Blown head gasket in Austin
#1
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Hello from Austin, wish I would have found this site years ago. I bought a '96 M-Edition FMI from a friend in 2005 with 70k miles (40k of that on the turbo). It's a great car now with 113k miles and I won't give her up, especially since the repair would cost more than the car is currently worth. After several months of a gurgling overflow tank, several blown cooling hoses and overheats, I'm undertaking a head gasket job. Hoping the Felpro gasket will hold up better than the original '96. The repair will cost well over $500, imagine if this were being done by a shop...
Here's the before... the after will come sometime this weekend.
![](https://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs215.snc3/22253_351019777872_783012872_4852086_3417841_n.jpg)
Here's the before... the after will come sometime this weekend.
![](https://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs215.snc3/22253_351019777872_783012872_4852086_3417841_n.jpg)
![](https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs235.snc3/22253_351019812872_783012872_4852088_1860026_n.jpg)
Last edited by hovermike; 02-18-2010 at 05:40 PM. Reason: More specific to noob
#2
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I just replaced my head gasket a month or so ago. I used an OEM gasket, because there seems to be a lot of hysteria about using aftermarket head gaskets.
You should consider doing a reroute while you have the head off.
You should consider doing a reroute while you have the head off.
#4
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$355 for the head work - machine work / pressure testing, complete valve job, HLAs cleaned / inspected, seals replaced - it was a shock especially when I was expecting $100... If I had known this, I would have searched more diligently for a '99 head.
Also:
$100 steel turbo oil drain upgrade
$80 wastegate actuator (diaphragm melted during the overheat - everything else survived!)
$60 timing belt
$100 gasket set
$50 for the roloc bristle pads and drill accessory
$100 various vacuum and fuel lines
The coolant reroute would be a good idea - time to start looking up the procedure.
Also:
$100 steel turbo oil drain upgrade
$80 wastegate actuator (diaphragm melted during the overheat - everything else survived!)
$60 timing belt
$100 gasket set
$50 for the roloc bristle pads and drill accessory
$100 various vacuum and fuel lines
The coolant reroute would be a good idea - time to start looking up the procedure.
#6
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If I had the time, I would try to build up the kit from the spacer... My buddies and I are going to put it all together tomorrow (on a wing and a prayer) after I run to Spring Branch to pick up a reroute kit.... Having that thermostat on the back should make reassembly a hell of a lot easier (especially the turbo plumbing.).
#7
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FMU was rebuilt on Saturday morning by Corky himself - even after having been bitten by a brown recluse. His comment on the 9 year old FMU was that the gasket looked as bad as he'd seen. Had a good learning experience about how to calculate compression increase after head machining. 0.015 shaved means going from 9.03 to 9.06 - not as much as I would have thought.
Once back in Austin, the only things we got done were replacing the timing belt (difficult as we didn't have the right tools - used an extra actuator bracket attached to the crank hub to lock itself against the water pump.); and installing the new actuator. I also attempted to install the coolant reroute kit and turbo drain upgrade. The flange was incorrect and Stephanie is sending a new one. Also will need to use lower-profile plugs on the thermostat spacer that won't interfere with the tap for the intake connection.
Need to take a day on my own to get the head prepped w/ the exhaust manifold studs, reroute kit, and getting the turbo drain fittings installed... everything *should* go smoothly after that. Unfortunately lost two of the fuel rail spacers, how do they disappear?
Once back in Austin, the only things we got done were replacing the timing belt (difficult as we didn't have the right tools - used an extra actuator bracket attached to the crank hub to lock itself against the water pump.); and installing the new actuator. I also attempted to install the coolant reroute kit and turbo drain upgrade. The flange was incorrect and Stephanie is sending a new one. Also will need to use lower-profile plugs on the thermostat spacer that won't interfere with the tap for the intake connection.
Need to take a day on my own to get the head prepped w/ the exhaust manifold studs, reroute kit, and getting the turbo drain fittings installed... everything *should* go smoothly after that. Unfortunately lost two of the fuel rail spacers, how do they disappear?
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