supra head gasket questions+ rebuild
 

Hi im new here going to make a start on my post soon.

I bought a supra mk3 turbo yesterday by the time i got home it blew a head gasket, probably had gone already as threre looked like gasket sealent in the coolant and the blokw wouldnt give me my money back.

I was up till 1 oclock in the morning reading ihatehacks post and was impressed to say the least, im am a little mechanically minded so im thinking about attempting this myself. though never aatempted this sort of thing before. i will be posting pictures of my progress.

any info will be gladly appreciated and if i could get in touch with ihatehacks or bill uk for more info that would be great. hope to hear from you guys and everyone else soon.

regards Andy.

manuals
 

Go to the TSRM and print out the section on head gasket replacement.

Buy the Haynes and/or Chilton manuals and read thru those sections. They aren't the best, but if you've ever pulled a head before, at least they will give you a pretty far idea of what to do.

It pretty straight forward. Read some of my posts in the FAQs section. Timing belt one for sure.

Tools and some muffin pans !

The Beginning.
 

just thought id pos a picture of my engine (bad lighting) havent got far but i, dont wanna get anything wrong. cheers for the TRSM info. ill check it out.http://www.toyota-supra.info/forums/...attach/jpg.gif

MK3 TSRM On-Line


Maybe this will help. It would be cool to know what year you are rolling, please. Pics please.

Please give that supra a bath it looks very sad :sadwavey:

Turbo oil pipe.
 

well 2nd day spent 3 hours on it today removing the plenum and various other parts
Started trying to remove the turbo and all was going well but now the oil pipe that runs down fromn the turbo, i cant get to the bolts at the bottom any tips would be greatly appreciated. heres som pictures of the engine today.:(

as for a bath everything needs a good clean but thatll come later.

20 year old cambelt!
 

The cambelt is completely perished and im suprised it hasnt already snapped, i noticed fibre deposits round the pulley area anyone know what this might be? :eek3:

my supra is a 89 my first turbo car, had a few ftos and they were great but this engine is something else.

Those thread fibers have to be from that old ass'd timing belt.
That area is supposed to be eat off of clean. The new belt isn't really even supposed to be fondled.

Now that you have the plenum off. Get your dremil and pencil grinder attachment and port and polish the entire plenum.

watch out...your oil cap is backwards too. thats asking for trouble.


no...but in all seriousness, dremel out the intake plenum and the exhaust manifold too. some nice gains to be had there, while its out and accessible...and you have time lol. beautiful looking car, and you can fix up the engine easily.

the nuts on the bottom of the turbo for the hard oil lines are a pain in the ass. get underneath the car with lots of light, or a big flashlight, and use some extensions to reach up to the turbo and it shouldnt be a problem once the socket is on the nut. hopefully yours werent as rounded as mine were, because it took me a long time in 20 degree weather to get them off.

nuts!
 

thanks about the oil cap, ill get straight on it.

well couldn't gete under the car so got them out from the top and a couple of others thinking these were the ones i was touching, ill be able to see more once the turbo is out.

went to disconnect the turbo from the exhaust and once i took the nuts off i noticed the thread has to come off looks like a female torx socket..:nuts:
does anyone else have these?? seems a little odd, i think i have disconnected everything still seems pretty tight though.

I'm quite nervous about it all as Ive never attempted this sort of thing before, I'm taking it slow. not to sure what to do with the head just skim it or the more, really depends on money any way more later with some pics

No sir it does not depend on money. You unbolt it.
You have it machined. 3 to 5 hundred bucks and just go ahead and get it ported and polished or you'll forever be kicking yourself.

lol supramacist.

the two bolts for the turbo oil line? yeah, theyre hex nuts, and im not sure if theyre supposed to come off with the threads, but *one* of mine did and the other stayed in.

how the hell did you get it from the top? i have skinny fricken hands and arms and in no position at all could i get it from the top...good that you got it off though.

You can lap the block.

But you can't skimp on the head or it'll bite you in the arse.

That's all im saying.

There are two turbo oil pipes you will need to undo from the block, one is the inlet (banjo fitting) and the other is the outlet, held on with two standard hexagon nuts. The fibres around the pulleys could be due to the pulley tensioner bearing seized or worn.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b5...iff/EngNo1.jpg

turbo
 

well finally got the the turbo off and what a bugger too, i also spent ages trying to realese it until i realised the was a union nut to undo.
ive got to do so re reading to see about the splitting the head and the timing marks etc. any help appreciated. more pics soon.

you can do it dude just take your time

oil
 

thanks for all your replys, thanks bill good picture came in real handy,
took the radiator off last night fans and pipes, not alot left to do now i think before removing the head.

ive got alot of built up oill under aroiund the engine have no idea where its coming from, can i get a pressure pressure washer on the engine bag or do you reckon that could muck up the electrics?

before i takethe head off do i time the engine by the crank so the 2 pulleys are aligned uop with the back plate? then pull the belt off or can i do this after?

i heard the crank has to come off to replace the belt why is this.?

still unsure about the head though. can the cams be left in to skim it or do i need to remove cams and valves?

alot of questions i know but wouldnt be able to do it without you guys
thanks. more later with some pics. andy.

ddmcse
 

great pictures, where do i get a lapping tool and paste? is it hard to do.
do i need to be careful not to get any past in the oil?water channels?

cam position sensor
 

been reading ddcsme post on head gasket repair and read the bit about
cam position sensor, not sure where this is or quite understand what i have to do with this, is there something im missing or some more i should know before removing the head, many thanks Andy:dance:

phew
 

:gotnos:phew!! got the head off today, left the cam position sensor on but still unsure what to do with it once i remove the cams i.e timing it up?

right so now i need head bolts and a new gasket and some servicing to the head. any recommendations for parts would be helpful.

not sure how to get the valves out either or what to expect.:help:

still im extremely pleased about getting the head off heres a few pics of todays efforts.:)

Don't remove the cam shafts. Or the valve covers.

DO, remove the air intake and plenums.
Remove the fuel injection parts. Just don't crack into the head.

BE careful where you and how you sit it. Keep the place clean and flat.
DON't drop it.

Your machinist will want the head and cams and all of that.

You should probably prepare for a valve job. Again your machinist will let you know.

You want to remember how much he shaved from the head also so you can use that number to figure your mhg thickness.

Now..., Start checking all of your antique stock hoses. Especially the ones for the coolant system. Get rid of all of those ancient stock hose clamps.
Get worm clamps and wratchet those bitches down after replacing the hose.

You may as well replace your starter while you are here. Never again will it be so darn easy.

Port and Polish that head. You"ll be thanking you later for doing so.

Break into the kids college funds and spare no expense.

bottom end
 

well took the head down to the machine shop today he told me the bottom end on these engines are weak and dont last long is this true?

gonna leave the rest today tired:boring: worked on it everyday since i got it last week, pick up where i left off next week, still got cambelt to remove.

the cam position sensor, i took off the back cover and marked the inside so i know where this goes when the cams go back in, think i leave the adjuster loose until i get the new cam belt on. think this is right.

anyway time to:boring:

laters.

gaskets
 

just phoned toyota for a gasket set, they quoted me 230 quid for a full gasket set ouch!:eek2:

the gasket set was 167 quid and 50 quid for the head gasket, im thinking of buying the head gasket from toyota but the remaining gaskets i.e turbo, manifold, plenum etc elsewhere. does this seem ok.

only the american ebay site has a selection of gaskets. the uk one has nothing really, very odd.

another question im afraid. The plate that sits between the 2 rockercovers what is this, mine looks really
worn and peeling? its the one thast sits over the top of the spark plugs.

The cam belt is called the timming belt.

That compartment has to be clean enough for the virgin mary to eat out of.
You don't even want to touch that belt much.

And that gasket set will NOT have every gasket in it you need.

gasket
 

thanks for reply i know the cambelt is calledthe timing belt did i mis spell something?

im aware of the gasket set wont include all gaskets, i iknow the turbo oil pipe will be missing but not srue about the others if you could tell me what they are would greatly appreciate it.
regards Andy

Well none of the air intake seals will be there.
There are a few other obscure ones that I fail to recall.

Ta
 

thanks for all the tips supramacist.
everyones being very helpful:)

lapping
 

hi, im using 1200 grit fine sandpaper and 3x6 inch block is this ok?
this is about 2 hours work. dont wanna ruin the block.

Don' buy a head gasket from ebay. Why don't you try buying the gaskets from a US shop. The exchange rate would treat you very well. Try Jeff at Champion toyota 1-800-327-2087 and mention the forums and the guy from Loxahatchee. They are a toyota dealership and they give the forums great prices.

I did what you are doing and I did it for the better part of 2 weeks.

Wear that paper out on the block and keep sanding. Figure 8's would be good and dont stay in 1 spot for too long. It's going to be hard to mess that block up dude. It's solid.

Rotate your crank shaft to get the pistons down out of the sanding area.
If you shine em up a lil bit it's cool.

Keep a level and feeler gauges. Check this constantly. It'll really help you.
1200 grit will take you a month:sadwavey:.

Keep that surface lubricated. I used PB BLaster.
Lucas oil treatment would be a good lube for lapping.
Regular motor oil would be fine as well.

As for the seal kit. It's only going to have the seals for things that bolt directly to the head.
Everything else..., may as well come from the dealership. These seals are cheap enough and order 2 sets for the intake for the retorque.

Now's a good time to replace all the hoses and all of that trash.

blueprint
 

phoned local part supplier and managed to get blueprint gasket set for half the price.
this is what toyota use as there genuine parts.

worried about cam belt change and crank nut. getting it off i heard it can be a arse. how do i do it im really anal when it comes to this bit.
timing is not my specialityt and it looks conplicated help appreciated.???

well got 3 days off now so its gonna be lap lap lapping til i snap my back.

is it ok to work on little arears with pressure with less finer grit?

No small areas. Work the enitrety of the block. You can touch up small things later..., after you have lapped, to completion.

Ah yes the crankshaft nut. 1st. be carefull that shaft pulley is brittle.
I promise.

Remove the starter, exposing an opening to the flywheel.
You will need a giant pry bar type flathead screw driver.

You wedge the driver into the flywheel causing it to catch while you jank the flywheel bolt.

I tried all of the putting it in gear stories you will hear of. This is what worked for me. Alone by myself in the garage. Once you break that nut.

The hard shite starts. You have to get that pulley off the shaft.
Some say rock it with a screwdriver and a hammer.

You have to walk it off regardless. So do what works for you.
I'd marinate it in pb blaster for a few days myself.

Remember. The crank shaft pulley is 350$

If they can find you a toyota oem replacement.

Hey Andy..., if you don't own a dremel.
Get One. With the pencil grinder attachment.
For Real.

i couldnt sand the entire block as the tissue in the oil ways got in the way.
can i sand the top block with 1200 sanderpaper and oil as hard as i like then. if i take the tissue out of the chambers wont grit get inside them?

any tips?

very worried about that crank bolt is it realy that hard to get off then. do i need any special tools? is it best to do all this once the head is back on?

cheers.

pls lit me give you a lil insight
 

ok just for the sake of being a pain in the but looking ahead. pretend the head is now off. it would behove you to stip of the not needed stuf attached to it!!!! no dont rip into it just get the attached stuff of ie: termo stat houseing egr valve, any ports like heater hoses. just take it all the way down to the head it self. buy a complete upper head gassket set and now for the painfull part [ok call me names] its realy not that bad just like to exagerate. buy the head and gassket set. dont forget the valve seals. AND have the head cheched at a machine shop. they will pressure check it to see if is cracked. if it is wrarped. they will plain it down to take the warp out. they will also reinstall your valve seels. doing this job w/out making sure there are no problems you dont see. WILL result in you doing the job over again and i am sure you dont want to do that. where i live it costs about a $100 to have the head done right. ohhh buy the way if you take them the parts you took off. and dont act the fool they might put all your parts back on w/the new gaskets you provide for them. but it is money well spent. it would suck so bad if you put it back togather only to find out your head should have been plained and that dam seal wont hold any thing. get a book and follow the tightening sequence and the tork specks. oh and it is a good idea to buy new head bolts that are already pre-streeched. hope i was some help and good luck.... dont forget to get all the old gaskut matterial off. the head will come baack soo cleal you could eat of it. now the bottom end will be cruddy. snap on sells a gaskut remover that cant be beat. not sure anyone eles sells them but if you can find it cheaper go for it snap on guys try to snap you bank accounthttp://www.toyota-supra.info/forums/...attach/jpg.gif

You need to take some pics of what you have going on man.
I don't want you making any major mistakes and if you aren't hitting the block in equal proportions. You're bound for trouble..

Use the feeler gauges and the level. Sand as hard as you want as long as you do it even. You can't skip big slots in sandpaper grade.

You have to start heavy and go lighter, lighter and lighter still.

I spent 3 weeks lapping my block, because I'm so anal. You just got started. If you're trying to sand blemished areas, all you are doing is digging after those areas making your total trip much further than it has to be.

Sand the block till it's smooth and then smoother and smoother.
If you take your time and stop rushing you'll see just what I mean.

hey t.ortlieb, just to let you know skimming the head does not remove the warpage if you head is warped skimming wont help this just provides a flat smooth finish for the gasket to seal, if my head was warped id buy ia new one.

hey supramacist in just about to do some more lapping ill post some pictures of me lapping the block so you can see what im doing and if im doing it right etc.

are you saying now ive started with 1200 grit paper i shouldnt now chage to a rougher paper to speed things up.

im using a stock gasket with arp studs to seal the head dont trust mhg on my block dont think i can get it clean enough for a metal one.

Q> when i undo the crank bolt and remove the pulley wont i lose my tdc positon???? confused , will i have to set the tdc by eye then replace the Pulley to 0. thnaks suprmacist your being a great help.

just for your info mate, the head is having a skim, a clean a new o ring in the cam position sensor and a couple of helicoils in the exhaust side.
the guy reckons if the engine was running sweet before not to touch the valves etc as this can wear out the bottom end, and to ba honest i have heard laot about rod knocking after a head gasket replacement and nobody needs this, thats a engine removal job, not for the faint hearted me thinks.

thought id pop back in for a coffee, phew lap lap lap.

ive just started doing the block with a piece of wood that cover a good area of the block, 1200 paper and some 10/40 oil, surely i cant wear dawn areas onthe block with this method.

sun at last
 

well theres a little bit of sun now so puhed the car out of garage.
heres some more block pictures after about 4 hours in total.

hmm
 

found a mior indetation looks worse in photo. the other gasket never blew in this area. what you guys reckon?