Ok ive changed a few headgaskets in my day so im a little confused on why my head gasket rings are ovaled out. I think its over torque thats done it but i didnt assemble the engine and i think its factory so if anyone has some insight id apreciate it. I also found the cause of my leak to be the metal ring of the gasket on #2 squeezed into the cylinder. Seems wierd but let me know your thoughts. Thanks, Mat

 

picture?

ovaled out, im having a hard time imagining what your talking about. Over torque of what? the head bolts? Even if you tightened them down to 100lbs it wouldnt distort the headgasket, just crush it.

58lbs is the proper torque btw, and re-torque them after the engines been cold/hot/cold/hot a few times, or atleast the first time you adjust the valves (hot).

What motor and what year...

 

i think he might b saying the construction of the gasket is an oval and might have thought it was distorted.... donno?

 

Thats the way they come. Ive replaced 2 sets and both were the same way.

 

Beat me to it.

 

Ya the gasket may have been constructed that way thats what im trying to sort out. Seems wierd how it was hanging part way into the cylinder#2 though. Thanks for you help.

 

Did it look similar to this?

 

must be a v6 thing

 

My parents 4runner looked exactly the same way when it blew the HG.

 

Its exactly the same. why do they make them ovaled as you can see in the bottom left. Maybe ovaled is the wrong term but its not round. Anyway if you ask me its just a place for burning gas to go into more than the rest of the sealing area. That will rob compression and create a week spot, but thats my two cents. Thanks for the photo!

 

No problem, now get back to work! lol

 

I may be wrong, but I believe that's the shape of the valve head underneath of it. Yeah....doesn't make sense to me, either. I'd never thought of compression loss, though. Good point.