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| q4short |
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Hi Fellas,
Just want a few opinions on my new problem, and as you see from the title it's a bit of a doozy. My EL XR6 started using a little coolant a week or so ago, I don't drive it much thanks to the workvan. On Monday night it started using a whole lot of coolant. put a bit of water in to get me home and left it at that because it was dark. Put some coolant in yesterday after work and started it up looking for leaks and bubbles in the reservoir, no leaks, no bubbles, but found a few white specks swirling in the coolant. removed the oil cap and found milky oil on the rocker arms. My Question is: What are the chances I would get away with just doing the head gasket, washing the head and flushing the bottom end? as the car has done less than 20km since it started sculling the coolant and didn't get hot. It runs cold if anything. Or should I go looking for another motor? which is another risk in itself. Cheers Q |
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| SWC |
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Do the Head Gasket.
Use AU MLS Gasket and get the head skimmed. Flush the bottom end and you will be fine. |
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| q4short |
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Thanks SWC,
It's kind of what I wanted to hear. I thought the MLS gasket would be the way to go. Are the other gaskets in the AU kit the same as EL (manifolds and thermostat)? |
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| SWC |
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Yes they are. Only difference will be the stem seals and guides as the AU valve stems are smaller diameter.
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| snap0964 |
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Get a pressure test done on the head before it's skimmed - somewhere around $10 a cyl = $60.
The place doing the skim will most likely be able to do it. The heads can crack between the water jackets and combustion chamber. Yes, extra outlay, but can save you heartache finding the same situation occuring again after all that work is done.
_________________ 96 XH Longreach 'S': LPG, Alarm, 3.23:1 LSD, Cruise, Trip Comp, ABS, Power Windows, Mid Series Dome Lt, Climate Ctrl |
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| q4short |
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Thanks Snap,
I'll have a word with the machinist. I don't think thats the issue as the coolant didn't get into the chamber, it ended up in the sump. I've done a bit of searching last couple of days and found plenty that went into the combustion chamber though. so I'll look into it. |
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| snap0964 |
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Thing is though you can never be 100% certain otherwise - I've had and seen cracked heads fail a pressure test, with milky oil.
Unless there's something obvious, like a sheared headbolt head, it's too late to put everything back together and find the problem still exists.
_________________ 96 XH Longreach 'S': LPG, Alarm, 3.23:1 LSD, Cruise, Trip Comp, ABS, Power Windows, Mid Series Dome Lt, Climate Ctrl |
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| Falcon96XR6 |
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+1 with snap,
Definitely get the pressure test, skim and whack her back together, Nothing worse than having to do s**t twice. especially when the HG itself is $100 a pop.
_________________ EL XR6, T5 Speed - Full Factory Fitted Tickford Body Kit, AU Engine, Billet Camtech 845 Cam, J3 Chip, MLS Gasket, Intake, Extractors, High flow cat, 2 1/2in exhaust, K&N Air Filter, 3.45 LSD, - My Pride and Joy |
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| q4short |
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Yeah, I was gonna get the head tested anyway as it's come this far. and try almost $300 for the gasket set and headbolts. I hope the manager recognises me and gives me a discount like he did last time I was in there.
One thing I'm still wondering about is flushing the crap oil out of it. what do you fellas think about pouring a few litres of cheap oil over the rocker gear after I drain the sump and get the rocker cover off? just to get as much gunk out before I take the head off. After I put her all back together I intend to change the filter and fill her up with some cheap oil, warm her up in the driveway before changing the oil again and putting a good oil and filter on again. Would this be enough? |
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| SWC |
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Flush with Kero, replace the filter, then fill with cheap oil, run for 15mins or so, don't drive it round, just let it idle. Dump the oil, change the filter, fill with good oil. Away you go.
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| snap0964 |
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You'd be better off running it up to reasonably hot, and drain the existing oil/water mix.
When you've done all your headwork, change the filter (smear some oil on the gasket, add some oil in the filter to preprime), and refill your new oil. Run the car as usual, and monitor the oil on the dipstick. You should find the water should evaporate - which it does too when the car sits for a few weeks. Have a search through cjh's posts on preparation and baking the HG in.
_________________ 96 XH Longreach 'S': LPG, Alarm, 3.23:1 LSD, Cruise, Trip Comp, ABS, Power Windows, Mid Series Dome Lt, Climate Ctrl |
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| q4short |
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Geez guys,
Me again with another question, about the cam chain tensioner, I wonder if it has been worked on before as the plug is stuck in the retainer good and tight with that orange gasket stuff all over the thread. I can't get the plug out of the retainer. but the retainer comes out easy as one piece wth the plug bolt. can I take the tensioner out without backing off the tensioner with the allen key? I'll pull it all apart and clean it when it's out, but none of the threads I've read so far don't actually say it's ok to pull it out like this. will I be trying to pull all the small parts out of that little hole like a proctologist? I'm off to buy an impact socket for the headbolts now, my 14mm socket seems to be hiding from me for some reason... |
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| q4short |
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Hi again Fella, Just thought I'd give an update. Got the head off sweet as, all the coolant holes in the exhaust side of the head gasket had pretty much closed up. I take it I should change the coolant a bit more regularly, I guess 40,000km between flushes is too much.
Dropped the head at the machinists, turns out to be cracked at the back, somewhere up around the cam. Machinist said a vacuum test and pressure test are pretty much compulsory before skimming the head. I was gonna do it anyways but right theres the reason why, the head looked good to the naked eye. The machinist said he's got a few contacts so he's looking for another head for me. I told him no less than an ef/el tickford head, but I am curious as to the differences between the tickford/ non-tickford heads? I believe the valves and springs are different. but I noticed the tickford wings cast into the head. Is there any differences between the ports and the likes being a specially cast head? Cheers, Q |
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| snap0964 |
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They do crack in that area from time to time - a good precheck is to seat the cam in the journals, and see if it slightly rocks end to end.
Some movement is not a good sign.
_________________ 96 XH Longreach 'S': LPG, Alarm, 3.23:1 LSD, Cruise, Trip Comp, ABS, Power Windows, Mid Series Dome Lt, Climate Ctrl |
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