Ok, so I blew a head gasket a few months ago. I am getting around to putting things back together after a long summer of classes, eh. Can you check over what I have done and see if I left anything out or did something incorrectly?

Head
I had the head milled. I did the disassembly and reassembly of the cams, etc… I used anaerobic gasket maker on the cam end caps, I haven’t but I will torque all the bearing caps down to 9ft/lb and the outside ones to 20ft/lb. I am using a new MLS gasket and head bolts. Since I am using head bolts, I guess I should follow factory specs and torque the long bolts to 48ft/lb and the short bolts to20 ft/lb?? I didn’t line up my cam gears till the marks were even, I looked at the valves and judged when the valves were all closed in-between movements just hand turning them, and the marks are off like ¼ an inch. Or something??

Oil pump
I removed the oil pump and removed the gasket material and sanded the mating area on the oil pump and block w/ 400 grit. Put a new front main seal in it, then put a bead of anaerobic gasket maker around the mating area, slapped it back on and bolt it down. I used anaerobic gasket maker on the oil pickup tube also. Cleaned oil pan out, reinstalled w/ new gasket.

Water pump
Removed water pump, removed gasket material, sanded mating area’s with 400 grit, rubber gasket didn’t want to stay in place, so I used my fingers to coat the gasket w/ anaerobic gasket maker, stuck it in the track it sits in and slapped it back on.

Idler pulley, tensioner pulley
Removed pulleys, saw they spin, sprayed a little wd on them, don’t think it matters, but they spin, so eh?? Motor has 40k on it.

Block
Did nothing, cleaned it to make it pretty, sanded the mating surface w/ 400 grit to remove leftover gasket, cleaned cylinders out, and sat mls gasket and head back on. Made sure the #1 piston is up and the mark on the timing belt sprocket matches up w/ the arrow on the oil pump.

Timing situation
I am going to try tonight to do the timing. I did a tbelt on this motor 10k ago when I thought the cam seals were leaking. But now the head has been milled. Any tips for me?

Originally posted by Super20G
I did the disassembly and reassembly of the cams, etc… I used anaerobic gasket maker on the cam end caps, I haven’t but I will torque all the bearing caps down to 9ft/lb and the outside ones to 20ft/lb. I am using a new MLS gasket and head bolts. Since I am using head bolts, I guess I should follow factory specs and torque the long bolts to 48ft/lb and the short bolts to20 ft/lb??

All I can say here is make sure you torque the bearing caps down in the correct order as well as the head bolts starting from the inside and working your way to the outside. Follow the specs in the overhaul manual.

Originally posted by Super20G
Water pump Removed water pump, removed gasket material, sanded mating area’s with 400 grit, rubber gasket didn’t want to stay in place, so I used my fingers to coat the gasket w/ anaerobic gasket maker, stuck it in the track it sits in and slapped it back on.

Do not use any sealant when mounting the water pump to the block, my o-ring gasket wouldn't stay in place either, so I used some o-ring lube to keep it tacked in the track....sounds like you got it though.

Originally posted by Super20G
Idler pulley, tensioner pulley Removed pulleys, saw they spin, sprayed a little wd on them, don’t think it matters, but they spin, so eh?? Motor has 40k on it.

Sounds all good here, I'd check them once you hit 60k.

Originally posted by Super20G
Timing situation I am going to try tonight to do the timing. I did a tbelt on this motor 10k ago when I thought the cam seals were leaking. But now the head has been milled. Any tips for me?

Since the head was milled you will have to compensate some on the gears. Line your exhaust cam sprocket up as you normally would, and compensate with your intake cam sprocket the correct number of teeth until you line them up once the t-belt is tensioned. (my head was just slightly surfaced so I used trial and error till I got them to line up) I'll post a link to my timing situation last week...

http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=78888&mesg_id=78888&page=3

Others may be able to clarify these things better than I can, but I hope this helps.


*rebuild in process...too much spent and still not fast enough*
GST Muffler
injen short ram intake
magnecore 8.5mm wires
EGR removal/blockoff
front/rear strut tower bars
GSX dual piston calipers

Well, I didnt get around to getting the timing set yet, but I did torque down the head bolts to factory specs using the FSM's routine. Is that what people are doing? or giving them a little extra.

Originally posted by Super20G
Well, I didnt get around to getting the timing set yet, but I did torque down the head bolts to factory specs using the FSM's routine. Is that what people are doing? or giving them a little extra.

If you are using the MLS gasket, and stock head bolts, then follow the guidelines that come with the new head gasket. There will be directions/figures to follow in the package...at least from the Dealer it comes that way. A little extra wont hurt, just don't do too much more, since the bolts may not be made for higher than spec torque.

The last step in the FSM is to turn them 90 degrees, I added an extra 45 degrees to that, for added security ;-)

Yes, I know I should be using ARP headstuds, but the stock headbolts seem to do fine, the old ones werent stretched or anything like that, and held up to years of high psi runs... so I figure no need to fix it if it's not broke.

Well, I got the right torque wrench and calibrated it today @ work, so tonight I am gonna do the camshaft bearing caps and set timing hopefully.

Sounds like you got er under control Brad. Git er done! :thumbsup


Rebuild FINISHED!
VT 2.0 Shortblock
Built head by ERT, Crower stage 2 cams
Fidanza adj. cam gears
port matched intake manifold
High stall torque converter
Transgo Shift kit
GST Muffler
injen short ram intake
GSX dual piston calipers

Well, I got the timing set. As far as I know. I read a post by ExtremeRS that said to make it to where the crank is 1/4 tooth AFTER TDC, the cam marks should be aligned at cam bolt centerline, since the head was lightly milled. And they are. I set it up so the intake cam is slightly above centerline, and the exhaust cam is right at centerline. Hopefully that will be right.

I am waiting on a new set of studs to get the exhaust manifold back on, and I am waiting on Bill to release the port fueler to get that thing overnight'ed so I can get the intake manifold back on, then maby I can see if she starts(and see how bad of a mechanic I really am) heh.

Now that I ditched the DFI, trouble codes are umm, an issue again, so now I have to figure out how I am gonna get rid of the string of codes I get from datalogging, eh.

ohh btw, man, i fucked myself up last night, putting on the pass side motor mount, hand slipped off wrench, went through a light bulb that was on, shoked me, and stuck glass all in my hand, shit was wide open, heh... i can feel my fingers though, so its all good, mom is gonna bring home the stuff to stitch the main one up, lol..

no high temp silicone on the water pump?? i guess i didn't do that right...doops. chris

I just coated the stock rubber gasket w/ anarobic gasket maker just cause the gasket kept popping out of place so that was the stickiest stuff I could find to keep it in its groove, eh.

I got the exhaust manifold back on. I had the downpipe and exhaust made after I took the AC out, so I put the AC back in and the downpipe just barely doesnt clear the compressor... damnit, guess I will just pull the compressor back out for winter and worry about that when I want to use AC next year.

Still waiting on BILL to sell me a spacer atleast so I can get the intake manifold back on and start the motor up... And the parts I ordered from Pushin420a 3 weeks ago, eh. Won't be long though...

Originally posted by Super20G
hand slipped off wrench, went through a light bulb that was on, shoked me, and stuck glass all in my hand, shit was wide open, heh... i can feel my fingers though, so its all good, mom is gonna bring home the stuff to stitch the main one up, lol..

That sucks.

Sounds like the motor is coming along good though.


95 Eclipse RS : 5 speed
15.7 @ 87.9mph
Jeep TB writeup - http://www.dimensia.com:81/jimbo/JeepTBfor2gnt.html