Failed head gasket

[steve 944t]

Had a sniff test carried out today which confirmed head gasket failure, as suspected [] So Bedford claims yet another victim!

Not entirely unexpected as it is the original gasket and I had a level 2 kit fitted last year. Has been fun while it lasted []

So, should I go for standard gasket or something else?

Other than a general overhaul of the head, what other "while you are in there" jobs should I be considering? Belts are due next year anyway so will be replaced, along with water pump if deemed necessary.

I don't want to go mad as I want to get it back asap so that I can get it back on track over the summer but any suggestions of worthwhile jobs appreciated.

 

[JM1962]

Just in the process of doing this job myself on my newly aquired turbo. My car has had a Promax level 2 kit fitted since 2006. I only removed the head because I was doing other jobs, belts which were 10 years old (it was a nervous 150 mile trip home) and fixing a leak from the cam tower. I found the original head gasket in pretty good nick so unless you plan on increasing the boost further I reckon the standard gasket is ok. It is worth noting that when removing the head it is usually necessary to have a light skim to get it level. depending on the amount of material removed you may need a thicker head gasket. Standard is 1.1mm and for skimmed heads it is 1.4mm. I got mine from Porsche and it was £60, new head nuts and washers which are recommended were around £25.

You might consider new pulleys. I found the steering shaft was sloppy (don't know how the MOT tester missed it) and replaced that as its easier to get at with the head removed.

If doing the job yourself be prepared for lots of swearing as there are some difficult nuts and bolts to get at. Take lots of photos so you know how it goes back together.

 

[edh]

Lindsey steam vent kit? Sounds a bit snake oil-ish but while you're in there, why not.. particularly if you find it's gone in #4. Helps bleeding the air from coolant as well I think.

No surprise when you do a headgasket with a DPW - took me all of 1 hour at Cadwell after I'd fitted a TIAL and MBC. []

so the score is 2-2 n/a vs forced induction now? (Peter E also has hg problems I think)

 

[Diver944]

I would definitely go with another standard gasket. As long as the rest of your setup is fine with good AFR and not excessive boost then it should last for years. If things go awry in the future its much cheaper to blow another gasket then melt one of your pistons. []

 

[Ewan]

Sorry to hear this Steve. But you really should have kept quiet - I was enjoying the apparent robustness of turbo cars for moment there.

When I had mine replaced by JMG, Jon recommended staying with a standard Porsche gasket. And my car is running at similar power/boost as yours.

 

[TTM]

Standard headgasket + LR steam vent kit, which definitely works.

 

[craiginuk]

Sorry to hear this Steve.

 

[Diver944]

Just cleaning up the garage today and found the head gasket taken off my S2 last month. It had covered 210,000 miles and showed no signs of actually failing but I had it changed as a precaution before the extra heat of the trackday. As can be seen it had been holed in a few of the waterways around cylinders 2 and 3 so in an extreme situation coolant flow could have been disrupted. Barry Hart warned a few years ago that this is one of the most common reasons for seized engines.

 

[steve 944t]

Thanks guys. I hate it when someone posts a message and then disappears. Sorry about that!

Ok, standard gasket it is. Good to know. I have never looked at the vent kit before but looks like a good idea and not very expensive. I am probably going to the States next week so that could work out well []

Jim, thanks for the suggestions. I don't have the time or the inclination to do the job myself but will mention those to the Indy I use.

Those are scary pics Paul. Looks like you caught yours just in time. Will be interesting to see what mine looks like.

Oh, and Ewan - this is the first real failure I have had in 9 years of ownership. It's only when us daft owners insist on ramping up the boost that things go awry (unlike those pesky oil-dumping S2s [])