FuelforWar

....ran into a big issue. The motor is a 3vze with 281k, on the Thursday before labor day weekend my head gasket developed an internal leak on the number 6 cylinder filling it with antifreeze. Spent the next week taking it apart and fixing the issue. After all was "repaired" the motor started up within 30 secs and purred like a kitten after adjusting the distributor for a moment. While inspecting for leaks I noticed oil leaking from the very corners of both heads. Fml. I already know the cause is most likely due to the heads having a flaw due to not being resurfaced on only cleaned and checked with with a precision edge and feeler gauges. The motor has good compression and no leaks into the antifreeze or cylinder heads. Could torqing down the heads further possibly stop these leaks or am I going to have to pull it all apart again and have them surfaced. Also should I waste the time taking them in, the truck has had the heads rsurfaced under the head gasket recall at 91k and I know you can only surface them so many times. Thanks for anyones "positive" feedback. I can do without the negative ones about not getting it resurfaced. I already know this was more than likely my issue.

MudHippy

The last time this happened, the guy said he used RTV to stick the gaskets to the block. Then he couldn't figure out why both heads were leaking oil into the valley after he started it up for the first time. You didn't happen to make that same mistake did you?

Also, did you apply oil the head bolts before installing them like the FSM says to? Because a little bit of oil may have been pushed out of the holes as you tightened the bolts. Maybe that's the case? How badly are they leaking?

I don't know what's going on for sure. But, regardless, you should be able to have the heads resurfaced lightly a couple times if you needed to. That shouldn't be a big deal. Somehow I doubt that's what's causing them to leak oil though. Why would they be leaking oil all of the sudden with the new gaskets, when they didn't leak oil before with the old gaskets? It's counter-intuitive to think it's because the gaskets were changed. That just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

I'm guessing the real cause is because you missed a step(or two) when you installed the gaskets/heads. But whatever. I'm sure you're not ready to admit that yet. So, go ahead and tear them back off and have them resurfaced again. Or whatever it is you decide you're going to do...

rworegon

OP, oil leaking at the head to block interface or the head to valve cover?

Did you place the RTV/FIPG on the heads in the correct locations before setting the valve cover in place?

TNRabbit

This.

FuelforWar

No rtv was used on the head gasket itself, and it is leaking from the block corners. Everything is super clean and I never drove the truck after starting it so the leaks are dripping straight down verse being blown around obscuring where they might have come from. I did use rtv on the half moons on the valve covers and they didn't show any signs of leaking. I did not clean out the head bolt holes nor oil the bolts thou. I do admit I over looked that step. Althou I did take a shop vac to all the holes and ports just to remove any liquids and dirt that might contaminate the gasket, but in hind sight that wouldn't remove everything. Any other thoughts or input? And would retorquing the corner bolts help this seat tighter?

Slowey23

You may find that if you oiled the bolts before you installed them that they may have screwed down further before reaching torque, torquing them up more now may help, it's hard to say

scope103

I'm with MudHippy on this one; if the heads passed the straightedge test, it's not clear to me that resurfacing would have been called for.

I'm also not sure what you mean by retorqueing. When you installed the head bolts, you tightened to 33 ftlbs, then (in 2 steps) another 180 degrees. Are you thinking of backing all the head bolts out, and then repeating that procedure? If you go that far you might as well keep on going and replace the head gasket.

I realize I'm not helping much (you've avoided the obvious errors). So I will say that I used Permatex Copper spray-a-gasket http://www.permatex.com/products/aut...ve_Sealant.htm on two sets of head gaskets (different vehicles) with good results. YMMV.

Good luck!

FuelforWar

I didn't mean backing them out, only taking off the air chamber, valve covere, and cams then giving the bolts another 1/8 or 1/4 turn in addition to the 33lb and the two 90 passes.

rworegon

Did you put a skinny tube on the shop vac hose to suck things up? If you left junk/oil/whatever in the those holes you can get a false reading on the torque as the junk only compresses so far and seems to get to torque, but not really.

If there were washers on the head bolts did they get put back in?

FuelforWar

I did almost make the mistake of forgetting the washers, but yes they were installed, and I did not use anything skinny in sucking clean the holes. I only placed the shop vac on top of each hole for a few moments.