Head Gaskets

Well, it looks as though as I"m about to be doing head gaskets on my '84 one weekend here very soon. I'm going to need to pick up some new feeler gauges and a straight edge since mine have turned up missing!! Anyway, I have a slow coolant loss. The only place I can find any coolant is in the "V" of the block. No steam, white smoke, or mixing fluids of the sort although I am pretty sure I'm losing compression. Haven't done a leak down check yet but I'm pretty sure of what I'll find. This absolutely stinks as my car is a daily driver right now so I'm going to have to do this fast. I've never done the head gaskets on a 928 before so any input or advice would be greatly appreciated in advance. I will also be doing the timing belt while I'm in the neighborhood of course.

I'm going to try to do as well as Brad about documenting my progress on this project with as much detail and photos as possible.

KilnRed;378 wrote: Well, it looks as though as I"m about to be doing head gaskets on my '84 one weekend here very soon. I'm going to need to pick up some new feeler gauges and a straight edge since mine have turned up missing!! Anyway, I have a slow coolant loss. The only place I can find any coolant is in the "V" of the block. No steam, white smoke, or mixing fluids of the sort although I am pretty sure I'm losing compression. Haven't done a leak down check yet but I'm pretty sure of what I'll find. This absolutely stinks as my car is a daily driver right now so I'm going to have to do this fast. I've never done the head gaskets on a 928 before so any input or advice would be greatly appreciated in advance. I will also be doing the timing belt while I'm in the neighborhood of course.

I'm going to try to do as well as Brad about documenting my progress on this project with as much detail and photos as possible.

With coolant in the V, I would question the crossover gaskets and seal before a head gasket. Of course if you do find a loss in compression that changes things. Also, I think you should be able to find some evidence in the radiator coolant of compression. I am thinking Brad should have some thoughts on this.

With regard to head gaskets on an '84, it should he a head bolt vs head stud assembly, so technically possibly to remove the heads while the engine is still in the car, but many would say it doesn't make sense to do so.

Too bad you don't have more time, as if you have the facilities, you could probably pick up an '84 motor relatively cheap and do the prep work, then just swap motors.

Of course you know the slippery slope of considering upgrades, like a Euro S motor

928racer;380 wrote: With coolant in the V, I would question the crossover gaskets and seal before a head gasket. Of course if you do find a loss in compression that changes things. Also, I think you should be able to find some evidence in the radiator coolant of compression. I am thinking Brad should have some thoughts on this.

With regard to head gaskets on an '84, it should he a head bolt vs head stud assembly, so technically possibly to remove the heads while the engine is still in the car, but many would say it doesn't make sense to do so.

Too bad you don't have more time, as if you have the facilities, you could probably pick up an '84 motor relatively cheap and do the prep work, then just swap motors.

Of course you know the slippery slope of considering upgrades, like a Euro S motor

Thanks Ray and I agree that if its possible that it could be a simple cross over gasket then it will make your life a lot easier.
I am new to the porsche seen though so I can not tell you anything about what to look for on your car.

That said I do know that there is a test kit that you can pick up at the local parts / speed shop, to test the coolant and it will detect any combustion gasses that may have leaked into the coolant. Kind of like a PH paper test.

Good luck and maybe someone that knows more about your year car will speak up.

Brad

B.W.Haugen;382 wrote: Thanks Ray

Don't know where you got that from.. It's Stan, man. a.k.a. "admin"

Stan, I guess I was wrong in assuming I had had my hands on every nut, bolt, and screw on a 928... What the heck is a "cross over" gasket? :confused:

928racer;380 wrote: With coolant in the V, I would question the crossover gaskets and seal before a head gasket. Of course if you do find a loss in compression that changes things. Also, I think you should be able to find some evidence in the radiator coolant of compression. I am thinking Brad should have some thoughts on this.

With regard to head gaskets on an '84, it should he a head bolt vs head stud assembly, so technically possibly to remove the heads while the engine is still in the car, but many would say it doesn't make sense to do so.

Too bad you don't have more time, as if you have the facilities, you could probably pick up an '84 motor relatively cheap and do the prep work, then just swap motors.

Of course you know the slippery slope of considering upgrades, like a Euro S motor

I now know what you were meaning by "crossover" gasket. Just investigated as I was curious what you were talking about. I could see very obviously how that would produce water in the V. Unfortunately, that was not the culprit for my coolant loss. The more I think about it, perhaps I'm rushing to judgment too soon on this one. I need to do the leak down check when I get some time. Diagnostics suck! Truly the hardest part about wrenching on anything.

As I recall:
The crossover is at the front of the motor in front of the intake manifold, and connects the coolant passages to both heads. While it varies in style by year, I think it is consistent that there is a gasket between it, and each head, and then there is also an O-ring between it and the block.