e16se head hasket question (mowgli please)

[Curtoise]

hi everyone, i have taken the head off my gte lump as it was a suspected head gasket, now theres a few things i am a bit unsure of.

one of which is the new gasket (stated for a c16se) lines up perfect on my engine so am i right in thinking it will fit okay?

the most worrying is where the water jacket i would have thought there would be cut outs for the flow channels but it seems there isnt and just a really small hole?!? however the old gasket had the same....... seems to me like it would over heat or something!

and also they head bolts are different and about 2mm longer, so will i have to get e16se ones?

and last does it matter what order the rockers that sit on the tappet and valves go? as mine fell off when i turned the head upside down.

there are pictures below to help illustrate what i mean.
thanks in advance:thumb:

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii448/curtreid8/IMAG1155.jpg

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii448/curtreid8/IMAG1154.jpg

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii448/curtreid8/IMAG1153.jpg

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii448/curtreid8/IMAG1152.jpg

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii448/curtreid8/IMAG1156.jpg

http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii448/curtreid8/IMAG1157.jpg

[Lewis.]

hey curt
the small holes in the head gasket are fine mate, most things are like that. lay the gasket on the head and you'll see why.
the bolts will be fine, they won't be within 2mm on the bottom of their threads anyway
and no, the lifters, rockers and thrust pads can go wherever you want them to go

[swedge]

hey curt
the small holes in the head gasket are fine mate, most things are like that. lay the gasket on the head and you'll see why.
the bolts will be fine, they won't be within 2mm on the bottom of their threads anyway
and no, the lifters, rockers and thrust pads can go wherever you want them to go

the lifters rockers and thrust pads ideally want to go back where they came from

[Connor]

Sound, thought it was ok, well must of been okay if it lasted me for so long like that, is weird though

[andy_mk3]

one of which is the new gasket (stated for a c16se) lines up perfect on my engine so am i right in thinking it will fit okay?

Yes fine, the head gaskets are the same for them both.


the most worrying is where the water jacket i would have thought there would be cut outs for the flow channels but it seems there isnt and just a really small hole?!? however the old gasket had the same....... seems to me like it would over heat or something!

The way it's meant to be :)


and also they head bolts are different and about 2mm longer, so will i have to get e16se ones?

Perfectly fine, nothing to worry about there :)


and last does it matter what order the rockers that sit on the tappet and valves go? as mine fell off when i turned the head upside down.


It doesn't really matter, but in an ideal world they should go back where they came from as they all wear in to each other.

[shed-on-wheels]

isit me or does that piston look cracked :S

[mowgli]

curtoise, everyones answers are bang on so far. remember to remove the washers from the old bolts & use them on the new. remember, cleanliness is the aim on the gasket faces, i always use a copper scraper made from a bit of cater pipe hammered flat. as the copper is softer than the ally, and iron, it won't damage the head, then i use petrol & wire wool to clean it all up. then i make sure i clean everything again. a good thing to do with the block is to poke some small rags down the head bolt holes with a screwdriver to forse any liquid/crap out. if you tightened a head bolt into a hole filled with oil, it will give a false torque reading & won't actually hold the head down, and in extreme circumstances, could crack the block.

as for the rockers/lifters(which always need stripping & cleaning), it is ideal to put them back in their exact original positions, but i have had to replace single rockers & caps before with used ones and had no problems.

the 'crack' appears to be on 2 pistons, so its probably a production mark..

has the engine been stood a while? if so, with that much rust about, i'd recommend getting the pistons out & checking the bores for pitting & the rings for damage. it is cheaper to do it now than when you've stretched bolts & squashed a head gasket.

[Curtoise]

Thank you all ! Very gratefull its only the thrust pads that fell out. The pistons are al okay so far as I know. I think I will take the pistons out to check everything although the bores are very smooth and it didn't use any oil before

[Curtoise]

Right I think my heads ****ed. Look at this ......
http://i551.photobucket.com/albums/ii448/curtreid8/IMAG1160.jpg

[Andy]

how deep is it?? you can generally skim most out

[Lewis.]

how deep is the pitting? doesn't look that deep, so I doubt it's ****ed, just needs skimming mate

[Curtoise]

I see I see how much does skimming cost ? Doesn't seem that deep

[Andy]

-£30+ or therabouts

[Lewis.]

as andy says, between £30 and £50 depending on where you go. you can take a fair bit off those heads so they'll get it looking like new

[Curtoise]

great, i shall get it skimmed then, does this decrease power ?

[Andy]

no it will increase compression though

[MK999]

and airline the bores out or something before you put it back together, they're covered in crud which will do them no good at all. I'd flush it through with a fair bit of clean water when you put it back together too as it looks like it's been run without coolant.

[Curtoise]

yeah, i will do that, can anyone tell me the best way to get crap out of the bores as when i took the head off some fell in it and i dont want to move it in fear of scratching them......
i was thinking a hoover? or is a air compresser the best?

[John]

Compressed air is the best. Compressed air clean the head bolt holes too.

[MK999]

Compressed air is the best. Compressed air clean the head bolt holes too.

Bit of WD in there to loosen crap is even better. Brake cleaner even better than that if you've got some :p Just don't look down the hole when you do it unless you like getting shot in the face with 20 year old oily crap.

[Curtoise]

haha i dont have a air comp in my garage and i dont fancy getting the block to my work to get a air line on it, is a compressed air can okay ?

[Andy]

use a tap to clean out the bolt holes,and lots of wd,or alternatively grind slits in the old bolts with a plasma cutting disc (make it like a tap obviously)

[mowgli]

curtoise.. get loads of wd in the bores & turn the engine over slowly by hand, it will push the crap up to the top, then clean it off with a cloth and carry on turning it over slowly, and the crap thats left will usually stay at the top of the bore. as for the bolt holes, rag & wd poked down will clean them out. after doing this make sure you use a spirit based cleaner, thinners, turps or petrol usually does ok.

as for the head, this could be the first time in a long time that a head actually needs doing.

are you planning to fit a new water pump? cos the water jacket is pretty full of muck there

[Curtoise]

yeah i thought it would be worth doing a pump, thermostat and cambelt kit aswell. seems like its already snowballing on what im going to do haha

[mowgli]

did you have this engine running before stripping it? or did you buy it to rebuild?

[Curtoise]

sorry i didnt see your reply! it was connors old engine so know its a runner, he limped it home when the h/g went and its sat since, i have some more recent pics that i think i will make a project thread in