head gasket problem
06-24-2013, 12:32 AM
#1
Track Day
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head gasket problem
noticed a large oil leak one my 86 944 spec car this weekend while I was moving it out of my garage. it is the head gasket leak on the header side of cyl#1
I bought the car acouple of months ago and have done 2 autoxs with is with it since with no major problems it had been sitting for about a year b4 I had it.
one thing I noticed was the fan seemed to kick in a lot later then it should have. it will kick in right above the third white mark and then stay around the third mark. which is higher then my 944 turbo but did not sweat it to much b/c it was running good and I wasn't sure if that was its normal running temp or maybe the gauge was a little off. also for a brief 30 sec bit it did go into the red while I was in the grid. also I did a precheck on the car the night before and added some more distilled water b/c the overflow was too yellow to see if there was any water in the system and the fact that light was minimal, therefor at the track some water came out the pressure release hose about all the extra half litter I put into it
some questions
could there have been a specific thing that caused the head gasket to let go (my dumb *** putting to much water in)
what else should I check or do while im in there(already planning on doing vacuum lines there original)
and do I have to remove the came tower to do the HG I have gotten all the way down to that being the next step but it does not seem completely necessary to take off
thanks for any insite
I bought the car acouple of months ago and have done 2 autoxs with is with it since with no major problems it had been sitting for about a year b4 I had it.
one thing I noticed was the fan seemed to kick in a lot later then it should have. it will kick in right above the third white mark and then stay around the third mark. which is higher then my 944 turbo but did not sweat it to much b/c it was running good and I wasn't sure if that was its normal running temp or maybe the gauge was a little off. also for a brief 30 sec bit it did go into the red while I was in the grid. also I did a precheck on the car the night before and added some more distilled water b/c the overflow was too yellow to see if there was any water in the system and the fact that light was minimal, therefor at the track some water came out the pressure release hose about all the extra half litter I put into it
some questions
could there have been a specific thing that caused the head gasket to let go (my dumb *** putting to much water in)
what else should I check or do while im in there(already planning on doing vacuum lines there original)
and do I have to remove the came tower to do the HG I have gotten all the way down to that being the next step but it does not seem completely necessary to take off
thanks for any insite
06-24-2013, 01:03 AM
#2
one thing I noticed was the fan seemed to kick in a lot later then it should have. it will kick in right above the third white mark and then stay around the third mark. which is higher then my 944 turbo but did not sweat it to much b/c it was running good and I wasn't sure if that was its normal running temp or maybe the gauge was a little off. also for a brief 30 sec bit it did go into the red while I was in the grid. also I did a precheck on the car the night before and added some more distilled water b/c the overflow was too yellow to see if there was any water in the system and the fact that light was minimal, therefor at the track some water came out the pressure release hose about all the extra half litter I put into it
could there have been a specific thing that caused the head gasket to let go (my dumb *** putting to much water in)
what else should I check or do while im in there(already planning on doing vacuum lines there original)
and do I have to remove the came tower to do the HG I have gotten all the way down to that being the next step but it does not seem completely necessary to take off
Last edited by Chunkerz; 06-24-2013 at 01:19 AM.
06-24-2013, 01:11 AM
#3
Late Porkchops
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Likely nothing you caused - other than running it up too hot for a bit. Head gasket if its not pretty new was probably about due.
When was the last time the car had a head gasket? They get in pretty bad shape over time. There are several threads on this right now either here or in the model specific forum.
Yes the cam housing comes loose and you need to tilt it to the side to try to keep the lifters in their openings. Might need to check those too.
While you are in there for this job is normally belts and water pump kit and rod bearings too - especially for a tracked car . As always hoses and fuel lines - but any cooling hoses need scrutiny or replaced. You hate to do this job again because a hose lets go.
BTW I always have had best luck with the pink Audi or Porsche coolant mixed to spec for the temperature.
When was the last time the car had a head gasket? They get in pretty bad shape over time. There are several threads on this right now either here or in the model specific forum.
Yes the cam housing comes loose and you need to tilt it to the side to try to keep the lifters in their openings. Might need to check those too.
While you are in there for this job is normally belts and water pump kit and rod bearings too - especially for a tracked car . As always hoses and fuel lines - but any cooling hoses need scrutiny or replaced. You hate to do this job again because a hose lets go.
BTW I always have had best luck with the pink Audi or Porsche coolant mixed to spec for the temperature.
06-24-2013, 02:27 AM
#4
Track Day
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Do you mean the cam tower gasket? A bad head gasket would leak coolant, not oil.
Do you know what temperature thermostat and thermofan switch you have? If the thermofan switch isn't matched up with the thermostat the car will run hot
Putting in too much water won't hurt anything. Excess water just goes out the overflow tube. Overheating the car can cause the head gasket to fail.
Do you know when the belts, rollers, and water pump were last changed? If they haven't been done in a while, I'd replace them. This would also be a good time to replace the front engine seals. If you take the head off, I recommend getting it decked, new valve guides/seals, turbo valve springs, and valve seats recut. With the head off and engine all apart you have easy access to the heater valve and lots of coolant hoses, so I'd replace them too. This would also be a good time to replace the cork seal at the back of the cam tower.
Yes, you have to remove the cam tower. There are 10 nuts holding on the head and 5 are under the cam tower. Make sure you remove them from the inside out, alternating in a criss cross pattern, to avoid warping the head.
Do you know what temperature thermostat and thermofan switch you have? If the thermofan switch isn't matched up with the thermostat the car will run hot
Putting in too much water won't hurt anything. Excess water just goes out the overflow tube. Overheating the car can cause the head gasket to fail.
Do you know when the belts, rollers, and water pump were last changed? If they haven't been done in a while, I'd replace them. This would also be a good time to replace the front engine seals. If you take the head off, I recommend getting it decked, new valve guides/seals, turbo valve springs, and valve seats recut. With the head off and engine all apart you have easy access to the heater valve and lots of coolant hoses, so I'd replace them too. This would also be a good time to replace the cork seal at the back of the cam tower.
Yes, you have to remove the cam tower. There are 10 nuts holding on the head and 5 are under the cam tower. Make sure you remove them from the inside out, alternating in a criss cross pattern, to avoid warping the head.
it had a rebuilt engine put into it about 10 years ago and it was only raced for maybe 5 years after that b/c when I got it the tires on it where 10 years old. all the parts are on in the pictures
im about 98% sure the head was what was leaking the oil as you can see in the picture it is clean everywhere and I check the cam tower cork gasket but it was fine
06-24-2013, 05:30 PM
#6
