Blown Head Gasket repair w/pics

[IHateHacks]

Marc-

Felpro MLS head gasket kit: $225 (Which included a multi layer steel head gasket, intake manifold gasket, intake chamber gasket, exhaust manifold gasket, turbo to exhaust manifold gasket, turbo to O2 housing gasket, O2 housing to downpipe gasket, turbo water line gasket, water outlet housing gasket, EGR cooler gasket, EGR valve to intake manifold gasket, EGR valve to intake chamber gasket, cam position sensor O-ring, thermostat gasket, fuel injector O-rings, valve cover gaskets, valve cover grommets, and ISC valve gasket)
Machine work: $200 (Including having them weld and tap new threads for my exhaust manifold studs)
ARP head bolt kit: $109 (shipped)
The following parts were bought from a Toyota dealer-
Timing belt: $38.37
Timing belt tensioner: $136.28
Timing belt tensioner spring: $6.51
Fuel injector insulators: $19.32 (rubber part that goes from the injector to the head)
Fuel injector grommets: $19.32 (rubber part that goes from the injector to the fuel rail, the little O-rings came with the head gasket kit)
Turbo oil line feed, fuel rail feed, and cold start injector to fuel rail sealing washers: $5.58 (6 in all, they are all the same part #)
Turbo oil pipe to block gasket: $3.18
Turbo oil pipe to turbo gasket: $2.74
Heater union sealing washers: $3.52
Water by pass pipe to water outlet housing hose: $18.32 (I had to cut mine off, you may not need this part)
Water by pass pipe to heater union hose: $19.74 (same deal, you may not need this part but its always good to install new ones while you are doing it)
Cold start injector to intake manifold gasket: $2.87
Cold start injector to fuel line sealing washers: $2.22
Auxiliary air pipe to vacuum transmiting pipe vacuum hose: $10.80 (mine split when I pulled it off, you may not need this part)
ISC to intake manifold coolant hose: $23.27 (I replaced this part because the only time you can get at the hose is with the intake manifold apart)
Throttle body to water by pass pipe coolant hose: $19.91 (same deal)
Heater core inlet hose: $43.46 (might as well replace these with the head off)
Heater core outlet hose: $32.75

I get a 20% discount from my Toyota dealer so my grand total is $825.76. Minus the $200 for the machine work and you are looking at $625 and that's with my 20% off and IF you buy the exact head gasket kit that I bought. There are many out there for cheaper as well as metal head gaskets which cost $200-300 themselves. You are probably looking at around 700-800 dollars if you do the exact same thing I did.

I will check that option out Bill UK, thanks!

[IHateHacks]

And Marc, there's more to machine work than just shaving the sealing surface. You must check it for cracks and not just ones you can see on the sealing surface, ones that could be inside the head where you can't see, like in the water jacket area. I don't know how they do it but a machine shop has special equipment to check for these cracks. You must also check the head for warpage. Remember, if a head is warped on the sealing surface, it's also warped throughout the entire head all the way up to the cam cover surface. You also have to clean the head. A machine shop uses special equipment that uses ultrasonic waves to clean the head. And the shop I used set my valve lash with brand new shims. Along with welding and re-threading my exhaust manifold stud holes, $200 was really not that bad. Trust me, its worth every penny sending the head to a machine shop.

One last word of advice I have for you, when you loosen the head bolts, of course do it in the proper order per TSRM but remember to loosen them in 3 increments. Don't just take one out then move to the next one and take that one out. Crack the first one loose then move to the next, then when you just barely cracked all 14 loose, go back and loosen them some more, but don't fully loosen them until you've done all 14 3 times. I know its confusing but its because you can crack your head if you don't relieve the pressure (that the head bolts are exerting) evenly.

[marc]

whered u get that gasket set..if u could get me the link id owe u big time.

[marc]

whats the difference between the turbo cylinder head, and the n/a cylinder head?

[marc]

well i mean can the n/a head fit onto the 7mgte or do they use a different head?

[IHateHacks]

I bought my gasket set from the machine shop that did the work for my head.

If you strip everything off of a N/A cylinder head it is the same exact thing as a turbo head. It's what bolts to the head that makes the difference, like the intake chamber, distributor and cam covers. The cams are the same, the valves are the same, the valve clearances are the same. Only thing different between the turbo and N/A cylinder head are the warpage limits.

[marc]

but im asking can i use an n/a cylinder head for my turbo car. i found a refursbished head, machined and checked already, but its from a n/a. comes with cams and everything all assembled. so i was wonderign if i baught it, would it be able to fit on. or wuld i need ot modify it.