Blown Head Gasket repair w/pics

IHateHacks · 12-23-2006, 11:54 PM

It finally happened. Car ran fine for a few months never overheated or blew coolant out of the overflow. I ran a compression test and got 180psi on cyl 1, 2, 3, and 6. Cyls 4 and 5 had 170psi. Ran a block test and the test fluid turned green (no I didnt suck up coolant). Then one day Im just driving not even making boost and stock temp gauge pegs past H and I glance at my aftermarket one and see it reading 230 degrees so I immediatly shut the engine off and pull over. Pop the hood and the coolant overflow is filled to the top and the intercooler is all wet (from coolant pissing out of the overflow) so I limp it home and start ripping it apart. Started today, only got 3 hours of work done, planning on working on it tomarrow and monday. Hopefully Ill have the head off by then. I will be posting my progress when I can. I know its not much but heres where Im at so far. The order Im doing it in is intake manifold, timing belt, exhaust manifold.

IHateHacks · 12-25-2006, 10:11 PM

I need a little help. I have every single sensor connector disconnected except one. It is the one that goes to the top of the R154 trans. There is no way a I can get to it. Its a 2 wire connector and its white. I think the wires are yellow and red, but I can't remember. It's not the speed sensor. I think it is the backup light switch. How do I disconnect it? Drop the trans? Anyone ever have this problem when doing a head gasket on a manual turbo car?

Also I ran into a problem with the crank pulley. I already took the starter out so I can't do the starter method (even though I can technically put it back in for this reason). Already tried my 1/2" impact gun, no luck. Getting a friend to bring home from work a snap-on impact gun tomarrow and will try again. TSRM says its torqued to 195 ft-lbs, and the only way to torque the bolt by hand is with the 2 SST's they list. I dont even own a torque wrench that goes up that high so buying the tools without the proper torque wrench is useless. I just would like to know what all the people here do when they install their crank pulley. Do you use the SST's and a 200+ftlbs torque wrench or impact gun?

jfunez · 12-27-2006, 08:33 PM

What i did in that situation was simply cut the wires and splice them back when you're done.....make sure you use weather ticght butt connectors...

IHateHacks · 12-27-2006, 09:42 PM

Thanks for the reply. I thought my supra was special or something, turns out Toyota is just as bad as Chevy when it comes to the details. I was going to cut them and solder but using connectors sounds better just in case this job has to be done again in the future.

Here's where I'm at. Its hard to get things done working out in the cold when the sun goes down at 4pm let alone doing this between my regular job and working out at the gym.

I'm torn between getting a dealer head gasket or getting a metal HKS 1.2mm one. I'm also contemplating upgrading the stock turbo with maybe different compressor and turbine housings or maybe getting a whole new one. The more and more I pull parts off the more I realize everything is in need of either rebuilding or upgrading. Next pic will be with the head off.

ddmcse · 12-28-2006, 02:27 PM

why do you need to pull the crank pulley ? you can release the tension and slip the timing belt right off .

get the head off and look at the condition of the block and the head to help decide on the gasket you are going to go for .i'd say you need metal

i sent my turbo out for an upgrade while it was off , it was back the next day

now would be a good time to think about the downpipe too

IHateHacks · 12-28-2006, 06:47 PM

I need the crank pulley off because I am replacing the timing belt also. So far I tried a craftsman 1/2", a snap on 1/2", and an IR 1/2" impact gun and it still hasn't budged yet. Trying a black series IR gun tonight. I might just have to break down and buy the SST's.

Why do you think I'll need a metal one? Which one needs better/smoother surfaces metal or stock?

I had you in mind when I was thinking about upgrading my turbo. I liked what you had done to it.

That downpipe is as good as gone. I'm also looking for a better O2 housing.

Monkey · 12-30-2006, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddmcse

why do you need to pull the crank pulley ? you can release the tension and slip the timing belt right off .

Yeah, you CAN do it that way, but if you want to make sure you have everything lined up properly, then you want the crank pulley and lower timing cover off to line up the timing marks, properly. One tooth off may not do any damage, but it will damn sure make it run like ass. Better to be safe than sorry. Believe me. I'm a mechanic. I don't play around when it comes to doing timing belts. I'm not about to buy someone a new engine because i didn't do a timing belt job properly. Funk that.

Spudboy · 07-24-2007, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddmcse

why do you need to pull the crank pulley ? you can release the tension and slip the timing belt right off .

get the head off and look at the condition of the block and the head to help decide on the gasket you are going to go for .i'd say you need metal

i sent my turbo out for an upgrade while it was off , it was back the next day

now would be a good time to think about the downpipe too

Can you tell me more about this turbo upgrade? I'm getting ready to fix my BHG once and for all...metal head gasket, ARP head bolts, proper torque (about 85 ft/lb's as recomended by ARP).

While I have it off I would love to upgrade the turbo but don't know where to start.

JMoses · 03-05-2007, 06:01 PM

[QUOTE=IHateHacks]

I need a little help. I have every single sensor connector disconnected except one. It is the one that goes to the top of the R154 trans. There is no way a I can get to it. Its a 2 wire connector and its white. I think the wires are yellow and red, but I can't remember. It's not the speed sensor. I think it is the backup light switch. How do I disconnect it? Drop the trans? Anyone ever have this problem when doing a head gasket on a manual turbo car?
QUOTE]

I just put a new head gasket on my supra and that wiring runs over the top and then down the drivers side of your tranny. If I remember correctly there are bolts that hold it onto the tranny.

JMoses · 03-05-2007, 06:15 PM

Do you have any more pics of your engine around the starter area. I have a couple of plugs on my wiring harness and I cant find out where they go.

12-23-2006, 11:54 PM	#1
IHateHacks 20psi boost Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Haven/Hamden Posts: 793	Blown Head Gasket repair w/pics It finally happened. Car ran fine for a few months never overheated or blew coolant out of the overflow. I ran a compression test and got 180psi on cyl 1, 2, 3, and 6. Cyls 4 and 5 had 170psi. Ran a block test and the test fluid turned green (no I didnt suck up coolant). Then one day Im just driving not even making boost and stock temp gauge pegs past H and I glance at my aftermarket one and see it reading 230 degrees so I immediatly shut the engine off and pull over. Pop the hood and the coolant overflow is filled to the top and the intercooler is all wet (from coolant pissing out of the overflow) so I limp it home and start ripping it apart. Started today, only got 3 hours of work done, planning on working on it tomarrow and monday. Hopefully Ill have the head off by then. I will be posting my progress when I can. I know its not much but heres where Im at so far. The order Im doing it in is intake manifold, timing belt, exhaust manifold.

12-28-2006, 02:27 PM	#5
ddmcse 500whp yet? Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: CT U.S.A. Posts: 966	why do you need to pull the crank pulley ? you can release the tension and slip the timing belt right off . get the head off and look at the condition of the block and the head to help decide on the gasket you are going to go for .i'd say you need metal i sent my turbo out for an upgrade while it was off , it was back the next day now would be a good time to think about the downpipe too __________________ 300+ RW HP Dyno run, jdm,mod turbo,3"exh,electfan,greddyboost Blown HeadGasket info My Supra KiXGaS

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12-25-2006, 10:11 PM	#2
IHateHacks 20psi boost Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Haven/Hamden Posts: 793	I need a little help. I have every single sensor connector disconnected except one. It is the one that goes to the top of the R154 trans. There is no way a I can get to it. Its a 2 wire connector and its white. I think the wires are yellow and red, but I can't remember. It's not the speed sensor. I think it is the backup light switch. How do I disconnect it? Drop the trans? Anyone ever have this problem when doing a head gasket on a manual turbo car? Also I ran into a problem with the crank pulley. I already took the starter out so I can't do the starter method (even though I can technically put it back in for this reason). Already tried my 1/2" impact gun, no luck. Getting a friend to bring home from work a snap-on impact gun tomarrow and will try again. TSRM says its torqued to 195 ft-lbs, and the only way to torque the bolt by hand is with the 2 SST's they list. I dont even own a torque wrench that goes up that high so buying the tools without the proper torque wrench is useless. I just would like to know what all the people here do when they install their crank pulley. Do you use the SST's and a 200+ftlbs torque wrench or impact gun?

12-27-2006, 08:33 PM	#3
jfunez 12psi boost Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: georgia,usa Posts: 338	What i did in that situation was simply cut the wires and splice them back when you're done.....make sure you use weather ticght butt connectors...

12-27-2006, 09:42 PM	#4
IHateHacks 20psi boost Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Haven/Hamden Posts: 793	Thanks for the reply. I thought my supra was special or something, turns out Toyota is just as bad as Chevy when it comes to the details. I was going to cut them and solder but using connectors sounds better just in case this job has to be done again in the future. Here's where I'm at. Its hard to get things done working out in the cold when the sun goes down at 4pm let alone doing this between my regular job and working out at the gym. I'm torn between getting a dealer head gasket or getting a metal HKS 1.2mm one. I'm also contemplating upgrading the stock turbo with maybe different compressor and turbine housings or maybe getting a whole new one. The more and more I pull parts off the more I realize everything is in need of either rebuilding or upgrading. Next pic will be with the head off.

12-28-2006, 06:47 PM	#6
IHateHacks 20psi boost Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Haven/Hamden Posts: 793	I need the crank pulley off because I am replacing the timing belt also. So far I tried a craftsman 1/2", a snap on 1/2", and an IR 1/2" impact gun and it still hasn't budged yet. Trying a black series IR gun tonight. I might just have to break down and buy the SST's. Why do you think I'll need a metal one? Which one needs better/smoother surfaces metal or stock? I had you in mind when I was thinking about upgrading my turbo. I liked what you had done to it. That downpipe is as good as gone. I'm also looking for a better O2 housing.

03-05-2007, 06:01 PM	#9
JMoses Stock Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 23	[QUOTE=IHateHacks] I need a little help. I have every single sensor connector disconnected except one. It is the one that goes to the top of the R154 trans. There is no way a I can get to it. Its a 2 wire connector and its white. I think the wires are yellow and red, but I can't remember. It's not the speed sensor. I think it is the backup light switch. How do I disconnect it? Drop the trans? Anyone ever have this problem when doing a head gasket on a manual turbo car? QUOTE] I just put a new head gasket on my supra and that wiring runs over the top and then down the drivers side of your tranny. If I remember correctly there are bolts that hold it onto the tranny.

03-05-2007, 06:15 PM	#10
JMoses Stock Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 23	Do you have any more pics of your engine around the starter area. I have a couple of plugs on my wiring harness and I cant find out where they go.