Disco 2 Head Gasket Replacement

**garywinter** · 27th March 2011, 01:13 AM

Hi All
I have all the parts that are needed to replace the head gaskets. I would like to remove the heads and replace the head gaskets as the left head has coolant leaking from the rear. The oil and water are not mixing and the engine did not get hot.

I would like to know the following. How do I check if the heads are warped? Can I check this on my own or must it be checked at an engineering shop?

The rave manual says the following.
"2. Check head and block faces for warping and pitting. If out of specification, renew head."
Can the heads be machined?
Must the heads be machined or can I remove them and then just simply put them back?

The torq values are specified as 20Nm and the turn 90deg and then a furthe 90deg. My torq wrench only starts at 40Nm, are there any other recomended settings?
I will appreciate any help.

**Pedro_The_Swift** · 27th March 2011, 08:47 AM

First up, throw the bolts away and buy studs. The stud supplier will provide the torque settings.
Second, yes you can machine the heads and the shop you send the heads to to check the valves(yes you will) will probably skim them anyway,,

Use the genuine gaskets(relatively cheap)
Is the valley gasket leaking?

**PhilipA** · 27th March 2011, 09:00 AM

I would like to know the following. How do I check if the heads are warped? Can I check this on my own or must it be checked at an engineering shop?

You can check it by yourself by getting a steel straightedge rule and trying to pass a feeler gauge under it, either in the middle or ends.AFAIR a couple of thou is allowable. Heads can be machined quite a bit and it is normal to remove a 2-3 thou to clean them, but remember the tappet preloads etc change when you machine. If the heads are clean, not warped, and do not have any marks from the fire ring around the cylinders they can be replaced. You can clean them up with 'Scotchbrite " or similar.
BUT I really recommend that if your car has done significant ks that you have the heads "serviced" where a machine shop checks and corrects warp, recuts the valve seats etc. This costs about $400 in my experience.

I replaced my tin gaskets in my 92RRC with OEM "Elring" composites ( like your car has) but they started to leak again within about 50KK. I resolved to replace my head studs with ARP head bolts.( other way around seniors moment) While ordering them from Triumph Rover Spares , they told me that they have had bad experience with Elring gaskets leaking at head ends( This was unprompted by me) and they recommended "Perfect Seal" gaskets.

I cannot yet say whether this will work on my car , but I knowfrom other sources that this leaking at head ends is very common with Elring gaskets , And TRS claim that the gaskets they sell (at gulp) $58 each, fix the problem. This is exactly what happened with mine. Although compressions were great, the gaskets apparently are renowned to leak water.

So with great hope that mine will not leak for a long time I recommend ARP bolts (STUDS dammit) and "Perfect Seal" gaskets if you want it to stay water tight for a long time.
Regards Philip A

**Pedro_The_Swift** · 27th March 2011, 09:05 AM

When I did mine Phillip TRS said they now only use studs,,

will NOT be impressed if mine starts to use water,, again.

**PhilipA** · 27th March 2011, 09:44 AM

When I did mine Phillip TRS said they now only use studs,,

will NOT be impressed if mine starts to use water,, again.

LOL.
I posted a few weeks ago that I had ordered ARP studs from the USA then was told two weeks later that they were on back order(Northern Auto Parts). Only bad experience I have had with US suppliers.
I phone ordered the studs from TRS at a much higher price and they arrived two days later.

I spoke to Ian? on the phone and he asked me what type of head gaskets I was going to use. When I said Elring he said that they have not used them for about 9 years because of continual leaking from the head ends, and they recommended the Perfect Seal ones and that they had had no comebacks. He said that the Elrings were good at cylinder sealing but hopeless for water sealing.

Seeing I had not told him that my problem was leaking from head ends , and I had heard this leaking thing from other sources eg Graeme Cooper, I took the plunge and ordered the Perfect Seal gaskets.

My main problem with bolts is that if you use the later stretch ones , it seems to me from all the literature that they can contribute greatly to block cracking, particularly in the later engines that run hotter.( and from my experience wthe Elrings and earlier bolts not clamping well enough) that is why I chose ARP studs and Perfect Seal gaskets. Hopefully I will not have to touch it again for quite a while.
Belt and braces.
Regards Philip A

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