Ok, for about a week I've been rebuilding my head and doing some other things to the engine in my free time when not at my 10hr long workshifts. I torqued every bolt to spec in the whole rebuild, followed the head bolt tightening sequence and the torque instructions for the new MLS gasket, used all the proper sealants. Then once I had my freshly powdercoated valve cover, water-pipes, and everything else put back together and cranked it, it was running great, no leaks or anything! It was running though for about 2-5 minutes and the valve clicking hadn't gone away yet (new valve train w/ PT lifters/rockers), and then I saw the resivor boiling at the top, and then frothy dexron coolant poured out onto the garage via the overflow tube. I immediatley cut the engine, checked the oil... not enough oil in it to make a mark on the dipstick, because it was all in my coolant!? WTF???

The new parts that were installed are: MLS head gasket kit, Mopar oem head bolts w/ driver rear saved 1/16", PT Lifters/Rockers, AF-X UDP, new water pump, timing belt, all new pullies, 180* howell thermostat, new fuel/oil filters, 1 step hotter oem NGK plugs, apex-i rev/speed meter.

When I had the head sitting on a work table it had 0 clearance the whole way around. I'm going to pull the valve cover and put a swival tip 15mm socket on the end of torque wrench w/ an extension and see if I can check that all the middle head bolts are the same torque and the outside bolts are the same torque.

There are no visible leaks on the backside of the engine. I leave to go to school at Auburn Saturday morning (3-1/2 hr drive), and I still have to pack, put my eclipse rear end on (I blacked out the stock lights w/ painted center peice) and get it painted.

I gave my dad some money to get some more oil and coolant, while I just tightend the headbolts 1/4 turn more, I hope this works.

Tried it, started it w/ the radiator cap off to keep an eye on the coolant, it sprayed out when I cranked it, oil in the coolant, coolant in the oil. My guess is the head gasket is on wrong, It's leaking WAY too much for a warped head (it's not leaking out of the head itself, but it sprays coolant and oil out of the radiator cap hole), the oil/coolant jackets must be connected via the head gasket, I thought I double checked it, but I hadn't sleep for about 48 hrs at the time. Oh well, I'm tearing it back down tonight.

This is getting to be one hell of an expensive f'k up, I'm on my third set of synthetic oil, third bottle of coolant, and second head gasket. Hopefully the head isn't warped and the head bolts arn't streched when I check them.

It seems for some reason the headgasket didn't seal well or something. Make sure you get the head checked for warpage before you put it back together again. Good luck man. :thumbsup

Oh yeah, I don't want to have to do this a 3rd time in a row. I tore the head down down to the timing belt (manifolds and everything else are diconnected/unbolted) because I need to get a harmonic puller to remove my af-x pulley i just installed, and autozone is already closed on sundays. I'm getting a set of feeler gauges in the morning as well to check for warpage.

did u have the head milled or the block decked?

what head gasket was on before? and head gasket now?

ALWAYS have the head machined for flatness after you've blown a HG. I don't care what the straightedge says, or what the feeler gauges rwad, if you blew the HG, it's not gonna be flat somewhere. it's not expensive, and it can save you a lot of time and money. OTOH, the block is almost always flat. Cleaning it up with sandpaper ona nice flat sanding block will 99.9% of the time be enough. Cast iron is a lot tougher than aluminum.

>did u have the head milled or the block decked?
No.

>what head gasket was on before? and head gasket now?
Blown Stock Paper POS / Mopar MLS <-- Someone drop me a beat :D .

The damn OEM brand puller came w/ 4 sets of bolts, 3 of those were sets of 3, the bolts that fit only came w/ 2, I'm off to the store to get another one.

Don't laugh to hard...the head gasket was flipped the wrong way. It makes me laugh and feel sick at the same time, lol. I took photos, it should make for a good owned pic. I'm ordering another MLS headgasket in the morning from Bob Kise expressed shipped, and taking to get the head machined flat. It should be running tomorrow night or Wednesday.

It can happen and it's only like one spot that doesn't line up and you mix the two, create a nicec mess that way. STill this time get the head to a machine shop an dhave them do it.



15.9 @ 86.7mph

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I took the head to get machined flat, only $25. I'm putting it back together tonight.

Here's an update (I haven't had internet for the last week and a half, I just got my Bellsouth DSL up and running.):

Everything is running perfectly, no leaks whatsoever, the night before I moved I put my new ass on to ('99 Eclipse Bumper, blacked out tail lights, painted center peice).

As soon as I get the film developed I'll post pics of everything, hopefully it will help some people out.

Nice to hear that your car is running. Im on the head gasket also. Right now I have 2 broken oil pan bolts holding me back from finishing. And monsoon rains all week. Someone doesn't want me driving.

Oh yeah, I know exactly how you feel. The only thing that went wrong the first teardown/rebuild was the head gasket was on backwards, (that still makes me laugh), the second time, I had 2 days till I had to move, bought the second mls headgasket shipped next day air, took the head to get milled, my oil pressure sensor just fell apart, then I went to the dealership they quoted like $90 for a new one, drove an hour to a junk yard where my friends Talon RIP's, went to put it on then that one broke inside the oil pressure sensor socket I bought on the way back. So I had to find another sensor, an autozone 30 min away had one for like $35. Then when I was putting my valve train together, I was using low torque settings on those 8mm camshaft cap bolts w/ a 1/2" rachet type torque wrench and I since I didn't stop IMMEDIATLEY after the click for 11 lbs. it lopped off the head of the one of the camshaft cap bolts. I extracted the stud, and luckely the dealership had some of those bolts in stock. Then when I noticed that one of the vacuum flanges for the intake manifold was missing from the intake manifold and was inside the hose for the cruise control, so that was another run to the dealership.

...I know exactly what you mean by someone not wanting you to drive.

Holy crap. That ^^^ sounds familiar :)

I feel your pain man. :thumbsup

Here's a pic of when I had the head off the second time (a long time ago):

Originally posted by WickedESi
Here's a pic of when I had the head off the second time (a long time ago):

LOL ...now you've got me laughing too!
:7

Maybe i'm just a good mechanic(haha), but how in the hell did you not notice that!!??? Its weird too, because this has happend on more than one occasion to people hehe :) Sometimes learnig the hard way is the only way. doahhhh

Originally posted by XtremeRS
Maybe i'm just a good mechanic(haha), but how in the hell did you not notice that!!??? Its weird too, because this has happend on more than one occasion to people hehe :) Sometimes learnig the hard way is the only way. doahhhh

I have no idea!!! lol! I remember putting it on the correct way, then flipping it over, and just staring at when it halfway overlapped those holes, and then proceded to bolt the head back on, hahha. (I had been up for 48 hrs straight at the time, because I was working on my car when I wasn't at my job and should have been sleeping.)