Here's the scenario... Installed whole new Skunk2 valvetrain this weekend (cams, springs and valves), during which the head was pulled. We used a new Mugen head gasket and put everything back together, torquing down as per Helms...

After we fixed a timing issue (belt was off 1 tooth), we fired her up, and after the fuel system pressurized again, it ran like a champ! Sounded AWESOME...

But then, something happened, and HUGE amounts of oil began POURING out of the engine, seemingly from nowhere... Can't really see too well under the intake manifold... But anyways... The oil is definitely coming out with pressure, and not just leaking... In the 10 seconds or so we ran it, we lost about 2 quarts...

The guy with the most experience thinks it's probably the head gasket, that maybe it was bent or something during shipment or whatever... But I'm not sure.....

Anyone have any advice on what could have caused this, or anyone have any suggestions on where to check next???

I'm about ready to slit my wrists over this, so ANY help will be appreciated.... Thanks guys...

 

sounds like the gasket is on wrong. can you read the up mark from the drivers seat?

 

That's a really big leak.

Upside down headgasket maybe.

Headbolts were stretched beyond their elastic limit, making them too long to be of any use.

 

Holy crap you guys are fast... I'll definitely check that in the morning... This whole project was kickin my installer's *** all weekend.. We just couldn't look at it any more tonight... Thanks for the info...

 

Make sure the oil filter isn't double gasketed.

 

Did you resurface the block and head before installing the new head gasket and putting everything back together?? Probably not the major cause, but will help it seal better.

-Ace


Modified by Aceman64 at 11:30 AM 4/21/2003

 

you maybe broke the headgasket. did you titen down them in a criss cross pattern

 

gasket upsidedown????

If your installed isnt a complete retard he should know how to torque the bolts down. But just so you know...

Start in the middle and work your way out. First at like 29 ft/lbs (i think, its something like that) and then to 60ft/lbs. First do all ten at 29 then repeat but to 60

But something is really failure with your gasket... It is common to have a small small leak at the front left corner where the head gasket serial # is, but 2 quarts in 10 seconds!!!! that is bad bad news. Hopefully nothing is damaged or warped...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TurboD16Chiovnidca &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Make sure the oil filter isn't double gasketed. </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

It wasn't anything anyone has said, nor was it anything anyone would have ever thought of... He took off the head again this morning, and took the gasket in the house and washed it off in the sink... As he was doing it, he heard this "clink" and was surprised to see a chunk of brass that was wedged in between the 2 layers of the gasket... The piece was probably near the one of the oil passages, and didn't allow the head to seat properly, and once the pressure built up in the engine, blew the seal and squirted out... All fixed now, but there's more problems that I have no idea what to do about... I'm going to search for a while, and if I can't find anything, I'll put a new post up....

Thanks for the suggestions... MUCH appreciated...

 

If something like that was wedged between layers of the gasket, be careful. Inspect the block & the head for flatness, in particular the area where that thing was squashed. It might have put some kind of 'dent' in the block or head? Wouldn't that warp the head when you tightened the bolts down??

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JimBlake &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If something like that was wedged between layers of the gasket, be careful. Inspect the block & the head for flatness, in particular the area where that thing was squashed. It might have put some kind of 'dent' in the block or head? Wouldn't that warp the head when you tightened the bolts down??
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thought of that before we re-installed it.. Looked at the gasket on both sides, inside and out, with a magnifying glass, and it didn't dimple the gasket in the least... Put it back on and it runs fine... We broke in the cams and no leaks...