So I'll be redoing my head gaskets after about 8 months of service on the last ones. I knew ahead of time the last ones were a bandaid solution and it was the first time I had ever done that kind of deep work on an engine. Learned a lot, but I was under no impression that it would be a permanent fix.
The current plan was to use FEL-PRO 26229 gaskets, and some Permatex copper spray. I'll also do my best to un-**** the head surfaces by sanding it on glass up to 220 until it passes a straight edge test.
I was planning on rebuilding again over the next few weekends. This comment from mx3_ryder got me thinking about what the actual difference is between MLS and Composite gaskets regarding these engines. This engine in question isn't in the best of health, and I'll replace it wholesale later, but I'd like the give this repair the best chance of lasting the next few years before I build an actually nice engine. I figured a glass/sanding resurface and the copper sealant should be good enough for me.
I also did a quick pressure test a while ago by removing all the plugs and testing each of the cylinders. I got ~115psi average on the passenger bank and ~110psi average on the drivers side. Both sides had a 10psi deviation from the highest to lowest cyl. I did the test with a cold engine and didn't add any oil in the cylinders when I did it because I didnt have any on hand. Intuition tells me that the piston rings are worn but I dont know if theyre reasonably bad for a 194k mile engine or if its just totally clapped out. If they are indeed totally cooked judging y those numbers I could probably replace then too by pulling the il pan and going in through the bottom but I dont have the equipment to pull the entire engine. The engine sounds and feels fine otherwise so I doubt this is a huge issue but I figured I should ask.
The current plan was to use FEL-PRO 26229 gaskets, and some Permatex copper spray. I'll also do my best to un-**** the head surfaces by sanding it on glass up to 220 until it passes a straight edge test.
I was planning on rebuilding again over the next few weekends. This comment from mx3_ryder got me thinking about what the actual difference is between MLS and Composite gaskets regarding these engines. This engine in question isn't in the best of health, and I'll replace it wholesale later, but I'd like the give this repair the best chance of lasting the next few years before I build an actually nice engine. I figured a glass/sanding resurface and the copper sealant should be good enough for me.
I also did a quick pressure test a while ago by removing all the plugs and testing each of the cylinders. I got ~115psi average on the passenger bank and ~110psi average on the drivers side. Both sides had a 10psi deviation from the highest to lowest cyl. I did the test with a cold engine and didn't add any oil in the cylinders when I did it because I didnt have any on hand. Intuition tells me that the piston rings are worn but I dont know if theyre reasonably bad for a 194k mile engine or if its just totally clapped out. If they are indeed totally cooked judging y those numbers I could probably replace then too by pulling the il pan and going in through the bottom but I dont have the equipment to pull the entire engine. The engine sounds and feels fine otherwise so I doubt this is a huge issue but I figured I should ask.
