it doesn't look good in the picture.
it needs to be smoother than a babies ass .
the metal is not forgiving where as the carbon or whatever the stock is made from is forgiving.
you might want to re-think it . i put a metal gasket on a block that looked good enough to me once and it lasted about 10k miles . once you do put a metal gasket on it's not likely that you are gonna start boosting less . no infact you'll probably start pushing more into the cylinders to really test the
smooth theory .. you know . i have a lapping tool over here
you've seen some of my bhg footage ?
http://www.ddmcse.com/turbo/bhg_2003.htm

The picture really doesnt do it justice. It is really smooth, and looks like a f-in mirror. But I'm gonna play it safe and use a dealer head gasket. Please forgive my inexperience but what is a lapping tool? I used a whiz wheel with very fine grit Scotch 3M on the block, which made it look all swirlly, like it polished the metal. I really never knew cast iron could look like that. But what do I know this is my first head gasket job ever.

Im not liking the idea of it blowing again after 10,000 miles so stock it is.

Still haven't gotten the head back yet. I'm very anxious to put her back together.

Just for those who want to know I've decided to use ARP studs instead of bolts. Do the cams have to be out to torque the ARP nuts?

u can see the lapping tool on my website, it's sitting on the block a round disc

OK so did you use a metal head gasket on that block that you lapped?

What's all that gray slime that's all in the coolant passages?

I'm beginning to think I used the wrong thing on my block, but a mechanic friend that works at Mauro Motors BMW of North Haven uses the same thing on aluminum blocks and says it's fine. He actually supplied the equipment and did the work to my block.

I'm going to get a close up pic of my block tomarrow morning.

yeah i have a metal gasket the gray stuff is lapping compound , a paste with grit
i lapped the block for hours and then lapped the head after it was done by a machine. you could see the grooves left by the machine but the grooves were gone after lapping the head . lapping the alu head took seconds compared to the block
i think i have about 30k miles on this gasket

Thank you for all the input ddmcse, it's people like you that make this a great forum.

How much is a lapping tool and compound?

Well i've thought about it and I've come all this way, sent out the head (before I thought I was gonna do all the check and servicing to the head myself, yea wrong!) I might as well lap the block. Im stubborn, I dont like to do things but once I start I'm glad I did. I've determined the whiz wheel is to remove stuck on gasket material only, not for resurfacing. The block, with my finger, feels smooth as ice everywhere. Here's some pics.


http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...e/DSC00545.jpg

^ Worst area on the block. ^

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...e/DSC00544.jpg

^ I'm a crappy photographer. ^

Now for the fun part, head gasket its blown in 2 different places.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...e/DSC00546.jpg

^ That's cylinder 6. ^

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...e/DSC00547.jpg

^ That's cylinder 2 ^

looks yummy, cant waitto see what mine looks liek when i pull it.

Well just got the verdict from the machine shop.

Cleaned, checked for cracks, checked for warpage, planed, valve lash set, new exhaust studs welded in place (I helicoiled 3 previously and 1 more was on its way to be, ditched that!). Complete head gasket set included. $425+tax!!!

Will have pic up tomarrow.

Just have to order my ARP studs, and downpipe!! I'm very excited if you haven't noticed.

I need help from someone who has done this with ARP studs before.

Do you cams need to be out to torque the nuts? I'm thinking that a deep socket won't fit by the cams. So has anyone here actually put ARP head studs in their engine themselves?

How about with ARP bolts, do the cams need to be out to torque them?

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...e/DSC00548.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...e/DSC00549.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...e/DSC00550.jpg

Gasket kit came with everything but the turbo oil line gaskets and sealing washers, fuel line sealing washers, heater union sealing washers or cold start injector gasket and sealing washers.

No matter what I do, something always seems to go wrong. First it was the crank bolt deal. Then it was the block surface not being optimum. Now I get my head back from the machine shop and the sealing surface has this shit all over it-

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...e/DSC00554.jpg

Those are little flakes of aluminum that are stuck on the mating surface. I can chip them off with my fingernails but I don't have too much of my fingernails left. I'm scared shitless about touching it with anything but my fingernails. The rest of the surface looks and feels very good. I've come to a conclusion, nothing will ever go smoothly when working on a 20 yr old supra.