[mx6GT91]

Taken from my other thread

As of yesterday I need to worry about my headgasket. Thats right, blew the headgasket. Or cracked the head. I dont really know yet.

I was on my way to work, I noticed my temp gauge sweeping up to the middle. I made my way and shut the car. I coasted to a neighborhood. My temp gauge NEVER got past the middle with the car running. When I park I turned the car into the on position, I watched the needle climb to the H. This point Im nervous. I sit for about 30-45min, let it cool off and start it up. Started weird, slow/sluggish but cranked over with some throttle help.

Idle was fine, I started to make my way home. The temp started to go up again. I pulled over and sat for about 45min again. Looked under the hood, nothing odd. Just the over flow tank was full (thus overflowing fluid). I try it again, temp goes up I get half way down the street.

I call my dad, he brings some rope and tools. I pull the thermostat because I thought it was stuck. It was stuck open actually. I added some water, fired her up. Barley started, I needed to pump the gas so many times. Once she cranked over, WHITE smoke all over and she sounded like crap.

Also, something VERY weird. Water is coming out of the exhaust. Like, flowing almost.

I pulled the head off today. I took some pics of my crappy Fel-Pro headgasket that seems to be missing pieces, I think thats what happen, the headgasket blew. The head looks okay but I cant call that because It hasnt been tested.
Since I have to wait for the headgasket to come in Im going to send it out.

Anyway, heres the pics. Look by cyl 1 and 4. Theres missing pieces of the gasket.

My head is the one on the right. Thus the reason why I hope nothings wrong. Fully rebuilt.

 

[antval]

Well since you have it apart get a set of some APR head studs..You can TQ them down 86Flbs with the ARP's...Compared to the stoc 56 or so Flbs...Just something to think about....

 

[SleepCounter]

Well since you have it apart get a set of some APR head studs..You can TQ them down 86Flbs with the ARP's...Compared to the stoc 56 or so Flbs...Just something to think about....

86 is more than 56. Does that mean it's better?

 

[mx6GT91]

Im going to torque down the stock headbolts at their stock ftlbs. Might over torque them.
My old motor held just fine. Pulled the head of it and the headgasket looks fine.

Sent the head out today to get pressure tested, cleaned and milled.

 

[SixSick6]

Im going to torque down the stock headbolts at their stock ftlbs.

Ya'sure about that Ray/Do'ya happen to know if the blocks been decked or the heads been shaved? If you know for certain, you might wanna reconsider torquing to stock spec and stock spec only. Ya might find that 45-64 ft lbs is lil off when the head and or block and or both have been modified. Especially with old studs.

 

[antval]

Good point

Ya'sure about that Ray/Do'ya happen to know if the blocks been decked or the heads been shaved? If you know for certain, you might wanna reconsider torquing to stock spec and stock spec only. Ya might find that 45-64 ft lbs is lil off when the head and or block and or both have been modified. Especially with old studs.

 

[mx6GT91]

Ya'sure about that Ray/Do'ya happen to know if the blocks been decked or the heads been shaved? If you know for certain, you might wanna reconsider torquing to stock spec and stock spec only. Ya might find that 45-64 ft lbs is lil off when the head and or block and or both have been modified. Especially with old studs.

The only thing he told me was the the head was re-surfaced/milled before he installed the 89 head. I dont think the block was touched.
So torque the head to stock specs would be bad?? Then what do I torque it too??

 

[rebel2k4]

I had an issue with topline head gaskets myself. I had my deck checked (no warpage) and had the head milled, all fresh installed, and blew the head gasket within like 4k miles.

Use stock torque spec. Make sure everything is clean and flush and a mazda head gasket should be fine.

Dude, youve got some bad luck. welcome to my world. I dont have time for this crap so much anymore, plenty of money, no time. Im almost considering buying something new and throwing the towel in on the modding game. School and work take the best of me

 

[SixSick6]

I've contemplated buyign a new car, getting my car painted, buying something else used. I've decided against buying new or getting my car painted for one reason and one reason only-parking at the hospital I work at SUCKS. Ever parking spot is desinged for half of a sport compact and with all the people coming and going, you simply CANNOT keep your car dent or ding free. Imagine bringing your car to a Wal Mart 5 days a week and parking it with everyone elses on days where every day is a Friday.

I don't know why I haven't posted these already, but last week some lady smacked into 9 cars in our parking lot. Yeah, you heard right, 9 cars. I have the pics on my didgi, I just forgot about it.

back to thread~

 

[mx6GT91]

I had an issue with topline head gaskets myself. I had my deck checked (no warpage) and had the head milled, all fresh installed, and blew the head gasket within like 4k miles.

Use stock torque spec. Make sure everything is clean and flush and a mazda head gasket should be fine.

Dude, youve got some bad luck. welcome to my world. I dont have time for this crap so much anymore, plenty of money, no time. Im almost considering buying something new and throwing the towel in on the modding game. School and work take the best of me

Yes I have!! Bad luck seems to be the follow up on people that dont buy the right things. If this were a OEM headgasket I highly doubt Id have a problem.
Everything else was running fine, just my car was slow. Im thinking that this has been the problem, since this motor was installed it seemed to start just like my old motor (on 3cyl). It cranked quick and sounded like a Rotary.

Just that Friday was its end point of the gasket.

The head was sent out, milled, tested and cleaned also. Should be back at the latest Monday. Then Im going to take it easy on the car for about 500-800miles, check the torque specs again on the head. Then go out and boost.

If all goes well after that, Im going bigger.

 

[MesXco6rt]

lets see some pics from the bottom of your ex-head!

it really didn't look too bad. the coolant ports were blowing by it seems.
that tends to be the #1 problem spot.

i just put my new head on (rebuilt).
it ls in great condition.
my car is having a problem with its harmonic balancer.
the cheap ass plastic retainer broke in two...dammit!
but in 2 days, my car will be back to it's daily driving stage....rather than test-driving daily stage.


once again....props on the new head.
you made the right choice. others usually decide to let it slide until the head blows, the piston rings fry, the cylinders get eaten, and the freeze plugs blow out.

 

[rebel2k4]

...
once again....props on the new head.
you made the right choice. others usually decide to let it slide until the head blows, the piston rings fry, the cylinders get eaten, and the freeze plugs blow out.

Yeah you forgot one it might blow the welds on your intake manifold yo!

haha jk but that seriously is pretty far fetched there. You mean to tell me the head is going to "blow" and the freeze plugs will shoot out? I dont understand. Mind telling me the process by which this occurs?

 

[Dyoel182]

my car is having a problem with its harmonic balancer.
the cheap ass plastic retainer broke in two...dammit!

Plastic retainer?

 

[n2o_matt]

before tqing your bolts you need to check that your head bolts aren't bootoming out in the block. When you reused head bolts they have been steched, so they are longer. This added with the fact that you had your head and block milled can cause you some issues.

Put a bolt through the head and mark the bolt as close to the head surface as you can. Then thread the bolt into the block. I the mark doesn't go a good 3-4 threads into the block, your going to have issues.

Really the best way to measure how tight a bolt should be tighted is by stretch, not tq.

 

[GotF2TinGD]

they are not streach bolts, if in doubt use a extra washer,

i recently did the head on mine left he washers off.. expensive trick, pulled head off new gasket, put the head bolts on with the washers no more drama's

 

[mx6GT91]

The block doesnt seem like its been touched (machine wise). Its got little engravings that are clearly visible, so Im thinking its never been decked.....

As for the bolts, if they are stretched I have another set off my old motor. I'll probably end up using another set of washers as GotF2TinGD said. Someone else told me about that.

 

[SixSick6]

Which may or may not have stretched themselves. Have you measured either set yet?

 

[MazdaMiester]

aw man ray... who put the fel-pro in there? that gasket is about as useful as using space savors as drag slicks. the only way i'd use a fel-pro headgasket is if i wanted to do an experiment to see how quickly it owuld blow.

that sucks, the block is probably fine, have the head checked, if it didnt boil over its probably not cracked...but ya never know


sucks man
-Eric

 

[mx6GT91]

Yea..... The Fel-pros are poop. When I told people about what happened, once I got to the Fel-Pro part they all just cut me off and said "I know what happen." Hahahaha.

I got the head back yesterday. It was a tad warped on one side, who knows it could have been like that from the beginning. Its back, looks great and I hope it all goes well.

I havent measured the headbolts yet.

 

[GotF2TinGD]

Headbolts are the non strech type. so you should be fine with them. its pretty rare to come across a set of bolts that are streach bolts.

but make sure you put those damn washers on, i cannot stress this enough.