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Big news . . 

Its off :-)

Lots of spray, every night on the studs.  Decided to risk it and with some big grips each stud came out . . with just one being difficult - - but that came out.  Then I tapped it on the side a few times and with two of us, we lifted it and up it came !!

After a dance around the garage I am now ready to send it off for re-working.

I did though see pistons 1+6 very badly coked, 3+5 coked, and 4+4 very clean.   No idea why that would be . . any ideas???

Thanks to all

Richard

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2 minutes ago, AarhusTr6 said:

Big news . . 

Its off :-)

Lots of spray, every night on the studs.  Decided to risk it and with some big grips each stud came out . . with just one being difficult - - but that came out.  Then I tapped it on the side a few times and with two of us, we lifted it and up it came !!

After a dance around the garage I am now ready to send it off for re-working.

I did though see pistons 1+6 very badly coked, 3+5 coked, and 4+4 very clean.   No idea why that would be . . any ideas???

Thanks to all

Richard

Well done Richard, that's good news. Presumably you now need new head studs?

I can only imagine the dance around the garage but perseverance eventually paid off.

Dave McD

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1 minute ago, Dave McDonald said:

Well done Richard, that's good news. Presumably you now need new head studs?

I can only imagine the dance around the garage but perseverance eventually paid off.

Dave McD

Hi Dave . . even did a moon dance. .  :-)

Yes, will need new studs, they are not expensive from what I can see,

Richard

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"I did though see pistons 1+6 very badly coked, 3+5 coked, and 4+4 very clean.   No idea why that would be . . any ideas???"

 

Normally a clean piston means it's been pressure cleaned with superheated water from a blown head gasket.

Mick Richards 

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I have a thin metal wedge I put between the head and block. Gently tap it in between the head and block as you move it around the joint. After a full circuit of the head it will have lifted a mm or two. Work from there.

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8 hours ago, Motorsport Mickey said:

"I did though see pistons 1+6 very badly coked, 3+5 coked, and 4+4 very clean.   No idea why that would be . . any ideas???"

 

Normally a clean piston means it's been pressure cleaned with superheated water from a blown head gasket.

Mick Richards 

Hi Mick

So possibly the middle pistons were getting some coolant in and essentially washing them?

Richard

 

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1 hour ago, AarhusTr6 said:

Hi Mick

So possibly the middle pistons were getting some coolant in and essentially washing them?

Richard

 

Yes, a strong indicator of it.  Check the head, block and the old gasket (I keep mine for years for reference) in that area surrounding those cylinders. Obviously any signs of hard material damage (block or head) needs cleaning off and the mating surfaces remade, or maybe the gasket was damaged when being fitted in that area causing it to eventually blow. The engine could have run with a minor water leak for many hundreds of miles and the piston tops cleaned by it. 

Mick Richards

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I can hear the marketing team now, working out how to spin the poor quality control on their made-to-a price product: "our head gaskets keep your pistons clean"

JC

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4 hours ago, Motorsport Mickey said:

Yes, a strong indicator of it.  Check the head, block and the old gasket (I keep mine for years for reference) in that area surrounding those cylinders. Obviously any signs of hard material damage (block or head) needs cleaning off and the mating surfaces remade, or maybe the gasket was damaged when being fitted in that area causing it to eventually blow. The engine could have run with a minor water leak for many hundreds of miles and the piston tops cleaned by it. 

Mick Richards

I love this forum!

Really interesting, and cant see any cracks, but think that as its 2 pistons that are shiney clean then the gasket is at fault.  I will send it to Steve Burgess though and ask him to check it,

Richard

 

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" I will send it to Steve Burgess though and ask him to check it,"

Maybe Peter Burgess ?

Mick Richards

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Probably not the source of your problem, but wanted to mention that where the studs go into the block can form a "ridge" that needs to be removed (a very long file that can rest across the blocks face can be gently -gently! used to file flat or at least highlight that you have them.  The ridge can occur from multiple tightening of the head.

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Yankee,

A rather safer way to deal with this is to counter-bore the block face.     Use a slightly larger drill to remove the top first turn of the thread in each stud hole.   Then the expansion force of screwing in the studs (should be only hand tight anyway) is bourne by the 'meat' of the block not at the surface.

This should always be done if you ever skim the block face.

John

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12 minutes ago, john.r.davies said:

Yankee,

A rather safer way to deal with this is to counter-bore the block face.     Use a slightly larger drill to remove the top first turn of the thread in each stud hole.   Then the expansion force of screwing in the studs (should be only hand tight anyway) is bourne by the 'meat' of the block not at the surface.

This should always be done if you ever skim the block face.

John

I strongly recommend you do none of the above. Also we have not been told the reason for the removal of the head anyway?

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17 hours ago, ntc said:

Clean and clean again you are looking for hairline cracks,also have you checked that you had the correct gasket fitted? edit yep iphone 

Hi

Dumb question . . gasket looks okay to me, but it seems to have a strip going across one of the coolant inlets,

Richard

Edited by AarhusTr6
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