1hdt head gasket (1 Viewer)

[JoshV12345]

Hey guys,

Quick question about head gaskets specifically for 1hdt. Is it possible for a gasket to weep oil/coolant or both without affecting the fire ring or having any other issues? I’ve been getting a bit of oil residue and now dried coolant right at the back at number 6 but no issues with over pressurisation, pushing coolant into overflow, overheating or anything.

Cheers,
Josh

 

[45Dougal]

Yup.
Any part of the gasket can leak for various reasons.

The longer it leaks, the worse it will get.
You could try and retorque the head.

Has it been taken off before? Maybe overheated due to coolant level and got a bit warped??

 

[JoshV12345]

Yup.
Any part of the gasket can leak for various reasons.

The longer it leaks, the worse it will get.
You could try and retorque the head.

Has it been taken off before? Maybe overheated due to coolant level and got a bit warped??

Thanks for the reply, nah never been over heated, I’ve recently replaced the entire cooling system (besides the water pump) as preventative maintenance. Well to be fair I’ve only owned it a short time so who knows if it’s got hot in the past, never while I’ve owned it though.

Never been opened up either.

It is coming up to 280000ks and have been told it’s around the time for them to start leaking especially at no.6, not sure how true this is as I’ve seen some do over 400k unopened and others fail around this time.

I’ll keep the head re torquing in mind, I thought there was a bit of conjecture around whether it’s ok to do this or not.

 

[45Dougal]

Never over-torque them but using the correct sequence and torque should be OK.
Sounds like taking the head off for a look wouldn't hurt at this point

 

[JoshV12345]

Never over-torque them but using the correct sequence and torque should be OK.
Sounds like taking the head off for a look wouldn't hurt at this point

Yeah I think so, I’m trying to make it a few more thousand k’s to a mates place to do it as we’re currently going around aus.

Is there a Welch plug at the back of the head where coolant might leak from? It’s so hard to see back there, I tried taking photos on my phone but still can’t really see much.

So for re torquing, 1 at a time in sequence, back off then tighten as per manual?

 

[AussieHJCruza]

I wouldn't try to retorque, they're a torque to yield bolt - 69 nm + 90° + 90°

If there's no evidence of coolant getting into the cylinder or combustion gas into the coolant, keep it topped up, keep an eye on the vital signs and run it

 

[mudgudgeon]

I agree, keep an eye on it.
If you're sure it's leaking, plan to remove the head and replace the gasket. Replace head bolts while you're at it.

At 280k km, it's just been run in. Unless it's been abused, the rest of the engine should be good for a lot longer.
Probably a good time to check the big end bearings too.

Might be a good idea to have some used engine oil analysed. That would tell you if there's any coolant contamination in the oil, and if there's any bearing metal in the oil