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Yep, good timing for sure. As most of you have seen my other thread, I'll likely be getting into exactly this over the next few weeks once a diagnosis is confirmed by plug removal this evening.
If it's a leaking head gasket, my plan is to attempt replacement with the motor in the car since it's a 16v motor, the supercharger adds removal complexity, the motor mounts are fairly new, and I want to try and get it done and we'll tested before SITM and the 928 PEC event (probably won't make it before the Mitty so the 914 will go to that one this year).
If there's an OB DIY writeup someone could point me too, that would be great.
Blake, were you able to use that repaired engine block?
It's still sitting on the stand. I don't have any time to work on it working 2 full time jobs
It will be fine though. The fire ring lands are completely flat and relatively untouched, just flattened with 600 grit sand paper to get an approximate surface RA..
If it does fail I'll have the block decked. Which would suck, but it isn't the end of the world.
There are bolts for the cam covers that are virtually impossible to torque correctly with the engine in.
Not to mention scaping gaskets.
I would never ever remove the cam covers on a 16v engine again if the engine was in the car.
My vote is to pull the engine.
My car sat a lot, with me living in Las Vegas, and working in West Texas, till I finally retired. Everything has been done except R/R intake and cam covers, with spares cleaned up by Don Buswell, and the knock sensors. I haven't really driven the car since the supercharger was installed. New motor mounts, etc. There's only 7 K on it since the TB/WP, and new timing gears were done. I don't want to pull the engine unless it's absolutely necessary. If I can do the head gaskets with the engine in the car the better. Plus I have a spare engine that I can pull the heads off of have them rebuilt, and do a swap. Same with the spare 89 auto trans I have that needs a rebuild.
Is it possible to do the head gaskets on an S4 with the engine in the car, or is it a must to pull the engine?
It's still sitting on the stand. I don't have any time to work on it working 2 full time jobs
It will be fine though. The fire ring lands are completely flat and relatively untouched, just flattened with 600 grit sand paper to get an approximate surface RA..
If it does fail I'll have the block decked. Which would suck, but it isn't the end of the world.
Here is a better picture of the final repair:
That looks great! Lay a strait edge on it and if it's strait and level, I'd call it good. But being old, I'd probably have it surfaced, so I wouldn't have to mess with it again.
For quick reference, linked below is my head gasket saga. This is by no means a "how to" thread, but there may be some good info in there for those embarking on this journey.
That looks great! Lay a strait edge on it and if it's strait and level, I'd call it good. But being old, I'd probably have it surfaced, so I wouldn't have to mess with it again.
Thank you! I laid a nice flat ruler across it and put a laser pointer on one side and couldn't see any light coming through. I did it this way because if I had to surface the block I need to split the crank case.
Something I want to avoid at all costs!
Also, you can easily do head gaskets in an S4 with the engine in the car because it uses head bolts and not studs. They make them much easier to service.
Have any of you guys considered or tried using a consumable zinc anode? A sacrificial anode? "Zincs" in boater parlance. Zinc is much tastier than the alloy heads to galvanic action (or is it electrolysis)?
They are used on outboards, particularly in saltwater. There, it is a replaceable zinc steering trim tab. It prevents the process from consuming the lower unit. Google "cooling system zincs", and you'll get a bunch of options. I see there are versions which screw into a radiator drain plug. I remember years ago seeing one that hangs from the underside of the radiator fill cap.
Anyway, the zinc gets consumed by the galvanic action process, and your heads are left unscathed. Let the chemistry eat the zinc, not your heads. Cheap insurance.
As a boater, I am very familiar with zinc anodes. But they address an electrolytic, or galvanic problem. Different metals connected by a conductive medium. Sea water.
Throw in the occasional stray DC current, and you have problems.
The issue at hand seems more of a chemical reaction problem. Dissociation of aluminum in the presence of antifreeze.
Hence, I dont think zincs would solve it.
In the Jag V12 universe, many of us use filters in the block to radiator coolant flow, and top up the coolant with additives to account for the antifreeze to aluminum block corrosion.
Last edited by scottpeterd; 12-23-2019 at 07:52 AM.
Have any of you guys considered or tried using a consumable zinc anode? A sacrificial anode? "Zincs" in boater parlance. Zinc is much tastier than the alloy heads to galvanic action (or is it electrolysis)?
They are used on outboards, particularly in saltwater. There, it is a replaceable zinc steering trim tab. It prevents the process from consuming the lower unit. Google "cooling system zincs", and you'll get a bunch of options. I see there are versions which screw into a radiator drain plug. I remember years ago seeing one that hangs from the underside of the radiator fill cap.
Anyway, the zinc gets consumed by the galvanic action process, and your heads are left unscathed. Let the chemistry eat the zinc, not your heads. Cheap insurance.
Zinc will not protect aluminium- quite the opposite. When engines were made of iron zinc was probably used as a sacrificial anode. For it to work both metals have to be connected directly and both exposed to the electrolyte [coolant].
As a boater, I am very familiar with zinc anodes. But they address an electrolytic, or galvanic problem. Different metals connected by a conductive medium. Sea water.
Throw in the occasional stray DC current, and you have problems.
The issue at hand seems more of a chemical reaction problem. Dissociation of aluminum in the presence of antifreeze.
Hence, I dont think zincs would solve it.
In the Jag V12 universe, many of us use filters in the block to radiator coolant flow, and top up the coolant with additives to account for the antifreeze to aluminum block corrosion.
Scott,
Anything that changes the state of a metal or a compound is a chemical reaction. There are different drivers that facilitate such change. Aluminium is very corrosion resistant because of the passive oxide film it forms. Expose the material to anything that breaks down the passive film and then it is a different story altogether. Aluminium can be galvanically protected but one would need a magnesium anode to do so.
Separate question- are you into Jag V12 engines of the X300 series era [aka after Ford took over in 1994] or are you into the earlier V12's?
03-18-2019, 04:47 PM
