Blown Head Gasket repair w/pics

[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.

[IHateHacks]

I stripped the head of everything but the cams. I'll have a picture up tomarrow. I'm doing all of this to show all the people who aren't mechanics that anyone can do a head gasket job. You don't have to be superman. You just need the knowledge. Speaking of which, to anyone who wants to know how to get the heater union off (that fitting that the heater hose goes on on the top back of the engine) you'll need a 32mm deep socket.

[IHateHacks]

Sending it out today. Next picture will be it looking brand new. Here's a picture of the good ol' EGR cooler. I can see this being the source of a mysterious coolant leak via that big stupid plug Toyota felt the need for putting in there. Ill ask it again (just like the 4 plugs that hold on the no. 3 cylinder head cover) Why did Toyota just throw plugs (at rediculous sizes) in various areas throughout the 7M? Its not like they serve any purpose on planet earth. Why didn't they just cast it over like the rest of the head? I think its pay back for buying a car just because its turbocharged. Compared to other manufacturers Toyota design sucks dick.

[IHateHacks]

Does this surface look good enough for a metal head gasket?

[ddmcse]

it doesn't look good in the picture.
it needs to be smoother than a babies ass .
the metal is not forgiving where as the carbon or whatever the stock is made from is forgiving.
you might want to re-think it . i put a metal gasket on a block that looked good enough to me once and it lasted about 10k miles . once you do put a metal gasket on it's not likely that you are gonna start boosting less . no infact you'll probably start pushing more into the cylinders to really test the
smooth theory .. you know . i have a lapping tool over here
you've seen some of my bhg footage ?
http://www.ddmcse.com/turbo/bhg_2003.htm

[yama1]

my bad, I didn't realize there were many more replys after the crank pulley removal. Whoops

[Spudboy]

This is a great thread. I'm feeling your pain.
I just got my head off. The gasket seems perfect. (had it replaced 8k miles ago with stock gasket and bolts...will use metal and ARP now)
I have a fluid leak from my EGR cooler too but the gasket was fine. Maybe the bolts had been to loose but that doesn't acount for the fluid.
You stated I can see this being the source of a mysterious coolant leak via that big stupid plug...
Did you ever learn if that big stupid plug was the source? Or what did you learn?
(I'll have lots more questions later...)

Originally Posted by IHateHacks

Sending it out today. Next picture will be it looking brand new. Here's a picture of the good ol' EGR cooler. I can see this being the source of a mysterious coolant leak via that big stupid plug Toyota felt the need for putting in there. Ill ask it again (just like the 4 plugs that hold on the no. 3 cylinder head cover) Why did Toyota just throw plugs (at rediculous sizes) in various areas throughout the 7M? Its not like they serve any purpose on planet earth. Why didn't they just cast it over like the rest of the head? I think its pay back for buying a car just because its turbocharged. Compared to other manufacturers Toyota design sucks dick.

[Spudboy]

Originally Posted by IHateHacks

Sending it out today. Next picture will be it looking brand new. Here's a picture of the good ol' EGR cooler. I can see this being the source of a mysterious coolant leak via that big stupid plug Toyota felt the need for putting in there. Ill ask it again (just like the 4 plugs that hold on the no. 3 cylinder head cover) Why did Toyota just throw plugs (at rediculous sizes) in various areas throughout the 7M? Its not like they serve any purpose on planet earth. Why didn't they just cast it over like the rest of the head? I think its pay back for buying a car just because its turbocharged. Compared to other manufacturers Toyota design sucks dick.

Another note for anybody...this EGR cooler area I now know has been the root cause of several problems for me and now the main reason I will do all my own work on this car.
1) The first and only BHG I had was 'repaired' by an ex-Longo Toyota mechanic. As the EGR inspection and subsequent new EGR gasket is not a required process to just replace the BHG, and the EGR cooler cover-plate gasket is not even included in the head hasket kit, this apparently was never touched. This is insane since you can not get to this EGR cooler properly without removing the head. Shortly after I got my car back I started having a moderate exhaust leak in and around the back portion of my manifold.
2) I hired a different "mechanic" to heli-coil the bolts as they had streched and when I told the first "mechanic" he said "yes, that is a problem with these cars". (why didn't he suggest replacing those bolts during the BHG job?)
After this second mechanic heli-coiled and semi-repaired the exhaust leak I could still detect a leak from the EGR area. I tried and bought many funky tools to try and reach the bolts but couldn't get to them all.
This leak got so bad the heat burned up my speedo cable covering and broke the cable. (twice)
3) I hired a 3rd "mechanic" who said he could do it without removing the head. His shop seems to have Ferraris, MB's and other high end cars there so I let him try. It seemed to be OK for a few thousand miles then apparently started leaking fluid. (That would seem impossible unless I had another BHG).

This is when I decided to do my own work.
I now have the head off. Took the EGR cover off and noticed 1st the bolds did not all seem tight. Then upon visual inspection of the cover I could easily see the surface was almost warped looking, enough that no way could you get a good seal. I also noticed an eroded area and pin-holes on the inside elbow of the heater hose from the union. I'm pretty sure this was the fluid leaking on top of the EGR cover, bubbling from the actual exhaust leak through the EGR gasket, giving the elusion I had fluid leaking from my EGR. (no sign of fluid ever being inside the EGR cover)

I just had my head machined and also had the EGR cover machined, along with the exhaust minifold.

Moral of the story...make sure you deal with this stupid EGR issue whenever you have your head off...

AND...do your own work if you want it done correct. Three "mechanics", lots of down time and my personal man hours just taking the car back and forth to these loosers, several thoudand dollars, and they ALL missed or mis-handled this EGR problem.