Problems with blown head gasket in a 7m

[UTERUS]

If a 7mge was to blow a head gasket, will it be as easy as buying another headgasket and putting it in or could it need other work like getting the head skimmed smooth etc...

Cheers,
Simon

[Lloyd]

Depends why its blown the gasket. Could have a cracked or warped head depending on how warm its got etc. If you're lucky it could be alright with just a gasket but for the cost of it you may as well get the head machined flat again. Crack and pressure test it if you want to

[deaf_rattle]

hey, has the gasket blown already?
if not torque the bolts down now, you might save yourself the hassle

otherwise new gasket, plane the head and you would probably be ok with old bolts, but id go for arps.

remember to torque them down correctly not the 54ft lbs that toyota suggests

my arps came with instructions for 83 ft lbs with the grease supplied

[UTERUS]

Cheers guys!

[UTERUS]

So i got it home today and had a poke around the engine bay.

The radiator is buggered (expected) to say the least.

I started it up and let it idle for a minute, it has a fairly rough idle and wants to die when you give it a little rev up and let it go back to idle.

I drove it up the road and it didn't seem to be running too rough and drove fairly nice.


Now, shall i have a go at tightening the head bolts up some more and see how it goes with a new radiator.

Or, should i take the head off and get it skimmed and put it back together with a new headgasket.



Thanks,
Simon.

[deaf_rattle]

what are the symptoms? over heating? over pressurising the coolant system?

you could flush out the radiator and torque the bolts down if it hasnt blown already.

if its blown you will need new gasket and it would pay to get the head planed. $60 for head plane and i think roughly $75 for head gasket.

then torque head bolts to at least 75 ft lbs.

is this in a cressida or a supra? doesnt really matter which, but i have cressida here that ill be replacing the head gasket on within the next couple of weeks if you want instructions...

[Adydas]

Isnt the main symptom that its a 7mgte

[UTERUS]

I havn't driven it enough to tell you whether it is pressurizing the coolant system or over heating.

I took the engine dipstick out and its that poo brown colour which oil goes when water is mixed with it so i guess it has already blown.

I will be buying new gaskets and some other crap tomorrow in preparation for doing the hg this weekend if all goes to plan.

It is a mx83 mark 2 which is the jdm cressida pretty much.

All i really need to know is what sequence and how tight to torque the head down.


Simon.

[Lloyd]

deaf_rattle said 83ft lbs up there, might pay to try around that mark. If factory figures aren't enough and those are for ARP then I'd be guessing around the 80 mark. Make sure you put a little bit of oil on the threads of the bolts and on either side of the washers as well just so you're getting the right torque onto the bolt itself. And dont just start at that torque for the bolts straight away, work your way up in a couple of stages following the bolt sequence you're supposed to

As for sequence basically start with the middle 2 and work your way out. I know this isn't for a 7M but it gives you an idea.

[Jason T]

I took the engine dipstick out and its that poo brown colour which oil goes when water is mixed with it so i guess it has already blown.

Dont try to drive or you will be fixing the bottom end also

73 ft with NEW toyota headstuds these are tourqe to yeld bolts use them again if you want to do the job again or buy ARP Studs from STA

Retourqe after 1000kms

If you can see pitting around the water jackets you will need to resurface block

Put a staight edge on the block make sure its in spec/flat

This link may help http://www.cygnusx1.net/supra/library/TSRM/index.html

[UTERUS]

Do i have to put new head bolts in?

Appco charged $110 for a headgasket!

[deaf_rattle]

it is recommended.
Toyota charges $8 a bolt i believe.
www.summitracing.com for arps

you might get awhile out of your head bolts, but then again it might only last a week.

i am going to do the headgasket in the cressida using the bolts that are in there now.

[deaf_rattle]

1.5hours to remove head this morning.
getting it planed this week and hopefully put back on next weekend with non genuine head gasket and stock used head bolts.

not expecting to last a life time, but if torqued down should last long enough.

will post pics soon.

mmm creamy oil