Looks like my MLS head gasket is the problem here. I have retimed it, didn't work, checked to make sure ALL the valves are moving freely, they are. Now my only other thing is the MLS head gasket.
If I did get a defective one, if it went in one cylndr would that make it leak throughout all of them? I have done a compression test and ALL of my cylndrs are showing like 5-20 lbs. Basicaly no compression at all.
In either case, I have to take the damn head off again. I am not very happy with this.
Let me tell you about when it happened.
I had just got the whole thing back together. Drove it about 5 miles (not rodding it at all, just the norm and NO boost), then I brought it home to cool down. About an half hour later I started it up and took it for another spin. Got about 1 mile, again not rodding it, and it just died! No pop, bang, boom, nothing it just died.
So I try to start it again, and it sounds like I jumped time, but when I get it home, I check the timing, and it is good. So I retime it and it is still a no go. This leads me to beleive that my MLS gasket is leaking??? Mabey??? What do you guys think?

Sorry for my ranting, just frustrated with this POS car now.

O yea, I ordered the TTI Racing head gasket.

That would be a serious leaky headgasket, are you sure your valves arent leaking or you have a seious problems with the rings.

What piston rings you using.

Sounds like you have problems with the valves

I would due a leak down test before you start taking that thing apart again

Yeah...that would be a SERIOUS leak in the whole head gasket. I'd expect you'd be shooting out oil and coolant everywhere if it really were leaking like that. Are you really sure about that timing? If you torqued the head down properly with a new gasket (and the head/block surfaces are flat and clean), I'd certainly expect more than 5-20 psi. I'm no help, but I have trouble blaming the HG.

Corbin

'95 ESI-T
HRC+FMIC+ETC...



Gimme fuel...Gimme fire...Gimme that which I desire

Parts Collected for next engine:
2.4l PT Turbo pistons
2.4l PT Turbo rods
2 Rolls duct tape

Sounds like a valve problem. Did you skip a few teeth on the T-belt? If all the cylinders are 5-20, it sounds like you may have some (8) bent valves.

That is the weird thing! I had the damn thing on right the first time. I had first thought that I put it on wrong, but that was not the case. I had it right. How am I supposed to tell if I have bent valves?
There is no water in my oil or any oil in my water. So that leads me to beleive that the head gasket is ok. So I don't know what to think here.
I will try the "oil" test tonight. (you know, where you put a bit of oil in the cyl to see if it get compression, if it does you have bad valves).


O yea, I am using Hasting rings, and stock pistons.
And NO it did't skip any teeth on the timing belt. That was the first thing that I checked.
And I did tourqe all the bolts down to spec. And in the correct order.

Theres no way its the headgasket. I blew mine out because I running 15 psi with tons of detonation and I also re used my stock head olts which I shouldnt have done. And I still had atleast a littel over a 100 compression. And that was with melted pistons. I am willing to bet its a problem with the valves.

well you'll be able to tell if is bent valves most the time, if u cant, bring your head by a cyl head shop and have them tell u what they think..

hard to say what it is till u get the head off again

a leak down test (not a compression test) will tell if the valves are bent

and the oil in the cylinder test is to see if the rings are bad not the valves

How did you check time? You can't verify mechanical timing just looking at the cam gear marks - you have to look at the cams, and the timing sprocket on the crank. You could actually be 5 teeth off on both cams, and the marks would look fine up top... the crank mark would give it away..

I think you jumped time.

Well you had said you didnt put the proper tension on the t belt when you installed it, so that right there makes me think you jumped timing, and bent valves. Did you check the timimg marks BEFORE you tore it all down again? Like said above, the cam gear marks, AND the crank gear marks must be all in line together. These will all line up only every other crank revolution. Did you use the copper gasket spray on the MLS? You have to do that also, just checking. Even though you can see your valves going up and down, doesnt mean they are not fully SEATING. It only takes a very small gap in the valve to valve seat to leak pressure. Do this. Have someone crank over the car. Put your ear to an opened intake pipe. Or better yet, get the TB open right at its opening. Crank the car and see if you can either feel or hear pressure coming out. If yes, bent valves. Now get back by the exaust pipe, and do the same. You should be able to distinguish a leaking exuast valve by the sound of it, over the normal exuast sound. If the HG was blown, then you will def have oil in the coolant, and coolant in the oil. If not, its def not the HG.

Yea I checked the timing marks with the crank and the cam gears. All was good. I am exploring other things than the head gasket tonight. Thanks for all the advice guys. This really helps out.
From the looks of it I did'nt bend the valves, but........I can not say for sure.
If it is bent valves, where do I get a new set...and how much will this cost??? Give me some guesses guys.

Are you sure that the rings were put properly Kevin ?

Alain

yeah, you need to stagger the ring's endgaps 180 degrees apart. I hope you did this :) I dont see how it ran before then just quit like that though..i still think bent valves..

if ALL of yoru cylinders read 5 to 20 psi, then you did 1 of 3 things. 1. you put one of the cams 180 degrees out of phase 2. you "destroyed" all 4 pistons 3. you bent at least 1 valve in each cylinder. sorry dude :(

A.D.P.
"...If you do too much, people become dependant. If you do to little, people loose hope. If you do it right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."
bring it on............

I would think that if you aligned all of your rings wrong that this could happen too. However, I don't see how thats possible since the car ran 1st, so I'm gonna put my money on bent valves as well.

Well I tried to time it one last time to see if it would work and still I get the same result.
To answer a few questions, the piston rings were staggard 180 to 180 for the top two rings and each oil ring was 90 degrees apart from each other, althought NEVER lining up with the top two rings.
I was very carful about that, even though lots of mechanics say it makes absolutly no difference. And before anyone asks, yes the little "dot" was facing up also.
I am now leaning toward the bent valves theory, although I don't want to see this problem arise. I can only imagine what a head job will cost replacing the valves too. Shit just to get this head milled twice, and a 6 angle job was like $250. I'm pulling the cams and cam gears tomorrow, just to make sure I didnt spin a cam gear loose, although that is highly unlikey.

I just want to drive my car now. I am tired of working on it all the time. Shit all I do now is go to the office and come home to work on this bitch.
Even my GF is saying that I should sell this thing and get a more reliable car.

Well if you got a six angle valve job and didn't jump time then I'd be calling the machene shop. Am I correct in thinking that if the timing is right there is no way to bend the valves? It sounds to me like they didn't assemble something correctly on your head when they put it together and it may have failed. I would pull my valve cover and check it out from the top.