I didn’t have compressed air when I installed a head, but I used Q-tips to clean out any debris or moisture in the bores in the block. I used a Fel-Pro gasket kit which worked fine.
Also be sure if you use new head bolts that they are not too long.
Thank you for input, gents
Ok, I found out that bolts I used were TTY. I also did a compression test and got
1cyl:170 - steams water out of open sparkplug opening
2cyl:150 - steams water out of open sparkplug opening
3cyl:120 - steams water out of open sparkplug opening
4cyl:130 - fairly dry
I am suspecting that water might be entering from intake manifold side. Do you guys know how to check for that?
I also think it may be time to go car shopping
I tend to agree with db4690. You might revisit the compression test on Nos. 3 and 4 with a wet test. That means a squirt of oil in each before you check it. If those numbers jump up considerably that would mean the piston rings and cylinder walls are likely damaged.
In that case more new parts are irrelevant and you would be flogging a dead horse.
Regarding my prior comment about the intake manifold, I was not referring to cleanliness of the mating surfaces. I was alluding to whether or not the flange was warped. A cylinder head is not the only thing that can be distorted by overheating.
Thank you for the reply, guys. I haven’t check the intake for warpage. Should I have taken it to machine shop?
As for compression, do you think that my measurements should be taken with a grain a salt since the headgasket is blown?
Like I said,think about another engine(good money after bad.,)
The head gasket is not likely to have breaches into every cylinder. That’s why it’s a good idea to always run both a dry and wet compression test before even removing the cylinder head to replace a head gasket.
It’s generally assumed that piston ring problems are present in all cylinders. Ring issues on even one cylinder without a head gasket breach is enough to halt a head gasket job unless things are thought through very carefully about how big a risk taker you are.
Engine coolant is not a good lubricant anyway and anti-freeze entering the combustion chambers can wash out piston rings and wear any cylinder wall cross-hatch away.
Thank you for all the great input, guys!
I am now thinking, just drop in a NEW ENGINE and avoiding messing with this altogether. I am not a fan of my current compression reading.
I saw B20 CRV engine for $400(with guaranteed high compression) without freight but with 30 days warranty. My mechanic will install it for $600.
I would sold my RS altogether as is, but I just recently repainted it and it has a new set of tires. Overall, I like my car - so spending another $3-4K for another clunker which has problems that I don’t know about - seems like less economical decision.
What you guys think?
Sounds reasonable
I would ask what they consider “high compression” and how they measured it
Was the engine running before they removed it from the donor car?
Also find out if that warranty is worth the paper it’s printed on. Is it even written down, or word of mouth? Are the exceptions and loopholes so big, you could drive a Freightliner through them . . . ?!
If the warranty is only valid if “they” install the engine, it’s worthless
What are the freight charges?
If it’s outrageous, forget it
Personally, I believe it would be smarter to get a used engine locally. It would be best if you personally saw that it’s running. And it would be best if you saw them conduct the compression test
What if the used engine is not as advertised . . . it will get very ugly, dealing with somebody who is far away. They may even dispute it, when you tell them of any problems
If you go ahead, here’s the things I would do BEFORE installing the engine in your car . . .
COMPLETE timing belt job, including tensioner, idler(s), water pump if it’s driven by the timing belt, front crank seal, cam seal(s), thermostat
Rear crank seal . . . you absolutely want to make sure it’s new and perfect
You may want to consider new plugs and wires, if there’s any doubt
Take a very good luck at your motor mounts, transmission mount, and clutch components before reinstalling anything. If there’s ANY doubt whatsoever, now is the time to replace
Basically, anything that can leak and will be in a PITA to reseal, when it’s installed, you want to do that before installing the engine
But remember you’ve got an old car, and even if you get a decent engine, anything could fail at any time, without warning