Head Gasket take 2

[knewsom]

So the head gasket went again in Mamba, my 99 D1. I replaced it about three or four years ago, about 20-30k miles. Last time it was coolant in the oil, this time it's either exhaust or decompression - I can feel it blowing air out between the head and block.

Further information which may or may not be pertinent - I had an exhaust leak on this side of the head for about a year, then finally got 'round to fixing it, and it was quiet for a few months. It was making a bit of a "squeaking/chirping" sound from the head, I thought to myself possible sticky valve from my lazy ass taking so long to fix the exhaust leak, then eventually that sorta quieted itself down, but at about the same time I heard what I thought was the exhaust leak coming back. Replaced the manifold and y-pipe gaskets, started it up, same sound - felt around further and what I THOUGHT was coming from the Y-pipe gasket was really coming out of the head gasket. D'oh.

I've read people say that if a head gasket goes twice in the same engine it's probably a bad block... but is that still true if the second leak is of an entirely different sort than the first? IE, not coolant/oil but exhaust/cylinder decompression?

Is this something I should fix? Or is the risk of it being a bad block too high to justify $400 in parts and a weekend of labor? Is it new motor/new truck time?

 

[KyleT]

my truck has had 7 HG replacements... last one was 80k ago. check the heads for warp and slap a new set on.

I assume you are using good coolant and distilled water? this helps to combat the gasket crapping out.

 

[knewsom]

I don't see how coolant could cause the gasket to fail around the cylinder or the exhaust - am I missing something? But as for coolant, I'm using distilled water and regular green stuff...

 

[riceybean]

I stopped using the green stuff years ago, Dexcool is the stuff now. Every car/truck/suv I have had to do the heads on used that green crap. VW, Audi, Ford Contour SVT, 99 Disco, 96 Disco, all had the regular green stuff and shortly after I got them the gaskets went out. FYI.


But your issue sounds like heads warped or not torqued enough?

 

[KyleT]

acids in the coolant will eat the gasket. it still permiates into it.

you have compression blowby. check the head bolts and see if they are loose. or give each one near that cylinder a 1/4 turn more and see what happens.

 

[p m]

Kris - I wonder how could you only need $400 for a head gasket job.
Last one I did cost me closer to a grand - including $650 in re-done heads, gaskets, and bolts from Will, rodded radiator, all hoses, a new fan clutch. I can't say if it was a success or not - only put about 6kmi on the truck since the job - but it ran like a champ on the trip to Colorado.

I also don't think there is a single Land Rover engine of that vintage with less than 2 HG jobs - it doesn't mean all of them are bad. My white truck had a HG job under warranty before 40k mark, next one - at 170k, and it now needs another at 250k. My son's 95 LWB had several HG jobs in PO's ownership, and I did one around 180kmi and it seems to be doing okay about 40kmi later.

 

[cupgt]

You can get a head set and bolts for less than 200 shipped. Local machine shop will surface heads for $30 a pop and cut valves for around $5 a pop. If your not replacing the radiator and all that good stuff it shouldn't cost more than $400. I might be looking at a HG job and I have a spare radiator with next to no blockage. Fan clutch is relatively new. Ill be doing a water pump as well but I just got a new one for $40 bucks off a forum member. Thermostat is cheap. Serp belt is cheap. Hoses look good and I have a new top one somewhere around here. I hope to god it doesn't cost me a grand!

 

[p m]

You can get a head set and bolts for less than 200 shipped. Local machine shop will surface heads for $30 a pop and cut valves for around $5 a pop. If your not replacing the radiator and all that good stuff it shouldn't cost more than $400. I might be looking at a HG job and I have a spare radiator with next to no blockage. Fan clutch is relatively new. Ill be doing a water pump as well but I just got a new one for $40 bucks off a forum member. Thermostat is cheap. Serp belt is cheap. Hoses look good and I have a new top one somewhere around here. I hope to god it doesn't cost me a grand!

dunno... the cheap shops all but disappeared in SoCal. A relatively cheap shop I know of asked $220 for a Volvo head (resurface + valve job), and that was a good deal.

 

[jymmiejamz]

my truck has had 7 HG replacements... last one was 80k ago. check the heads for warp and slap a new set on.

Unless you have like 500k miles, someone was not doing the head gasket job correctly.

 

[KyleT]

Unless you have like 500k miles, someone was not doing the head gasket job correctly.

yep...

 

[cupgt]

dunno... the cheap shops all but disappeared in SoCal. A relatively cheap shop I know of asked $220 for a Volvo head (resurface + valve job), and that was a good deal.

That sucks. We still have a precious few old school shops around. Only cost me 40 bucks to get my radiator rodded out.

 

[knewsom]

Last time I didn't replace the radiator, it had been replaced only about 10k miles before my head gasket went, and the VFC only about half that, so I didn't have to replace it either. I did do the serpentine though, and I think that'll need replacing again. I'm pretty much looking at doing a major overhaul to a bunch of things if I'm gonna dive in that far.

These heads only have 30k miles on them since they were last rebuilt, so as long as they're flat they should be fine. If they're not, I'll resurface them. I may go ahead and polish them and lap the valves too. I mean hell, why not? I've got the shop, I might as well. Radiator flush, new cam, my swivel balls need to be resealed and packed too. Steering dampener... gotta sandblast and re-powdercoat the bumpers too, same with my NATO wheels (though those may be so rusty that it's time for new ones - life at the beach). Yeah, that'll be a bit more, but probably worth the extra effort.

 

[bigcheif]

I wouldn't give a wood nickel for Dex cool! 5 intake gaskets in my dads z71,3 water pumps in my brothers camaro ,and 2 water pumps in my moms impala

 

[jymmiejamz]

I wouldn't give a wood nickel for Dex cool! 5 intake gaskets in my dads z71,3 water pumps in my brothers camaro ,and 2 water pumps in my moms impala

Sounds like your family needs to stop buying American cars.

 

[bigcheif]

They switched to ford!

 

[knewsom]

we're not going to have the whole "blue vs green" debate again, are we?

...and would someone remind me why I shouldn't just use plain 'ol distilled water?

 

[bigcheif]

Freezing over if in cold enough climate.

 

[ChrismonDA]

my truck has had 7 HG replacements... last one was 80k ago. check the heads for warp and slap a new set on.

I assume you are using good coolant and distilled water? this helps to combat the gasket crapping out.

Do what? 7? Head gaskets? I have over 170K on my DII with only one replacement.

 

[knewsom]

Freezing over if in cold enough climate.

I live in San Diego, less than a block from the beach. It almost never gets below 50 here, or above 90.

 

[Nomar]

it's either exhaust or decompression - I can feel it blowing air out between the head and block.

Feel it with what?
How the hell can you feel that to diagnose a HG issue?
It's hotter than *#@^ right there...

Overheating?
Oil in coolant?
Blowing puffy white clouds?

I'm not following...