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Seeking simplest head gasket fix. as i understand it, the simplest fix is to use a head gasket repair solution in the radiator, fand also in the oil if a good sealer additive or the engine oil is available. then also, retorquing the head bolts (to upper end of torque range for the specific car model & engine).after that, if still needed, completely replace head gasket with high quality new head gasket. what i would like to use is a greatly simplified method for this head gasket replacement, removing only the parts that I absolutely must remove for this repair. removal of spark plugs is said to make it easier to turn the timing cam to proper top dead center; but is this absolutely necessary? or is it simply impossible to turn the cam at alll without removing the spark plugs? or, can the spark plugs simply be loosened slightly to allow this? even this would somewhat simplify the operation, although of course once the spark plugs are accessed it makes sense to look at them. but what i want is the bare bones necessities of parts needed to be removed. simply disconnecting the battery, taking off the timing belt cover top bolts, and cylinder valve cover, and then bracing the timing cam at TDC, and removing the cylinder valve head bolts, and replacing the head gasket, then putting everything back, releasing the cam brace, and reattaching the battery..would this destroy the entire engine? or is it necessary to follow mazda procedure and remove about 30 parts off the car then reassemble it all? is most of that just for easy access and engine surface cleaning etc? i am not wanting to rebuild the engine, but just put in a new head gasket. i am not sure i want to do anything that will make a total overhaul "might as well do it on the way" to sticking in this new gasket. also why do i need to brace the engine from above. ok i guess that is to avoid any motion of the crankshaft--that seems logical. sorry for all the dumb questions. but a greatly simplified procedure, or a procedure simplified as much as reasonable, would help.
No, you don't have to remove the spark plugs. That will allow it to turn easier because it cant compress in the cylinder, but not a must. As far as the rest of the removal, yes that's how it needs to be done. If you don't want to do all that work, you can ad SeaFoam. It does have good reviews, but its not the proper way to fix. Whenever you add any kind of additive, you risk causing more damage. Save yourself the future head ache and replace the head gasket. If you are confident you can just remove what you see needs to be removed, go with it. All instructions are base on a mechanics standpoint, and lets face it the more work performed the higher the payout. Just use your eyes and good judgment, You will see exactly what needs to be removed..... Good luck.
the truth about thse engines is they are hard to work on. if the valve covers are unbolted and still ****, try getting a rectangular peice of wood and putting it on the side of the cover neer the gasget, tap on the other end with a hammmer from all angles to try to break the seal.
this is a common problem with valve covers that havent ever been removed and they heat up, and cool down so many times they practically bake onto the head
You have two bolt sizes the shorter or smaller of the two sizes is called M10 the torque is 22ft lbs +65 degrees +65 degrees again The larger of the two bolts is called a M12 the torque for these are 26ft lbs +65+65. There is a tightening order staring at the top center bolt and working in a circle They have to be torqued in three steps. If you dont under stand something about this repost and I can help you farther. If this is helpful please mark that it was I do this for free to help people DRIVE SAFE TIM
try to check, is it enough space to get the head bolt out without removing the cam? if ok, just follow your opinion. haynes maybe just told you to minimize the risk to broke the distributor.
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Nick,
Based on the info it sounds like a possible blown head gasket, but lets be optimistic and seek some less expensive possibilities - perhaps it is a simple hose leak and the low coolant level is causing the problem... Source the leak.
Universal Answer, probably an air bubble in the wrong spot - under the thermostat would be the worst outcome. Follow remove air bubble procedures, drill a hole in the thermostat so this cannot ever occur.
The quick fix. Unscrew radiator cap and leave off overnight - hopefully the radiator will 'burp'. Idle for a few mins with cap off. Then replace / cap on and see if this is fixed.
The pessimist. You recently bought this car secondhand. There is a gasket issue where exhaust gas is venting into the water gallery.
Fix will be head gasket repair gunk - but only as a last resort - if teh radiator guys detect c02/gas in the radiator fluid - they have a test kit for same
Depending on how severely it overheated, it could be that the head gasket is damaged and in need of repair. There are a few different ways of diagnosing the head gasket, the simplest is to crank the engine while you have a helper smell the exhaust pipe looking for either blue smoke (burning oil) or a white smoke and sweet smell (burning coolant). If you have a radiator cap your should remove it and look for oil (signs of blown head gasket) or a brown color in the coolant. Other options are to do a compression check on the engine.
while its moving then its it will stay cool without the fans on which leaves a clogged up radiator or a head gasket problem ,sorry i cannot think of a simple quick fix answer but i would seek the advice of a local mechanic
Blown head gaskets for sure, no way of knowing if heads are cracked without taking it apart, there no quick fix for this, only fix is to take it apart and repair as needed.
The 3100 and the 3400 are noted for the intake gasket going out. You can usually see it leaking at the left front and right rear of the intake as you sit in the car. Look along the slanted area of the intake manifold where it joins with the heads. If you are tight on money, the repair is generally around 5-700 dollars, buy Bars Leak Head repair. It will take two days to fix, however if you follow the directions to the letter, you will not have the problem again. I have repaired head gaskets that were literally leaking water that you could see and two years later it is still running. Remember to follow every step on the bottle to the letter or you have wasted your time. The only one you do not have to worry about is the step where it tells you to remove the plug at the cylinder that is leaking since you are not leaking at a cylinder.
Could be a blown Head gasket or cracked head. Should be a drain at the bottom of the radiator I think on the drivers side. You will need to pull the heads off and have them checked Magnifluxed for cracks. If they find none then install new head gaskets and see what happens. I have the torque specs for your head bolts if you need them. Let me know.
prices seem high, try to go elsewhere! price for waterpump and radiator are way to high, as for head gasket, it's a bit high but not really to bad. yes there is something you can put in radiator, it's called radiator stop leak, bargs? is the best i belive. note, stop leak is a TEMP solution. best off just to fix the problem.
In its simplest terms, the head gasket is the spacer/insulator between the cylinder head and the engine block. When the piston (in the block) moves upward to compress the air/fuel mixture (against the cylinder head), tremendous pressure develops inside the combustion chamber. The pressure will find any easy means of escape to expand. If the gasket is defective, the pressure will pass through that gasket and enter the water jackets (where the collant flows through). The pressure/air bubbles will ride the coolant flow and eventually end up inside the radiator and would then be visible as you have posted.
Incidentally, the gasket may be OK but the cylinder head could be warped and the same fault would also be exhibited. This is especially more so on aluminum heads.
Both the gasket problem and/or the warped cylinder head could have resulted from a prior overheating problem.
Corrective procedure on the air bubbles would require top overhauling wherein only the cylnder head is removed. Of course once removed, your mechanic would be able to inspect the pistons and its sleeves and could decide if a general overhaul is required or stick to the cylinder head work. A top overhaul also requires cylinder head gasket replacement.
Unto the overheating problem, you may want to check the water pump, thermostat, fan, fan relay and fan clutch. It may also be to your added advantage if you would have the radiator flushed/cleaned as well as the water jackets. Some mechanics especially in warmer regions opt to completely remove the thermostat and permanently wire the fan to always be on.
Hope this be of initial help/idea. Pls post back how things turned up or should you need additional information.
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