I'm curious if anyone else has had an experience with all metal head gaskets for the 3.0?

I just recently for a friend of mine replaced the head gaskets and re-surfaced the cylinder heads due to the classic 3.0 head gasket leak out the back corner of cylinder #6.(95 Toyota 4runner)

Friend provided all parts and he bought a head gasket kit from LCEngineering and it has metal head gaskets. I've never used metal head gaskets before normally composite or ceramic based. Since the heads were newly surfaced and i spent 2 hours cleaning the block surface very carefully i figured it would be ok.

Tourqed down exactlly like the FSM said to do in the 3 steps:

-43 ft.lbs first pass
-additional 90 degrees second pass
-another 90 degrees third pass
-in the correct tightening sequence.

With brand new head bolts^

After putting it all back together and firing it up i noticed a small drip running down the right side of the block and along the pan rails to the floor....

I watched the drip form right at the outside edge of the cyldiner head gasket between cyldiners 1 and 3.... there was noting else near the head that could have possibley be leaking...

I knew something was fishy about those metal gaskets... but i wasnt sure....

Its only that external leak... it doesnt leak internally and the oil is fine...

The truck runs great and hits on all cyldiners with no hesitation or nervous like behavior....

Engine vacuum is about 16-18hg which is ok but a tad on the low side.

Have not checked compression but u know its leaking from the head. I can see it.

Anyone else have this problem with the LCEngineering head gasket kits?

There was no leakage before anywhere except slightly on the corner of #6 which was the point of this... So i know its something going on with the heads or gasket....

The machine shop i took the heads to was very reputable and checked the heads before re-surface and they said they were just fine.

 

Howdy,
I installed "mls" gaskets five years ago on my daily driver, so far no leaks, no problems at all. I did'nt get them from LCE, but they were mls. I also had the machine shop shave the block and heads to prep for the gaskets. Because of the 3.0 head gasket issues IMO this is the only way to go. Lots of other people here have had lots of luck going with other types of gaskets. But for me it is the only I will build a 3.0. Just be sure you have them on the right sides. I hope this helps. calypsocaveman

 

Let me guess...it's coolant that's leaking right?

That's been the main cause for concern/gripe with these MLS gaskets from the get go. If I were to use them they'd be getting some copper head gasket sealant applied, top and bottom(and especially around all the coolant passages), before installing. But I do that with the stock type gaskets too. So that's pretty much a given...

 

Interesting.... But yes it is leaking coolant externally by cyldiners 1 and 3...

Sufacing the block was not possible as we did not remove the engine... it is possible it may have helped...

I'm 90% sure they are the correct "sides" as the gaskets in the kit were made specifically for the different sides and only fit one way....

Did not use any sealant.... was a thought that crossed my mind but i've never used sealant on head gaskets.... normally not suggested by manufacturers... and i've prob done like a dozen or so and never had any trouble till this metal head gasket deal...
>_<

 

coming from the 7m world, I've spent time with a mhg. Your block has to be perfectly flat for it to seal and have a much smoother finish than whats required for a "normal" hg. If its not a fine enough "grit" of machine scratch, coolant will leak through the course machining scratches in a very slow steady drip. Simply put, if your going to use a mhg, you can't cut any corners.

 

what "nothingbetter" said x2!

Ive been doing headgaskets on 3.0's for many years, and when I first attempted it, my machine shop said, MLS gaskets ONLY if you spend the money to machine the block and heads. Otherwise if you just machine the heads, go with a graphite or composit headgasket.

 

Old trick to do on metal headgasket is to spray it with copper or silver color matalic paint, and put it tegether just as it tacks up.

I know paints have changed since those olden days but I do belive there is a actual spray gasket that can be used now.

 

For instance...
Or...

 

This is precisely the issue. You dont need to go to a metal head gasket for this motor. MHG are for people running high hp and boost on their engines. coolant leaks are nothing uncommon when people dont have the block "decked". you cant bypass this step at all.

If you want to solve the head gasket issue. Get rid of the crossover from the exhaust (crossover elimination mod) and use arp head studs with a good head gasket (not felpro... definitely not felpro) It will never leak again and you will gain HP/Torque from eliminating that crossover.

 

I used the MLS head gaskets from LCEngineering when i did my head gaskets with no problem. I didnt even have the heads machines. I just block sanded them with a really fine sand paper and i used a sealant. I have about 5000 miles on the truck since then.

 

just wait... it will happen soon. nothing against lcengineering. they are a great company. but I bet if you asked them they would tell you to get both the head and the block decked for best results.

 

All interesting and helpful posts for future reference on the Metal head gaskets. I thought the same thing as well when i first saw thats what my friend had bought from LC.

Another interesting update as i see my friend with this truck everyday at work. After replacing the head gaskets as stated above everything was fine except for that very slight drip on the Right bank cyldiner head gasket. He said after driving it for a few days that it stopped leaking?

I was suprised at first. I told him that i would help him again replace the head gaskets with the proper composite gaskets to solve the leak. But he said the past couple of days there hasn't been any puddles under nieth the truck as there had been before?

Before with the slight drip left about a 3 inch puddle inder the truck after trips. Says he hasen't to top it off in a few days and no puddles. Very interesting i kinda had small feeling that this could happen....

After a few warm-up and cold down cycles the gasket seems to have "sealed" so to speak the leak? I told him well it may have stopped leaking now..... but its possible it may start leaking again... but it may never leak again... either way i told him to check it everyday for the next month for leaks and check the oil.

Anyone ever seen a head gasket stop leaking on its own before? A first for me.

And no we did not use any stop leak ^_^

 

No one else ever seen this happen? I mean I've seen plenty of water pumps and oil seals leak and then stop but never a cylinder head gasket...

 

I'm with nothingbetter in the mustang world we do the same thing with mhg's besides the heads being blocked properly so has the block it has to be properly decked in order for the mhg to seal properly.

 

Interestingly enough the heads have stopped leaking entirely as the owner of the truck i see every day tells me so.... ^_^

I guess a couple warm-up and cool down cycles of the engine let the gasket conform to the block/cyldiner head sufaces...if they were indeed not perfect...

"No drip or anything." he says. "The puddle has been gone for a week now." "And all the fluids are good and full."

I'm very shocked still and happy that hopefully i won't have to take it apart again.

I still have this very slight feeling that in the far future they will start to leak again...