87944turbo

How long do you plan to keep it?

turboted

At this point, I have no plans to sell it. Ever.

I just need to determine how much more life I can get out of the bottom of the motor before it absolutely must be rebuilt. I don't really want to spend a ton of extra $$ right now...but I want even less to take it all apart again in 5k miles after I put it all back together.

special tool

How did you diagnose a blown headgasket?

turboted

I noticed a small puddle of coolant under the intake manifold and and suspected the culprit was a leaky heater core hose on the back side of the motor. But when I removed the intake manifold to get a closer look...it became clear that the head gasket is on it's way out. It's just starting to seep...nothing major yet. I've had no other symptoms, so I suspect I'm catching the problem early.

special tool

hmmmm- not so fast.....

There are many things thatr will leave fluid there.
The most likely is the cam gasket, then injector (top or bottom) then intake gasket.

What does the inside of your oil cap look like when you open it?

special tool

gdye?

turboted

I have never looked at the inside of the oil cap...but will check tonight. In the meantime, here's a pic of my problem...see for yourself. The temp sensor is not the source of the leak...and I can't find any other sources. The dark coloring around the gasket is what tips me off. But I'm new to these motors...so I'm open to alternative opinions (please please tell me I don't have a blown head gasket!).

nize

the coolant vent screw at the front of the motor could also be leaking coolant, which would run along the outside of the gasket.

a sure way to test if the gasket is actually blown is to perform a compression/leakdown test. very easy to do yourself.

turboted

Thanks...turns out the head gasket was blown after all. I went for the quick fix rather than a 400+ HP rebuild (will save that project for a later date). I got the head rebuilt and installed a widefire HG. I'm almost done putting it back together...and hope to have it running again by next weekend.

It's been a lengthy project...as I've also replaced the oil pan gasket, steering rack, rod bearings, clutch master/slave cylinders, oil cooler seals, and front/rear suspension (Koni adjustable coilovers - nice!). With a newborn at home, I've only been able to work on it for a few hours a day since January. I'm happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel...finally. I'll post some new pics once it's all done.

Andial951

ncie to hear your getting it all back together soon. I will be beginning my head gasket replacement tomorrow.

951carter

I don't think that you have a blown head gasket. If you do, it is an easy swap. Unless it has been sorely mistreated your motor should not be anywhere near ready for a full rebuild, I have seen them with close to 300k miles that still run perfectly....with the original HEAD gasket and turbo. These are some really tough engines if treated right. You can not let the oil level get low or old and you have to be diligent about the belts.

At 87k I wouldn't worry about the rod bearings either unless it has been tracked or the oil not maintained properly.

As someone stated in an earlier post, there are alot of ways you can get oil there, the head gasket probably being the least likely culprit. You can pressure test the cooling system and see where it is leaking.

16psi is nothing on these cars.