Devia

Sure it's not a waterpump giving you trouble?

Or - possibly the big hose on the waterpump housing loose, and leaks while you are driving on the street, and when it sits, stone cold?

I just had that problem, was losing a quart a day/night, and tightening it stopped it...so far.

I obtained a waterpump, and ready to replace thermostat, timing belt, AND headgasket, if it would help overheating issues (I never like her to go over 1/2).

Also, I've always had oil in the radiator, a few tablespoons a month - due to the oil cooler, then replacing it improperly (Porsche mechanic's book says you're supposed to shim an '83).

PeteL

Thanks all. I am in denial. Pretty sure it is a HG. Will do the compression check this weekend.
Teardown will begin shortly thereafter.

Mark-87-951

Well, now that I added coolant, every now and then I see white smoke. The engine was having trouble at one point on my 5 minute drive home for lunch. It looks like my HG is blow as well :-(

So, how hard is this job? I'm comfortable with taking the intake and camshaft assembly off, been there done that. I'm thinking the exhaust header will be the biggest problem. Also, stock HG most appropriate? I would consider a metal one but I understand they have a lower tolerance for variance in the head surface.

Or should I just pay to have it done?

RedlineMan

Not a big deal.

You're already comfortable with the harder stuff. Whiz that head off, take it to a machine shop and have it checked over for guides/seals/plain and get the valves re-polished. Use a stock gasket. Get a head set and do all the other seals too while you're at it.

You can do it. We can help!

GOBOGIE

PICS!!!

Mike C.

It would really be better to have a cooling system pressure test done. The system is pressurized (while cold) and if the pressure leaks down it means coolant is leaking somewhere. If you can't find any traces externally, it's most likely the head gasket.

Mark-87-951

I hope it isnt a big deal. What is the usual cost for a machine shop to go over it?

apierce918

the clarks garage guide for a head gasket job has a tip that some guy claims you can pull the head and leave the exhaust manifolds on... something to think about.

dont pay to have it done, go in do it yourself. $100 for a head gasket kit, and then then maybe $80-ish or so at a machine shop depending on if you just have them resurface the head, or fix up some other stuff too.

and besides, you going through it will help the rest of us when we need to!

(since my cold start idle leads me to believe i may be going down this road soon, havent started my car in over a month since its all nekkid, but still)

Mark-87-951

Anyone know of a good machine shop in Northwest Indiana, near the city of Hammond? Hopefully I can start pulling stuff off tomorrow night. Unfortunately I won't have a garage to do this in, but Im hoping I can get down to the head and exhaust header for sat.

Kevin Baker

Pete, you can do a leakdown test. When the cylinders are pressurized, if the headgasket is leaking, you'll hear the air moving through the radiator hoses. One other thing you can do, go to the auto parts store and find a "block test kit", it will have a vile of green fluid, you fill this tube, place it over the expansion tank, hook a vacuum to the other end, run the car. If there are exhaust gases in the coolant, the stuff in the tube will change from green to yellow.

PeteL

At this point, I am thinking to bypass the tests. I am going to pull the head, and look at the gasket. This will give me an opportunity to clean things up anyway. The best price I found on a HG set is at VERTEX for 79.00. I am in no rush since the car is not a daily driver. Pull the head, clean things up and go from there. The HG was replaced in 98, but the car has overheated at least a couple of times since then due to bad wiring on cooling fans. The fans are squared away now, but the HG is probably toast, it doesn't take much overheating to damage the HG.

streckfu's

That is what I did. The only problem you may have is removing the bolts from the exhaust manifold where it mates with the crossover pipe. Plan to replace those bolts and nuts (cheap from Paragon.

I'm a fan of doing as much as you can. After 150k miles, I had the valve springs, guides, seals, and everrything done while it was apart. It's so worth doing doing now as it would really suck to have a valve spring or something fail after putting it back together.

RedlineMan

Well....

I wouldn't even consider not having the head done while it was out. Also, if it has overheated it MUST be checked for plain. Just have it done. Last one I had done was around $200 for EVERYTHING being done (seals, guides, valves, etc.).

CurlyDE

If compression numbers are fine ... (145ish across the board) is there any chance that the headgasket could still be a problem? I was having a mixing issues (oil in coolant) and replaced the filter housing seals (along with a lot of other random stuff). My car is *almost* back together, but I am still a little worried about the headgasket.

FYI ... it is really easy to remove the head with the header attached. I have done this on my NA.

Peckster

Compression test might still be OK, a leakdown test is better.