[Supras] Head Gasket Choice For N/A

[Jim Jobe]

Pull the spark plug out of #3.  Perhaps it's now full of coolant
or fuel?  It won't take much to hydrolock it and as it fills up
it will make it sound weird as it cranks.

Again, in stock form, the 7M valves will never hit the pistons unless
a keeper fell out or the retainer broke.

On Fri, Mar 02, 2007 at 10:12:37AM -0500, Christian, Skip wrote:
> Hi Jim,
> 
> 	Appreciate the info.  If bolts were stretched, when they heated
> up, they would become longer & leak would be worse.  But, who knows; I
> just know I've been driving it like this for three years.
> 	The "possible" bent valve story is interesting.  I replaced the
> timing belt, water pump, etc.  Turned the engine over by hand two
> revolutions - everything was fine.  I finished buttoning it up and tried
> to start it.  No start - when cranking it sounded wrong (like the
> injector timing signal wasn't there).  So I stopped & tried to turn it
> by hand to TDC to check the valve timing.  Crank wouldn't turn past 10
> BTDC.  I turned it the other way and it stopped at approx 10 ATDC.  My
> assumption is #3 intake valve bent - although I don't know how.....
> 
> Thanks, Skip
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Jobe [mailto:jjobe2 at supratech.org] 
> Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 10:03
> To: Christian, Skip
> Cc: Bob Schultz; supras at supras.com
> Subject: Re: [Supras] Head Gasket Choice For N/A
> 
> 
> Sounds like you overstretched the head bolts and they have lost tension
> and elasticity.  72ft-lbs is the proper spec.
> 
> You likely need to resurface the block deck as well as the head - enough
> damage and nothing will seal.  Unless you have plans to turbocharge it,
> put a stock gasket on with new stock bolts at 72ft-lbs and ensure the
> rest of the cooling system is in proper working order.
> 
> It's suprising that you bent a valve - in stock form the 7MGTE is a
> non-interference motor.  If this is what your dealer is telling you I'd
> look elsewhere.
> 
> On Fri, Mar 02, 2007 at 08:38:57AM -0500, Christian, Skip wrote:
> > Bob,
> > 
> > 	Thanks. I've done the head gasket once already.  Stuck on a
> stock 
> > gasket, torqued to 54/58 (?) ft-lbs (from TSRM).  Lasted two weeks & I
> 
> > started hearing the tell tale bubbles in the heater.  I figured the 
> > engine was trash, so I got out the torque wrench and torqued all of 
> > them to 85 ft-lbs.  FYI - Block deck is trashed from acid damage.  
> > After the
> > 85 ft-lbs, as long as the car was COMPLETELY warmed up before touching
> 
> > the accelerator pedal, the car used NO coolant no matter how hard it 
> > was driven.  But, touch the gas before and gurgling from the heater.  
> > Gasket would seal with head expansion at 85 ft-lbs !
> > 	Unfortunately, I used a "Gates" timing belt....... Because I was
> in a 
> > hurry...  It shredded itself at 82K miles and I ended up with bent 
> > valves.  Intakes were set at .0004 because dealer had no shims and cam
> 
> > timing was changed to increase overlap (big power difference - more 
> > than all the aftermarket parts combined & still passed emissions).
> > 	So, here I am.  Planning to buy a "rebuilt head" & install.
> > Maybe, I just don't learn :-)
> > 
> > Thanks, Skip
> > 
> > P.S.  Wonder if those 85 ft-lbs stock bolts are going to come off.  My
> > '88 had one of the Allen heads crack...
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Bob Schultz [mailto:bob_schultz at bellsouth.net]
> > Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 8:23
> > To: Christian, Skip
> > Subject: RE: [Supras] Head Gasket Choice For N/A
> > 
> > Unless you find major problems with the deck don't worry about the 
> > block
> > 
> > Except for guys trying to hit 1000 hp or the errant engineer out there
> 
> > shops just clean up the block and install the gasket.
> > 
> > Check the head and resurface if necessary.
> > 
> > Torque to the higher head bolt pressure and pray...
> > 
> > It should last
> > 
> > Bob
> > 89 with oem gasket
> > 
> > --Original Message-----
> > From: supras-bounces at supras.com [mailto:supras-bounces at supras.com] On 
> > Behalf Of Christian, Skip
> > Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 7:35 AM
> > To: supras at supras.com
> > Subject: [Supras] Head Gasket Chioce For N/A
> > 
> > Hey Guys,
> > 	I have an '86.5 N/A with a BHG.  Haven't got the time to pull
> the 
> > engine, but need to replace the head gasket.  Question - what is the 
> > best head gasket choice for a less than perfect block deck.  Sorry, 
> > but I need to get this car back on the road.
> > 
> > Appreciate The Help, Skip
> > 
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> > 
> > 
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