[Supras] Head Gasket Choice For N/A

[Jim Wooden]

Skip:

If you have a second, tell me about that increased overlap on the cam?   ;-)
Did you use custom gears on the cams or move the dowel pins?

I have MkIII 86.5 NA and am due for a new timing belt soon....

Along with the increase in performance, did you notice any dramatic 
decline in gas mileage?

Thanks,
Jim
Original owner 86.5 MkIII NA




>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...