i can see some dried oil on the right corner of the head, this is a sign of a leaky head gasket right? any other signs i should look for? does a leaky headgasket usually cause a low compression test result? i didnt want to have to do this before i get my turbo, time to get a second job
#389, "RE: how to identify the bad head gasket?" In response to Reply # 1
I have the same oil leak on my engine...the front right side in front of the #4 cylinder. Its been there since last summer, and is slowly getting bigger. I took it to the dealership and was told it is normal...that all chrysler engines do that. I have seen the leak on a lot of 420a eclipses though. I tested my compression 2 weeks ago and got 210 in all 4 cylinders, so whatever the oil is coming from isn't affecting my engine. Good thing too, cause my turbo is being shipped to me tomorrow.
Oil leaks from a bad HG usually come from behind the engine right?
#390, "RE: how to identify the bad head gasket?" In response to Reply # 2
Dayam 210!! That's amazingly high! I talked to a technician at satan today and he said anywhere from 120-180 is good. He said something about the idle if it was too high, I forgot what he said though.
Just checked my 420A out and I have to say it has virtually no oil about the head. Just some hard ass black stuff, which I think is gasket sealer. So if you got any oil coming outta your engine you've probably got a blown head gasket.
I am sure your head gasket is gone. well in most cases when the head gasket blows up you either get oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil, but in our case, we get oil leak behind the cylinder closest to the battery.
ah and about the dealer telling you it's an ok thing, and saying that most 420As get this and it's normal, it just Bull $hit, it's not normal and it has more to do with them not wanting to admit the problem and have some sorta recall on it.
man I think we have more leaky head gaskets 420As out there than 4G63 with crank walk.
I have just changed my head gasket a little over a month ago, I am now not getting in oil leaks between the head and the block, but I am getting some oil on 2 of my spark plugs (at the bottom of my spark plugs where the treads are) I have also tried to retorque my head bolts but that still did not help, so I even thing that the new MLS head gasket is just another way to get around fixing the main roote of the problem ( I think it's more like a head bolts problem other than a head gasket problem)
Adel BTW the new MLS head gasket sure looks better than the original one the car came with, but I am not very sure it will actually solve the problem. and just in case you guys never saw the 4G63 head gasket, it looks just as cheap and made from the same stuff as our orginal head gasket, but it sure held my boost up to 26 psi on race gas, 550s and 165 lph denso fuel pump for the past 3 years (that's on my GS-T tho) so now I am kindda thinking it's not the head gasket problem, it might be the head bolts or the head itself. I am not very sure, but since I have replaced both head gaskets on both of my cars (RS and GS-T) and have had no problems with the GS-T, and now I am seeing some oil on my spark plugs on my RS ah and in case you guys think I have bad pistons rings, I don't cause I also did a compression test and they all came out fine (195-210 psi) on all 4. so I am only left with either head gasket (less than 2 months old) or bad valve seals (I don't think that's the case tho since I have less than 30K miles on that motor.
#392, "RE: how to identify the bad head gasket?" In response to Reply # 4
Hey Adel, does the head need to be retorqued 500 miles after reinstalling the head with a new MLS gasket? Is it necessary or just an extra precaution?
Also, I'm starting to think that the dealer is right in saying 155 to 190's is normal compression. Since you have a milled head with up to 210 compression, and mine is milled with all four cylinders in the 220's, I'm thinking anything over 200 is high right?
Do you have an auto or manual? My auto is acting kinda weird. Some days it will stall at every other light, other days (most days) its fine, with cam gears set 0-0. Is your idle perfectly smooth like stock, or at least a little bit rougher? Thanks.
The head does not need to be retorqued 500 miles after reinstalling the head with a new MLS gasket if you are using the stock head bolts, you will need to do that with ARP studs only. I just did it for the hell of it, I thought it was gonna help my problem which it did not.
#394, "RE: how to identify the bad head gasket?" In response to Reply # 2
>I have the same oil leak >on my engine...the front right >side in front of the >#4 cylinder. Its been >there since last summer, and >is slowly getting bigger. >I took it to the >dealership and was told it >is normal...that all chrysler engines >do that. I have seen >the leak on a lot >of 420a eclipses though. >I tested my compression 2 weeks >ago and got 210 in >all 4 cylinders, so whatever >the oil is coming from >isn't affecting my engine. >Good thing too, cause my >turbo is being shipped to >me tomorrow.
Before my warranty went out, I went to the dealer to get that checked out and they said all was fine. Whatever..
Anyhow, that oil spot you see could be your valve cover gasket that's leaking??
#395, "RE: how to identify the bad head gasket?" In response to Reply # 1
You'r right most chrysler engines do leak and cause they're gaskets to blow around the intake side of the fourth cylinder. The reason is because they didn't drill one of the head bolt holes deep enough(they can't drill it deeper because it would hit the water jacket, so fixing it would require redesigning the whole block, and they never did) So what happens is you can't torque that one head bolt down all the way, because it bottoms out in the hole. The best way to fix it is to get a composite metal gasket and either a shorter head bolt or just put some washers on it so you can torque it down.
#397, "RE: how to identify the bad head gasket?" In response to Reply # 0
I talked to a mechanic and he says that he can tell for sure if you pull one spark plug out and start the engine. If water comes out then the gasket is blown. I'm not really sure if it works cause I didn't get to check it before mine blew. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
in that cause my gasket is blown the f@#k up! hahaha. there goes another 500 dollas out the window on some bull$h!t for my car. it pisses me off cause i spend more money fixin the piece of $h!t than upgrading the damn thing!!!
Its a pain in the ass to change the Head gasket yourself because that includes removing the lots of parts (manifolds, sensor plugs) and the timing belt too. If you know how to put the timing belt back in that should not be a big deal.
If you have never worked on you car before then forget it, its WAY too much trouble.. You have to start learning with something easier (like installing an exhaust or a header).
As for the MLS head gasket, well instead of using BOLTS use STUDS... The way studs work is that they thread in all the way into the block. Then you place the head on the block, and then you put the nut on the remaining exposed bit of the stud, and torque it down! No more problem about worrying about any stupid bolts that are too long!
Guy RS_Guy
I might actually be *driving* my car soon! Its only been 6 LONG months...
ARP does not make the correct size studs, (the 4 inner studs are 1/10th of an inch to short.. i.e. they are 5.4" instead of 5.5")
I talked with the "custom parts" department at ARP and they can make them, but I'll bet it'll cost a bomb. My machine guy says that machining 1/10 - 1/8 of an inch is no real big deal, so that sounds more logical and way more practical.
Trust me you DON'T machine the head, just the seats where the bolts will sit, so you don't affect the head in any way...
Guy RS_Guy
I might actually be *driving* my car soon! Its only been 6 LONG months...
