Head Gasket

[greg98]

Ok so I recently got my engine back from the machine shop and put everything back together. I went with an MLS head gasket torqued it down in sequence and to spec but I am having a problem with it sealing.It is leaking oil from the right front hand side of the head(timing belt side). I have a composite gasket that I was gonna put on there to see if that will work but I really wanted to use the Mls. I have read that some people use the copper spray on the Mls which i didn't, do you think that might help with the seal?Or would I just be better off going with the composite.

 

[BogusSVO]

How was the head surfaced?

There is no pressurized oil on that side of the head.

The oil heed to the head is in the last head bolt hole on the left on the exhaust side.

Sure it is not leaking from a cam seal?

 

[greg98]

Not sure how they resurfaced it at the shop I made it clear to them what gasket I was using. I didn't think there was oil in that area but when we started it it was defenitly coming from the front of the block right above the power steering pump bracket. Under the cams on the side of the motor looks clean and when it was running my buddy that was helping me watched it coming out of there. So I'm not to sure gonna try to start tearing it down in the next couple days.

 

[BogusSVO]

Once apart post a pic of the HG surface please.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/cyl...0613-why-not-let-your-head-belt-surfaced.html

 

[rlacasse1]

Are you sure it's not coming from one of the exhaust manifold studs. I can't remember which but some of them go back into oil galleys and will leak.

 

[bryanwheat]

Are you sure it's not coming from one of the exhaust manifold studs. I can't remember which but some of them go back into oil galleys and will leak.

Only one goes into an oil passage and it is just a drain so there is no pressure. It is the lower middle stud.

 

[greg98]

Yea it's def not coming from the studs I made sure to rtv the couple that have the oil ways.its just a weird spot where it's coming from that didn't make much sense to me.i will def take a pic of the head when I get it off

 

[bryanwheat]

Yea it's def not coming from the studs I made sure to rtv the couple that have the oil ways.its just a weird spot where it's coming from that didn't make much sense to me.i will def take a pic of the head when I get it off

You will leak coolant before you will leak oil if it truly is coming from the gasket surface. The coolant passages are closer to the edge of the deck and pressurized. The oil drains aren't pressurized and will not likely leak. As stated before check the cam seals, also look into the galley plugs in the end of the head.

 

[Rs AWD]

i was there for the engine start. i pulled the timing covers, alternator, water-pump pulleys, power steering pump and brackets off and let the car run for about 45 seconds and then oil came out. it is leaking on the right hand side in between the block and the head. not sure if its coming from the bottom or top of the gasket, but def not the cam seals. there was no oil on the inside of the timing covers. i think it may have been a bad head gasket. it can happen.

 

[LOLZFWD]

Anyone mention to this guy that he might have a warped head? Stripped bolt/stud? Did you get it all decked and cleaned ANALLY? I always use copper spray on flat metal mating surfaces and rtv in others containing coolant/oil.
Also may have got a nick in your flat mating surface from scraping off old gasket??

Just throwing ideas...this would piss ME off

 

[greg98]

Both the head and block were resurfaced after the engine got rebuilt this was the first start up

 

[bryanwheat]

Both the head and block were resurfaced after the engine got rebuilt this was the first start up

Sounds like they were surfaced on a belt sander.

 

[92AWDHX40]

i had someone belt sand mine and had it redone by my shop.

 

[Rs AWD]

this is my friend and it was a 3 1/2 hour drive to go down there to help him out. we were both really pissed off. im hoping that its the gasket and not the mating surfaces. a lot of time and money went into this thing. to have to get it all resurfaced again would be horrible.

 

[BogusSVO]

Look at the link I posted in post #4

The surface finish shouls look more like this.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/new...face-4g63t-cylinder-head-mls-head-gasket.html

Block surface...

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/cyl...correction-machining-belt-surfaced-block.html

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/cyl...-deck-4g63-cast-iron-block.html#post152790451

 

[greg98]

ok so finally made it back out to look at the car today and I think I found my problem. I have no cam seals in my head, so I figure that to be the problem as was stated. Still weird that there's no real trail of oil on the side of the head except for the little trail I can see running along the lip of the head gasket to the front of the engine. I'm really pissed cause when the machine shop gave me everything back they had the sprockets bolted to the head so I assumed it was all good to go and they never mentioned it needed them put in. Guess I should know by now to never trust anyone's work but your own and I def should of went over everything more closely as I had a few other odds and ends things they didn't take care of either. Any how I'm going to be getting the seals and hopefully getting it started back up by Wednesday or Thursday. I will let you guys know what happens and thanks for the help. If anyone is in central pa and is looking to get work done at UCF machine shop in Carlisle I wouldn't recommend them after this experience I have had

 

[BogusSVO]

Most machine shops DO NOT install cam seals, unless asked or the customers provide them.

The are included in the Head gasket set, so why would a customer want to buy a seconed set of seals?

It is up to the installer/mechanic to check before installing.

Did you leave the cam gears bolted to the cams when you dropped it off?

 

[greg98]

Yea they were on the head when I dropped the rad off and they put them back on the head when I picked it up so I assumed it was done.i mean they didn't have the stuff for the front case and the didn't put that back together.this is the first time I have had a motor rebuilt at a machine shop and not reassembled. I just don't understand why they wouldn't of left them off so I knew it wasn't there that's all.

 

[bryanwheat]

. I just don't understand why they wouldn't of left them off so I knew it wasn't there that's all.

Because it is not the machine shops job to make sure that everything is assembled properly. They do machine work, and any thing extra you would have to ask them to do. Don't assume any machine shop just did anything. ALWAYS check their work.