How to install a headgasket
#17
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I also removed my head with the manifolds attached, but I had to take them off to be ported anyway. I would recommend spraying the rusted bolts (whichever you decide to remove) a couple days in advance with penetrating oil like PB blaster. I sprayed mine like twice a day for 3 days so it could soak in. The exhaust manifold to turbo has two bolts and two studs. When I attempted to loosen the nuts on the studs, the whole studs came out instead of just the nuts.
I don't know if was from the pen. oil or what. For what it's worth, Mark from CBRD said I was lucky, and that most people have trouble with those studs.
Be careful when setting your engine to TDC before you pull the head. My car's timing marks didn't all line up perfectly, and from reading on here that is common, if not normal for Evos. If I set the crankshaft pulley to TDC, then I think it was the intake cam that lined up perfect with the valve cover, but the exhaust cam was a little off. If I split the difference between the cams so they were both close, then the crank pulley was off a little bit. Just make a note of it when you are setting your timing.
Also, you might want to check your mileage to see if it's soon time for a timing belt replacement. Might as well do that at the same time if needed.
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Be careful when setting your engine to TDC before you pull the head. My car's timing marks didn't all line up perfectly, and from reading on here that is common, if not normal for Evos. If I set the crankshaft pulley to TDC, then I think it was the intake cam that lined up perfect with the valve cover, but the exhaust cam was a little off. If I split the difference between the cams so they were both close, then the crank pulley was off a little bit. Just make a note of it when you are setting your timing.
Also, you might want to check your mileage to see if it's soon time for a timing belt replacement. Might as well do that at the same time if needed.
#18
Thanks for the additional info miller.
Well, here's the status. I had gotten the headgasket and other gaskets I ordered on friday but didnt get out of work until about 2200, 10pm for you damn civilians! So Saturday morning my buddy and I decide to got thoroughly wash out the engine bay and do a last stress test on this leak. Go to the car wash, wash the bay and rev the motor keeping it around 5grand and occasionally pushing it to 7grand. No oil is leaving the block/head area the best we could tell, so I figure some hard driving might do the trick, get the engine really working.
Take the car out for about 20 minutes and get it home. Still no leak. I'm like WTF because before you could see residual oil on the right corner of the engine. So we start checking everything. And then we find what we believe is the leak. Underneath the top radiator hose is what the Mitsubishi Manual calls the TURBOCHARGER WATER FEED PIPE CONNECTION. Under the hose that is connected to that pipe we find fresh oil.
I have not removed the hose yet, because I want to order a replacement hose from the dealer. What I dont understand is why the is oil possibly leaking from a "water feed pipe". Is this not the case or does Mitsubishi just have it labeled this way for some reason and it really does run oil through it? Anyone else hear of this line leaking oil?
I'm gonna be in the field training for the next three days so I'll see you guys when I get back. If it ends up being just this line, I'm gonna punch the "Evo tech" at the dealer in the face.
Well, here's the status. I had gotten the headgasket and other gaskets I ordered on friday but didnt get out of work until about 2200, 10pm for you damn civilians! So Saturday morning my buddy and I decide to got thoroughly wash out the engine bay and do a last stress test on this leak. Go to the car wash, wash the bay and rev the motor keeping it around 5grand and occasionally pushing it to 7grand. No oil is leaving the block/head area the best we could tell, so I figure some hard driving might do the trick, get the engine really working.
Take the car out for about 20 minutes and get it home. Still no leak. I'm like WTF because before you could see residual oil on the right corner of the engine. So we start checking everything. And then we find what we believe is the leak. Underneath the top radiator hose is what the Mitsubishi Manual calls the TURBOCHARGER WATER FEED PIPE CONNECTION. Under the hose that is connected to that pipe we find fresh oil.
I have not removed the hose yet, because I want to order a replacement hose from the dealer. What I dont understand is why the is oil possibly leaking from a "water feed pipe". Is this not the case or does Mitsubishi just have it labeled this way for some reason and it really does run oil through it? Anyone else hear of this line leaking oil?
I'm gonna be in the field training for the next three days so I'll see you guys when I get back. If it ends up being just this line, I'm gonna punch the "Evo tech" at the dealer in the face.
#19
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well the water feed lines do route right under the upper rad hose by the thermostat, I'm wondering did you replace the pcv hose on the valve cover with a filter...is it leaking anywhere around there....i guess a picture would help...
#20
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mine has the same problem
please put up a good write up with lots of pics man good luck might wanna find out what "special sealant" ams uses or any of your local shops so it doesnt leak again down the road
"What you are experiencing is pretty common. its a bad seal on the headgasket at the back of the motor. we see cars come in here all the time with that and it just needs a new gasket with this special sealant we use on the oil passages."
this is a direct quote from eric at ams...just because your headgaskets leaking oil doesnt mean you have a blown headgasket
please put up a good write up with lots of pics man good luck might wanna find out what "special sealant" ams uses or any of your local shops so it doesnt leak again down the road
this is a direct quote from eric at ams...just because your headgaskets leaking oil doesnt mean you have a blown headgasket
#21
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I just took my head off but It took me a good bit off 7 hours to do so I couldnt get the intake manifold bolts on the bottom off it literlly took me 2 hours and alot of cursing to do it lol.
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The two 14mm bolts underneath it I use a long extension and a swivel on the end. I come up from under the transfer case and just push the extension all the way up to the bolts. The one on the driver side is on a tough angle, but possible with the swivel.
The bolts along the bottom of the manifold weren't bad once I figured out how to get at them. If you use your ratchet with I think like 10 inches of extension, you can fit the ratchet between the manifold and firewall. The extension will actually go through the hole in the black bracket under the manifold to reach the two bolts in the middle. They're on a slight angle, but not enough to give much trouble if you're careful.
It's even more fun to put on.
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#24
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It was the manifold to head bolts that were giving me problems its not that they were at a bad angle but that they were torqued down so hard that I couldn't get enough force to break them free. But after I did it was all easy.
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It depends which way you go about it. For instance, you pull the head with nothing else attached, you will need HG, along with intake and exhaust manifold gaskets. If you decide to pull the head with the manifolds attached, then you will need the HG and the gasket between the exhaust manifold and hot side, although it might be reusable... not sure about that. If you leave the throttle body attached to the intake, you won't need to replace the TB gasket either. Like I said, the gaskets you need will depend on your method. Off the top of my head I can't think of any other gaskets required to replace a HG.
#29
this sound fishy, first of all if your car is not overheating, is most likelly you dont have a blown head gasket set.
Last edited by clarkandrew45; Apr 8, 2011 at 12:22 AM.
#30
- Are any gaskets/seals reusable?
- Are stock head studs reusable?
- If removing intake & exhaust manifolds, what gaskets/seals/parts are required other than HG, Valve Cover Seal, Intake Gasket, and Exhaust Gasket?
- Is HG replacement a good time for doing a timing/any other belt replace as well?
- In general, what parts are recommended for replacement along with a HG at about 70,000 miles if the car apparently has never received an overhaul?
Again, my apologies if this is misplaced - I will appreciate any good info on a better place to find answers.