Bown headgasket...again?

[Timeattack]

I just put a new

[sxe]

did you have the head resurafced? what head gasket did you use? dont wanna be an ass, but did you do it right?

fluch your coolant.

did you use any gasket maker on the head gasket :bite: :hammer:.

[posdrift240]

I hope you got the head re-serfaced when you changed the gasket? If not you wasted alot of time and money. And if you did get it re-surfaced pull the head take a filler guage and check the deck of the block and make sure its not worped. SHould be within .003 all the way around. Not an intake gasket. Its def the head gasket.

[Timeattack]

I used a felpro top end gasket kit, im in the process of flushing the coolant now

[sxe]

let us know how it goes..

deffinatley resurface the head. like posdrift240 said, check it with a filler guage...

[Timeattack]

I should have done that in the first place but i just wanted to get it together. Thanks for the help, that cleared up a lot of things. Im even considering buying my friends s14 KA and dropping it in their cause his runs fine, no smoke, no leaks, but he wants like $350.00 for it. I got time to ponder.

[nissan240sxkid]

you use a straight edge that has been machined on one side to be as straight and flat as possible with the filler gauge if need be

[posdrift240]

Ya im almost 100% sure that your problem is that head has seen alot of heat and being aluminum it HATES alot of heat and its worped. I think you will be surprised when you set it up on a machine and see how much its out. It will be cheaper to just get it re-surfaced and a new head gasket. Be sure to re-torque the bolts about 2-4 lbs tighter when re-installing due to used bolts and bolt stretch.

[Timeattack]

That sounds good, i have a spare head but i dont know if its any good either. What do yall think about ARP head studs?

[posdrift240]

I use them and Have no problems. Studs are always better than bolts. Def use them if you have them!! in your case would be good just to purchase for extra security!!

[Dutchmalmiss]

While we're on subject here, is it necessary to resurface the block as well?

[98s14inaz]

I used a felpro top end gasket kit, im in the process of flushing the coolant now. The head was not resurfaced all i did was scrape away the old gasket and put the new one on, i torqued the headbolts in sequence. My friend did it with me he does this everyday working for the Toyota dealership. Im pretty sure we did it right but if it keeps up i will resurface the head. I do all my work myself so it didnt cost much.

Then you both did it wrong. Sorry to say. It is so inexpensive to get your head decked and cleaned I can't think of a good reason you or your tech buddy didn't do it in the first place.

[98s14inaz]

While we're on subject here, is it necessary to resurface the block as well?

Typically the cast iron blocks don't warp unless you did something very very wrong to the motor. You could do the block if you go with one of those fancy pants metal head gaskets that the turbo guys use but usually is never neccessary.

[Dutchmalmiss]

Typically the cast iron blocks don't warp unless you did something very very wrong to the motor. You could do the block if you go with one of those fancy pants metal head gaskets that the turbo guys use but usually is never neccessary.

How bout aluminum blocks?

[DC5RACER]

Isn't it spelt warped not worped

[posdrift240]

How bout aluminum blocks?


It is harder for a cast block to warp over an aluminum but they both will warp. You don't have to get the deck cleaned unless it is over factory specs. Im not sure exactly what the specs are for the nissan block but if you have a book or im sure you can search it but the factory will give you clearances of your deck that it can be warped b/f needing to get it surfaced. For example The talon I just replace a head gasket on the factory called for a +-.006 before needing machined. So when you lay a straight edge across the deck ( Make sure its corner to corner not straight across) its within .006 across the entire deck by using a straight edge and a Filler gage. Also If your using an air tool with the 3inch sanding disks to clean either the deck or the head your messing up! Those sanders will not take an even amount of material off and will Warp the head or block Quickly. Make sure to take a straight edge knife or razor blade to clean all material off. This will save your butt!! Trust me I have learned the hard way when I was younger.

[snappy]

I have read through many threads on head gaskets and all I could find were answers for SR head gaskets, not KA24DE. My question is; should I stick with an OEM Nissan head gasket or is there a better one that will last longer for my daily driver?

I was able to find that some people went with Cometic HGs but they didn't report on how well it worked. Basically I don't want my HG to go out again and don't mind spending a lot of money on quality gaskets. Thanks in advanced.

P.S. Would you use gasket sealant with the HG or just use the HG by itself?

[posdrift240]

Well a Cometic gasket would be better for a high HP car. If you staying around stock power don't waste your money. The stocker will last just as long.

The main reason HG blows is poor machining if it has already blew in the past. Or an engine that gas been run HOT for a long time. Which causes head and block worpage.

Personally in your case just take the head to a good machine shop. They will put it on the machine and get it within.001 across the deck and a nice surface for the gasket to seal with. You will not receive any problems if done properly.

DO NOT USE gasket sealer on a head gasket!!!

If you go with commetic or a Metal HG you can use Copper spray to get a better seal.

[s15specR]

I'm building the head in my sr, the motor has low mileage on it, I'm planning on using a metal HG sould I be getting the block decked, or is a good cleaning with a razor would be sufficient ?

[snappy]

If you can deck the head and the block, I was told by my cousin who has rebuild domestic engines for 6 years, that if you're gonna use a head gasket, such as Cometic then you need to have both the head and block resurfaced or else you run a higher risk of blowing the head gasket.

[Timeattack]

I fixed this a while ago, inbetween 3 & 4 was leaking bad, i sent off an extra head and got it done

[greddyguy]

they make them out of bone now?

[Timeattack]

lol cylinder head

[HalveBlue]

1. The head does NOT have to be resurfaced just because you're replacing the HG. If both the head and block are within spec as defined by the FSM, you are able to reuse both without machine work.

2. If you're not sure or comfortable with measuring the dimension of your head/block, take it to a machine shop. They have proper equipment to measure the dimensions. Shouldn't cost more than a couple of bucks, if anything at all.

3. Use a stock headgasket. The stock HG should be good up to ~300 hp, if not more. So for a daily driver, don't waste your money on Cometic or other after market headgasket.

4. In fact, NEVER spend your money on a Cometic HG. They suck.

Good Luck!