing cover off to line up the timing marks, properly. One tooth off may not do any damage, but it will damn sure make it run like ass. Better to be safe than sorry. Believe me. I'm a mechanic. I don't play around when it comes to doing timing belts. I'm not about to buy someone a new engine because i didn't do a timing belt job properly. Funk that.

[Monkey]

No offense, IHateHacks, but apparently the 5 impacts that you were using to get the crank pulley bolt off were shit. I have an Ingersol Rand 1/2 inch impact, and i have NO problem getting crank bolts off with it. If it wont fit because of space constraints, an extra long 1/2 inch drive ratchet with the appropriate socket will get it off, just as well. By the way, the pry bar in the starter is nothing new. I've been doing that for years, when i get a stubborn crank bolt that won't work with the impact or just ratchet method. It's my last resort when the first two options fail. It hardly ever comes to that option, though. Then again, i'm accustomed to doing things to get the job done, that most of you probably haven't done or seen, before. When you do it long enough, you tend to learn easier ways to do it and short cuts. Time is money, in my line of work. That's why i hate having to wait around for parts. It kills me.

[IHateHacks]

"No offense, IHateHacks, but apparently the 5 impacts that you were using to get the crank pulley bolt off were shit."

Yes I agree the craftsman was a POS, but the titanium series IR and the last one I used that required 120psi were definitely not junk. I talked to some other professional mechanics and they said that I should have used a 3/4" impact gun. And I was just being sarcastic about patenting that little trick. It says it right in the TSRM. I just didnt want to f-up one of the teeth on the flywheel, but when there is no other choice, I quickly overcame my fear.

"By the way, the pry bar in the starter is nothing new."

It wasn't in the starter, it was in the starter hole in the bellhousing. And if you were doing it for years why didnt you drop a dime and help me out before when I was asking- "Except for the starter method, how does everyone else loosen their crank bolt?"

No offense but it seems that most (not all) people here are more about 1-uping each other and claiming that they are superior, then about helping each other. To be frank I really dont care how long you say you've been a mechanic or about how you brag you've done something before. I respect someone much much more when they just drop a hint about what Im having trouble with. Those are the people that make me say damn that guy knows his stuff. Sorry, you just made me mad claiming all 5 of the guns were junk when you've never even seen them, you just make a blind assumption. The guns werent even mine so I dont know why Im even mad. Its the fact that you just come to a conclusion with no information other than they didn't get off the crank bolt. Remember a properly torqued 7M crank bolt is torqued to 195 ft-lbs. Most other manufacturers only require around 100 ft-lbs. Those guns take off crank bolts everyday at a BMW dealership because the crank bolts aren't torqued to 195 ft-lbs. All crank bolts are not created equal, but you should have known that.