Problems with Mitsubishi MLS sealing!!

[Stangmurdera]

I done a head gasket in my 1g Turbo Eclipse. I used ARP head studs with a Mitsubishi MLS head gasket. I torqued the head bolts to 90 lbs total. The head gasket is not sealing and the car is over heating? Can I retorque them and see if that fixes it? Should I pull the head off? Can I reuse the MLS head gasket if I do? If I do retorque them, can I take each head nut lose one at a time in reverse sequence and start completely over with the torquing procedure without removing anything besides the valve cover? Let me know any advice to help me seal this MLS.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Did you deck the block and head or at least check them for straightness or did you just try to replace the headgasket? Both surfaces must be near perfectly straight otherwise it won't seal. It doesn't have the room for error that a material gasket has. Try retorqueing after the car warms up but I doubt it will help. Have you compression tested to make sure it is the HG and not something else.

 

[Stangmurdera]

The head was checked and decked to make sure it was flat. I did not check the block though. Can I reuse the metal gasket if I pull the head?

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

As long as it isn't blown anywhere.

 

[Stangmurdera]

Is there a loosening sequence so I don't warp my head when I take it off? If I follow the sequence, will I have to get another check and deck?

 

[GVR4592]

If you had the head resurfaced, then it most likely wasn't done properly. The finish for the cylinder head and block needs to be as smooth as possible when using a MLS gasket. This is the most common problem when using a MLS gasket, most machinists don't know what the surface finish needs to be. There is a sequence for removing the bolts, it's opposite of the tightening sequence.

Did you use the ARP moly lube when you installed the studs?

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Are you sure the holes were clean and free of any oil/coolant. I have seen people get oil in the holes and think the stud was all the way down and it wasn't when you go to torque the nut and stud both spin.

 

[Stangmurdera]

I think the studs were all the way in as I did clean the holes before putting them in. I did have head resurfaced at a reputable machine shop that I have used many times before with no problems. You don't think retorquing the head bolts will have a chance of fixing it?

 

[Stangmurdera]

I did use the ARP moly lube when installing the studs.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

You can try retorquing to see if they tighten anymore. Did you tighten them in 3 steps or did you just tighten to 90ft lbs all the way around in one shot.

 

[Stangmurdera]

I did three times like the manual stated. I used a Snap On Digital Torque Wrench but it seems to suck. I did a head job on a Ford Ranger and had torquing problems as well. It is a $400 tool so I thought it should work fine! I am gonna try a different torque wrench. Should I back the head nuts off and start over?