Thanks, 101 and Clifford. This time I'm going use a stock EOM gasket and copper spray. I'm going to take the head to a shop with a better rep to get it checked and resurfaced. And, I'll pay more attention to the torquing process (the stages). Thanks, Tryingbe for the note on checking the engine deck...

I'm just about to re-do the head gasket on my 5-cyl (98 v70 NA) again -- arghhh. I tackled this beast of a job 2 years ago and only got it about 90% right. The engine runs OK and doesn't smoke or overheat, but I can see evidence of exhaust getting into the oil and the coolant. The car been sitting m...

Thanks, Lee! I'll get them soaking...

Hi All, After many weeks of a DIY head gasket redo and head reconditioning project, I'm finally at the reassembly stage. I'm wondering if anyone has advice on how best to prep the (pre-'99 hydraulic) lifters? Specifically... Is it important to preload the lifter's hydraulic reservoir, and if so how?...

I find that places like Kragen and Autozone now carry small packages of generic auto parts like nylon door panel fasteners and vacuum connectors. I bought a package of elbows (6-8 of various sizes, IIRC) at Autozone last year. Sorry I don't have the package any more or I'd send you the SKU. So all I...

Hi folks. I'm trying to rebuild the top end of my engine (98 V70 2.4L 20V NA 160K) after a head gasket failure and overheat situation . Once I managed to get the head off and inspect it, I realized I had a slightly warped head surface that was causing a coolant leak that brought about the engine fai...

Sorry, FLXC90. I don't have the actual compression numbers - they weren't on the shop report. My guess is that they were very low as the engine would spin on start. The report said that the timing was correct during diagnosis and I saw the same when I got it home and pulled the belt. I'm the origina...

Long story short... The engine in my 98 V70 2.5L 20-valve, N/A,160K was diagnosed as having a blown head gasket. Now that I have it apart the gasket doesn't look that bad (as shown in photos below). Could this gasket really be the source of a non-running engine? Now the long story... My engine died ...

CN90, You've pointed out what I was missing. Sure, the tapered collar on the replacement rad is part of the problem (it's slightly longer than the one on the OE). But the "clear O-ring" is the other part -- and the way to solve it too. Lemme explain... I didn't even notice there was a clea...

Yes, I know what you mean. Like the wire work that holds the cork on the top of a champagne bottle.