I have a '92 RS with the 5 liter. Just noticed water in the crankcase. As far as I know, the only way that happens is a blown headgasket, cracked block, or cracked head. But, headgasket is the most reasonable. Is that correct?

If I'm looking at a headgasket, and since I'm flat broke, I'm considering doing the project myself. Is that wise? I do almost all my own work on cars, but have never had to open the engine up before. What parts would I need, I'm figuring the headgasket, valve cover gasket, and oilpan gasket. I'm assuming I'll have to clean it well too. What about oil pump? Anything I left out? Flushing coolant? What's the best way to remove the old gasket material?

Thanks for any help

Jason

No need to take oil pan off.

You'll need head gaskets, intake gasket set, valve cover gaskets.

Take valve covers off, pull out dist., take intake off, losen up rocker arms and remove pushrods, take of exhaust manifolds/headers, losen head bolts, pull heads off

stuff paper towels in all the cyl. bores, scrap any gasket off the block, and heads with a sccrap, wipe down with brake clean, wipe dry, remove paper towels.

Put heads back on, and torque bolts back in the right order and in 3 steps (if you need the torque info I can send it to you)

Put push rods back in and adjust the valves, wipe intake valley (where lifter are) out good, Take drain plug out of oil pan, pour a qt. of oil in the valley.

Put intake back on, re time engine, put exhaust manifolds/headers back on, valve covers, etc.

Put oil pan plug back in, fill with 3 qt. of cheap oil (wal mart) and 1 can of engine flush.

Go by what the flush says (run time)

Drain oil and change filter, re fill with good oil

Thanks

If you could send me the torque specs, I would appreciate that. Also, if you have them, can you get me the timing specs & procedure. I actually have a timing light, just never used one before. What about the TBI? Will that need to be removed, or can I just removed the IM with TBI still attached? Should the exhaust manifold be removed from head, or should I leave it attached there, and instead remove it from the exhaust pipe?

Thanks

Jason

You're pretty much going to have to remove the manifolds to get to the bottom head bolts. While the heads are off take them to a machine shop and have them magnafluxed and checked for straightness. Also, torque on the head bolts is 65 lbs./ft. and 30 on the intake. Good luck!!

jjmartin-92rs... I sent you the chart.

You'll have to remove the manifold from the head before you can get the head off.

There's a line of 8 head bolts on the bottom outside of the head, and the manifold blocks it so you cant get a socket to them.

I'm not sure about the timing or TPI unit. I dont/never fooled with an EFI engine.

As far as time. You will need to get #1 piston to compression stroke TDC (hold finger on #1 plug hole, have some one bump the starter till you feel air blow out of the hole, the put dist. in pointing rotor to #1 on cap

I'm not sure of the timing specs though, cause EFI will be diff from the 60's and 70's carbed engines I work with.

The new stlye (86+) blocks are notorious for cracking in the lifter valley area. You will want to to make sure your block isn't cracked before you pull the heads off. Pull the intake, block off the 4 coolant holes in the heads, plug the upper rad hose, and pressure test the cooling system. You should be able to spot the leak if it is cracked. Warming the engine up before doing this will help to open the crack a little.

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305 blocks that is...

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Custom Auto, your source for quality machine work, cores and new parts at competetive pricing right here in British Columbia 1-888-563-4050
A Canadian, EH? (with a 10 second street car)

Just my opinion.... The headgasket would NOT be my first suspect in fact it would probably be my last. I have had this happen to me before and it was the intake manifold gasket, If your head gasket was leaking enough to fill the pan with water you would have lost alot of compression. Probably a crap load of smoke from evaporation would appear.The engine would most likely not run. Is it possible the "water" is gas?? Do you have a mechanical pump?

BTW The head gasket should not need to be "scraped" off. It should come off in one piece

[This message has been edited by badazz81z28 (edited January 19, 2005).]

Check the most obvious first. What was this discovered on a routine oil change? Or what?

badazz81z28... I have to disagree with you on the scraping part.

Yes the head gasket will come off in one pc., but 90% of the time (unless it's steel shims) it will leave paper behind where it tore off the gasket, but stuck to the deck or head.

You will have to scrap that paper off.

Cheaper head gaskets are even worse about leaving paper stuck. I had one 66 327 that somebody put cheap gaskets on (some shitty red ones) and the whole bottom layer stuck to the block and pulled away from the core of the gasket.

It left torn red paper covering the whole deck.

The newer better fel pro gaskets aint near as bad. They only leave small spots of torn paper behind, but it still has to come off the block and only way to get it off is to scrap it off

I discovered this when checking the oil, the dipstick was covered with goo, and little drops of water. I'm pretty sure it's water, my radiator is mysteriously losing coolant. Engine runs fine, though slightly rough. There is no smoke.

Could this still be the IM gasket?

Thanks

Jason

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by night rider:
badazz81z28... I have to disagree with you on the scraping part

</font>

Oh I didnt mean you wouldnt need to scrape any leftover residue off. Just that you shouldnt need to scrape the gasket off. If that makes sense

badazz81z28... Makes good sences to me.

A quick way to determine if you have an internal combustion leak e.g., blown head gasket, cracked head, cracked block, is to run the car to operating temp & w/ the motor running, place the radiator overflow reservoir tube into a glass jar of H2O & look for air bubbles.

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by 1974TypeLT:
A quick way to determine if you have an internal combustion leak e.g., blown head gasket, cracked head, cracked block, is to run the car to operating temp & w/ the motor running, place the radiator overflow reservoir tube into a glass jar of H2O & look for air bubbles.</font>

Exactly. If its a head gasket, you'll probably have some pressurization in the radiator Not just from the heating of the coolant but from some feedback pressure from combustion.

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