Ive never done this before, need help with b210 head gasket

[king bee66]

ive took off head bolts that definitely did not need a cheater bar, but they still required a ratchet and some strength to remove.  hand tight seems like it wouldnt even have enough compression to idle. how far did you drive with no water in the motor? did you do a compression test before you took the head off?

[BlueSue]

I drove to the next available exit, maybe a few miles at most. I never did a compression test, no one had suggested as much. I would like to know how to do that, though. I have looked for the tools for compression testing but the local auto shop didn't have them. 

[izzo]

Its not the end of the world. Surprised they fell and hit the floor though. Guess it don't matter now lol just out them back in...

 

They should be torqued to 51 to 57 lbs I think. Check the link I posted. That's beyond finger tight. Its possible the head bolts were loose. That would cause water in oil and oil in the water. Also, would cause excessive pressure in your cooling system which could have popped that radiator hose. I noticed extra pressure in my cooling system causing water to come out even when engine was at normal temp. Also noticed down shifting, it wasn't slowing down that much from engine compression. Tested it and found mine to be low in the front two cylinders.

[king bee66]

  the first time i replaced a head i had the push rods mixed up and everything ended up fine. hopefully you atleast kept the headbolts in order.

 

its too late to do a compression test.  you could have the head looked at to see if its warped but i personally wouldnt bother.  nothing left to do now but put it all back together and see how it runs

[BlueSue]

That's probably what happened then. I hope I can put it back together properly. I need to get a new rocker cover gasket, it tore up on removal.   I guess your right. I would have had to at least get to the head bolts to find out anyway. So, the pushrods seem to be all the same size and I see no difference in them. How do I match them back up? Or what are the differences in them? Thanks for your help with this

[BlueSue]

That is exactly what happened, still can't believe it. I could have just tighten her down...I would not have thought loose head bolts would increase compression in the cooling system. That is interesting. Yeah, I did keep track of the head bolt placement. There is a little knick or scratch damage on the surface of the cylinder bore ( the hole in which piston slides, I think) is that a problem? With brakes I know it can be. 

[BlueSue]

 I learned quite a bit, anyway.Thanks again. Maybe I'll be able to drive her to an event sometime, Blue Sue is bad ass.

[BlueSue]

I will let you know how it turns out.

[izzo]

get a picture of the nick in the cylinder bore please and post it.

 

Also, just make sure you put the oil head bolt back in the right spot.  If you lay out all the head bolts next to each other, one will be different.  skinnier, thats the oil bolt. it goes center passenger side. right next to the dizzy. if you look at the bolt holes on the block you can tell which one it needs to go in... 

[BlueSue]

Since I am replacing the valve cover gasket anyway, is it a good idea to replace the head gasket also just in case? I mean I dont think anything is wrong with it but I also have no idea what I m looking for other than cracks or breaks. I found one for $45. The brand is Victor. Does anyone know if that is a reputable brand/kit?

[BestyBlue77]

On 2/5/2013 at 7:52 AM, Bentaxlebob said:

Follow the instructions on the manual about sequence when lossening bolts and when re assembling / tightening.  It is not difficult but could become if you just dissassemble the head nonchalantly. I stringly suggest taking photos from the start, Once w/o valve cover, as you dissassemble it, and make a cardboard square box as if it where the cyl head, where you can leave all head bolts and pushrods. 

 

Pushrods, and head bolts should remain in their specific places so that is why it is important to note them. A mock cyl head out of cardboard ( like a shoe box) saves confusion and saves long explanations in writting.  Do not mess with the cylinder head, just take it to a machine shop and they will do the right job. You will get it back all fixed up and ready for install. Get a new water pump, this is the right time to do so.( with new thermostat.). At that machine shop ask for the gasket kit for the head ( head gasket kit )  When you go back home with your head you will have everything you need for re assembling.

 

Take your radiator to a rad shop for cleaning. You want to make sure it is free of gunk and crap.  When you re start your motor, you need to make a first oil change after letting it iddle for about 5 minutes to rid your motor of any water and gunk residue. Then change oil a second time after 2 days. That will rid your motor of any water .

 

Also fill your car with distilled water ( rad ) and change the water after first warm up ( together with first oil change. You can get distilled water at any Walgreens, Vons, / market of pharmacy like Savon. The refill it with distilled water and change the water again after 2 days with again distilled water and antifreeze.  Using distilled water is the way to go. Regular water has minerals that clog your rad and create salts and minerals. Use a torque wrench to adjust your bolts to specs ( as per manual book.) Sears has good non expensive torque wrenches. Remember to re adjust your cylinder head bolts after 500 miles of driving. That is a must. Many cylinder head jobs go bad because of not re torquing head after 500 miles."

I know this is an old thread, but why do you suggest the distilled water treatment if he's already taken the radiator to the shop and had it cleaned. Wouldn't it be easier to just flush out the engine? That's what I did by putting a lil heat on the lower engine flush bolt to remove it, and completely draining it all out and then running the hose til it all drains out. After that I blew compressed air to push out any remaining water. I'm wondering because running the engine at all with only water in it is not a good idea, especially for someone who has just overheated the engine to the point of blowing the gasket.

[datzenmike]

Coolant slowly, over time, 'boils away' and needs to be topped up. The dissolved minerals (AKA : hard water or tap water) stay in the system and become concentrated over time and form hard water scale that blocks the rad tubes. Look into any tea kettle and you'll see what I mean. The best thing is to use distilled water that is free of dissolved minerals and make sure you use it to top up.

 

Naturally ALWAYS use a 50/50 blend of antifreeze/coolant mix to prevent rust/corrosion