Somethings not right...

[Toby]

Out driving thisafternoon, stretching the cars legs a little and all came to a very bitter end when i glanced down to my coolant temp and it was 130degrees....

Stoppped the car as soon as i could and by this time white smoke was poring out the ass end of the car, cooland tank was full and the rad half empty.

Cylinder #1 is full of water as is #2 i think, so much so i couldnt even compression test it!

I'm really thinking about doing this (or starting to) myself at home, I have some good friends who are mechanics and i'd like to think im relatively clued up on how an engine works, plus this is the 2nd time ive had HGF on a car of mine so i think its time i learn't hoe to fix it!

Before i start taking bits apart, is there anything i should know about?

I really dont want to have to get the block out to skim, but understand to be 100% happy this should be done.

I will most likely be sticking some ARP studs in and a thicker gasket, unsure whether a Metal item will be better than a cosmetic one since it gives very little room for imperfections on the head + block...

Any advice/ reccomendations welcome

 

[DeanS15]

i dont know about the actual job mate - as far as im aware most people clean up the block, check it for flatness and only skim the head.....

i avoided the cometics in favour of a tomei gasket due to supposed problems with the cometic mls compared to the tomei which is a so called 'super grommet' design meant to have a superior seal.....

 

[TriniGT]

As you are there do the headstuds same time. May wanna drain the oil and check for any bottom problems that may be lurking, looking for filings in the oil. Ensure the surfaces are spotless and reapply headgasket and torque to specs and then ensure that the coolant is bled properly. There is a small 10mm bolt on the turbo side by the upper radiator pipe, remove it and refill the radiator with coolant until coolant pours from the hole and then replace bolt with copper washer and top up and leave the radiator cap off and startup and allow the car to warm up a bit and allow the coolant to begin moving around, at that point you will need to keep topping up the coolant until it cannot take anymore and then replace the radiator cap and ensure that once the car is warm that everythign is reading what it should.

 

[Toby]

Thanks for the advice all, I will be sticking some ARP Studs and some form of metal head gasket back in Tomie/HSK/Apexi seem to be the front runners, unsure whats going to be the best replacement really.

I'm being told by friends of mine this is all down to the FMIC blocking air to the rad, Whilst it obviously does, I just dont belive this is the only factor since so many people run them.

Will get some pictures up tonight!

 

[TriniGT]

Just make sure the system is bled properly, and make sure the rad hoses and radiator is not clogged whatsoever. If the system is not bled properly and air packets are in the system it is guaranteed to over heat. Did you do anything recently on the car? Also, check to see if there are any pinhole leaks on the radiator hoses that may be causing the system to lose water but from the sounds of it it is headgasket related anyway.

 

[DeanS15]

its most definitely not the intercooler - the viscous fan is constantly pulling air over it and it already has the ac rad in front. temps werent altered at all when i fitted an fmic......

 

[adz87kc]

temps werent altered at all when i fitted an fmic......

Same here.

Could it be something as simple as a thermostat at fault?

Or have you mixed coolants? I read that if the wrong coolant types are mixed they congeal and and block up water paths.

 

[Toby]

I have recently changed coolants but it was flushed through entirely!

I actually removed the AC rad when i fitted the 56mm ally rad to increase cooling!

Got the intake mani off and loosed the exhuast mani, cams are out and will crack the head bolts first thing tonight!

 

[Toby]

Well got the head off here's the block..

Front Cylinder

2nd Cylinder

The back to get progresively better, but there are still signs of wear on the passenger side of each cylinder..
Head

There are 2 problems here, the Head gasket has split between a water way and the cylinder at the front of the engine.

But also the car has been detting quite badly on the front 2 cylinders, and there are signs of it on the rear too also. This i belive to be due to heat or fuel starvation.

The fuel rail feeds from the back, and the injectors are on the side that seems fine on all the cylinders, so this could be the culpret!

The block is probably scrap, 2 pistons certainly are, but I'm really hoping the head can be resurected!
I'll have the head ready for inspection tommorrow evening and will start removing the block too.

 

[DeanS15]

maybe someone at some point

a: ran too much boost on the standard gasket and it lifted the head
b: the above plus a lack of/poor mapping would explain the det.

how do you know it was detting, the pistons look a bit furred up with coolant deposits but they don't look damaged?
fuel starvation due to the rail layout is no way a common thing on the sr - in fact i dont think ive ever read anything about it so that probably rules that out

edit: just seen the pitting on the pistons mate

 

[Toby]

Very possible the car has been running more boost than when i bought it, I mean who runs FMIC with the std Boost Solinoid?

Why do you think the passenger side of every piston is discoloured?

I don't know its been detting at all mate, just assumed thats whats caused the damage to the pistons and fire rings?

 

[DeanS15]

not 100% sure why the passenger side is discoloured, but if it was running silly high egt's (again through mapping/timing out etc) the stupidly hot heat will all be soaking the head on that side - might explain why the gasket went there too, but this is all just clutching at straws.....i'm no expert mate, just theorising

 

[craig8585]

It looks like its been running very warm on the exhaust side to me too. Are the pistons pitted like they look in the pics or is it a deposit of some form? If they are how they look in the pics then I'd imagine they will need to be replaced but again, no expert..? Good excuse to forge it though maybe?