Re: Head Gasket, also info

["Leslie J. Singh" <Les.Singh@domain.elided>]

This might help someone:

The most common fault that generates the symptoms mentioned in the original
posting - olio in the acqua - is the rubber o-rings going hard in the head
gasket so that they are no longer able to hold in the oil pressure. The oil
then pumps into the coolant giving the symptoms mentioned. Failure of the
actual gasket seal between cylinders is rare if the head has been put-on
and torqued correctly whenever the last recondition was, and its been
re-torqued at regular intervals - for 2000 engines I recommend 6 months for
the first two retorques after the 500 mile one, then at least once a year.
Don't count on seeing bubbling, low compression etc etc necessarily
accompanying the oil leak problem.

I have just replaced the head gasket on the Green GTV, after more than 15
years(?) since the last time, because this exact fault developed. The
gasket was perfect but the o-rings were shot and oil had been finding its
way past the o-rings on the exhaust side near #3 and #4. I assembled a
spare head that had new guides and just had to use the cams and buckets
from the head on the car to complete the assembly. The total time for the
replacement job was a leisurely  12 +/- hours, done as 3 half-days and
relaxing in the mornings, what was left of them after getting up around 10
- -  hey! - it was the holidays!

Problems? - getting the old head off! It sort of hung up on the studs and
had to be gently persuaded off .........with a sledgehammer. Also - I had
given away too many of my thinner tappet shims so now the cams are set at
0.014" inlet, and 0.016" exhaust. Also discovered that the replacement head
had been fitted with exhaust guides all round so now there are no stem
seals on the inlets - just like a race engine! Funny misfire/jerking
developed afterwards but it was probably tracking in the distributor cap -
replaced, also replaced - condensor, points.

Specs and equipment now: cr 9:1    	130,000 mile bottom end with std Borgo
pistons, head thickness - std
			    cams 	101210320000   9.5 mm/ 245 deg (factory specs)
			    carbs   	Weber 40DCOE  32 mm venturi, 145/F16/200  45Fsomething,
Redline filters/K&N oil
			    ignition  	std Bosch distributor/points/coil ,  Lodge 2HL plugs
			    oils               Valvoline 10/30 synthetic/ 75-90 synthetic/ LS90
	Car totally free of Japanese/Korean/Taiwanese parts


Les

LS 2000  - the Green GTV   

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