Interesting Head Gasket Failure

[97gsxIA]

So I pulled my head and I'm just wondering if I'm going crazy, here. But do I see multiple points of failure?

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Was chasing a bad misfire at WOT which turned into dropping cyl. 2 completely.
Had some free time on my hands, so I pulled the head.

Anyone else ever had multiple points of failure before?

 

[biglady112]

Looks normal for a composite gasket to me. Did the gasket transfer(stick) to the block or head? They will usually look like that after they have been on for a long time. And that gasket will usually stuck to one surface or the other causing that "damage".

 

[bastarddsm]

thats from it leaking for a long time.

 

[SasaniFab]

That headgasket looked similar to mine although I caught it sooner, you were pushing combustion gases through the gasket and slowly eroded it away. I Just caught mine , I noticed while under high boost my overflow tank would spray coolant all over my engine way. I could actually hear it while wot. In my case it was to much timing and boost. Same cylinder to..,

 

[97gsxIA]

thats from it leaking for a long time.

What's a "long time"?
This headgasket has one season on it. I was pushing 40psi my last few runs, my guess was that, but I'm not a "professional."

Also I had no symptoms other than the dropped cylinder, which makes me think that last 2 runs did it in.

[EDIT]

I suppose I can't say "no symptoms" The coolant I dropped when tearing the head off the other night did have small amounts of the orange e85 flavor that my catch can usually grabs, and the oil also smelled like the corn more than usual (probably from the failure to the oil passage on #4 with the bent copper seal), but I had changed the oil about 5-6 passes before that and didn't notice anything out of ordinary. There was also more coolant in my overflow than usual.

I would call all these Headgasket symptoms pretty "soft" though, nothing really jumped out at me until the drop of cyl. #2.

I did dump about 3 cups of fluid out of my catch can, which seemed excessive, but it was also <45* outside before I put it up for winter.

I use composite headgaskets as a safety net, I just never had one fail in so many spots and without immediate noticeable symptoms like smoking, explosive coolant pushing, etc.

Maybe I need to be even more paranoid than I already am?

 

[SasaniFab]

What's a "long time"?
This headgasket has one season on it. I was pushing 40psi my last few runs, my guess was that, but I'm not a "professional."

Also I had no symptoms other than the dropped cylinder, which makes me think that last 2 runs did it in.

[EDIT]

I suppose I can't say "no symptoms" The coolant I dropped when tearing the head off the other night did have small amounts of the orange e85 flavor that my catch can usually grabs, and the oil also smelled like the corn more than usual (probably from the failure to the oil passage on #4 with the bent copper seal), but I had changed the oil about 5-6 passes before that and didn't notice anything out of ordinary. There was also more coolant in my overflow than usual.

I would call all these Headgasket symptoms pretty "soft" though, nothing really jumped out at me until the drop of cyl. #2.

I did dump about 3 cups of fluid out of my catch can, which seemed excessive, but it was also <45* outside before I put it up for winter.

I use composite headgaskets as a safety net, I just never had one fail in so many spots and without immediate noticeable symptoms like smoking, explosive coolant pushing, etc.

Maybe I need to be even more paranoid than I already am?

Im in the same boat, my mls headgasket just started leaking. This 4g63 headgasket situation is frustrating.

 

[bling5tatus]

I'll take changing the hg over torching an engine every day of the week.

My suggestion is to not use MLS unless you have some specific need for doing so.

 

[zedicus]

when a headgasket starts to fail, and especially if it fails into a coolant passage, you end up adding compression to that system and then it can fail elsewhere. as in pop more cylinders or spots in the headgasket, or pop a hose or other odd things. so all in all i would say yeah multiple failures is common, especially if you thought it might been having an issue but continued to drive it. (like we all do) until it was nearly undriveable.

only use an MLS if you have a quality shop that can machine the motor for an MLS. otherwise a high quality composite is what you want. Felpro or mitsubishi. i avoid cometic and parts store gaskets like the plague. (yes i have experience with them for my choice, not just 'o i heard on the internet')

Im in the same boat, my mls headgasket just started leaking. This 4g63 headgasket situation is frustrating.

there are some engines with odd designs that cause headgaskets to be difficult to make seal. the 4g63 is NOT one of them. on this platform MOST of the failures are iether wrong install (MLS on a non milled/ improperly milled deck and head) or borked install that no one will admit too, or absolute garbage 9$ parts house gasket at 40 psi boost. but i still call that one a borked install.

 

[bling5tatus]

Yep like Zedicus said. Also, it's nearly impossible to find a machine shop that can get these decks proper on the block and the head. It's not to suggest that machine shops that can do it properly do not exist but most of the machine shops I've dealt with think that "good enough for a composite headgasket" is going to work for whatever headgasket you're using.

Another downside of using an MLS is that you've removed the weak point of failure from being the headgasket to being something else. You're more likely to break something a lot more expensive in a situation that would have popped a composite gasket. The composite gasket and labor spent to change it is a lot cheaper/easier than pulling an engine in many cases.

 

[jimsgsx]

I just removed my head a week ago due to timing belt broke. My hg had zero marks on it like yours has. And i have had it on 3 years with zero problems on my composite hg. Definitely not good man.

 

[zedicus]

that gasket does seem to be a felpro. i would spend some time figuring out why it went bad. too much ignition? too much boost? detonation? headstuds backed off? too much heat in the coolant system due to a small leak or weak seal? this definitely was started in the coolant areas so i would be looking into that system extensively.