General Tips for DIY Head Gasket Replacement - 99 s70 na Topic is solved

[smacknab]

Getting pretty close, the head is all torqued down and I'm just working on getting it ready for the cam cover. I think I'll wait on the anerobic sealant until tomorrow as it should get up into the 30's. I realized my FCPeuro timing belt kit did not come with the right number of cam seals (im guessing it was put together for a vvt engine). In this photo, is this the right number of seals, or should there be one more small one for the exhaust? I can't remember if there one one more small one. The non-vvt diagrams I'm finding only show one cam, so I was assuming i needed two front, two rear and the cap for the side without the cam sensor?

[smacknab]

Got everything back on and the car started right up. CEL cleared itself and the engine sounds really good. I felt like I was still having some coolant smells on start up but I think it's cleared out. Took it on the highway all the way up to 95mph easily (it wouldn't get over 80-85 before) so It definitely has some compression back. I went about 70miles round trip and everything seems normal, so I'm just gonna keep monitoring it closely and do a compression test this week!

Thank you everyone for the help, it was by far the most complicated job I've ever taken on and all of the pointers were invaluable.

[rspi]

Good deal.

[smacknab]

Good deal.

I used your write up, and your videos, as critical aids. Couldn't have done it without the resources you've set up for fools like me who want to learn how to fix their own vehicles. I became a base level patreon supporter just recently, but I was wondering if that PayPal link from your head-removal wrote up is still active?

[abscate]

Nice. 7 days from start to drive including shop rework of head.

My guess is your head gasket was ok, and burned valves were the culprit.

Are you running premium gas in that high compression NA motor?

[smacknab]

I've been running 89 with Lucas high milage fuel treatment (or whatevwe is on sale at AutoZone) since I got it, about 2500 miles. From what I've read around the forums 89 is ok for the na cars?

The machinist did say the head was out of tolerance, so that means at some point it overheated, right? The head gasket does look ok.. I've saved it as a trophy so I can take another look

[abscate]

You were at half compression on two cylinders, so there was more stress than overheat going on. Keep an eye in things for next 1000 miles. All good.

[800artfreed]

I found this youtube series on a complete 850 engine rebuild informative. Lots of great information and great video quality. Hope it helps you.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... ild+part+1+

[smacknab]

You were at half compression on two cylinders, so there was more stress than overheat going on. Keep an eye in things for next 1000 miles. All good.

Just ran a compression test with a loaner tool from Orielys. I got about 140-150 across the board, which is a nice even spread, but lower than the 185-213 (source: FCP) these NA engines are suppose to run at, right? I think im gonna write it off as a bad loaner tool, but figured I'd check to see if anyone has another thought.

I drove the car to operating temp, had the gas pedal all the way down and I turned the engine 10 times.

[abscate]

Nice. 7 days from start to drive including shop rework of head.

My guess is your head gasket was ok, and burned valves were the culprit.

Are you running premium gas in that high compression NA motor?

I totally ghosted BlackBart on this, good thing internet bits take a long time to reach MT. Or, he’s too busy watching the Hyalites of A Bridger too Far

It -could- be two burned valves in two adjacent cylinders, but that’s highly unlikely. A “leak down” test will tell you where the air is leaking out.

Don’t sweat the absolute compression numbers. My T5 reads 125-136 on my unknown brand gauge, but has pretty much like new HP

NA are higher compression than turbos btw. Have to leave room for boost on turbos.

For the valve burn thread, I guess this is 210k on 89 octane, two burned exhaust valves!