After Market Head Gasket? Good or Bad?

[MSGGrunt]

I am doing the valves (if needed) and cleaning the injectors on my 97 1FZ-FE to try and sort out a check engine light/rough idle. I was reading several posts on the 97's being prone to head gasket failure so I thought it would be good PM anyway. I have two questions:

1. I bought a top-end overhaul gasket set from Specter Off-Road. Are they including the modified HG? I want to do this right and only once but do not want to have to buy another HG if I can avoid it.

2. I was advised that a head taken off a 1FZ-FE block will never seal properly after having d hawork done on it because of the following as posted by another member:

I have it on good authority (read old persons opinion) that if you repair your head and reinstall it then your chances for your rig to never run decent again are pretty good? Something about your piston cylinder hole head warping over time because of the torque from the head, but wearing correctly as the piston rings wear keeps the hole cylindrical. Once the repaired head is re-bolted down it just isn’t torqued exactly as before and induces a new oblong effect on the piston hole.

I'd like to hear from a master mechanic or anyone that has done a number of HG as to their opinion on the above.

Thanks

 

[cary]

2. I was advised that a head taken off a 1FZ-FE block will never seal properly after having d hawork done on it because of the following as posted by another member:

I have it on good authority (read old persons opinion) that if you repair your head and reinstall it then your chances for your rig to never run decent again are pretty good? Something about your piston cylinder hole head warping over time because of the torque from the head, but wearing correctly as the piston rings wear keeps the hole cylindrical. Once the repaired head is re-bolted down it just isn’t torqued exactly as before and induces a new oblong effect on the piston hole.

I'd like to hear from a master mechanic or anyone that has done a number of HG as to their opinion on the above.

Thanks

Ignore the above, the person does not have any clue what they are talking about. When you torque a head it does distort the block every so slightly (really anal people will bore the block with the head applied and properly torqued) but when you remove and reinstall the head, you are applying the same torque to the block as prior to the removal.

As far as the HG, if it were my truck, I would use a factory HG since there have been no complaints of failures of the replacement gaskets. Why chance having to the do the work over when the factory solution appears to work perfectly.

 

[Beowulf]

1. I bought a top-end overhaul gasket set from Specter Off-Road. Are they including the modified HG?

You'll have to ask Spector but I've heard that the only source for 1FZ-FE head gaskets is Toyota. Many of us here have seen the light and buy most everything from Cruiserdan. Give him a call with the p/n and he can tell you if it is the updated HG from Toyota.

As for the other member's suggestion that you should never R&R a head... well, check his prior posts for value added and make your own decision on whether to believe him. Click on his userID, then select "all posts" and read a few. You'll probably decide to put him on your "Ignore list" as many of us have done.

-B-

 

[landtank]

post up a pic of the 5th and 6th cylinder area of the gaske you have. We might be able to easily give it a nay if it looks like the old style.

Good idea on the PM think by the way

 

[MSGGrunt]

I can't put up a pic as the HG is in a top-end gasket kit I purchased from Specter and if I open it I will have no chance of returning the kit and will be out 179.00. I will make a call to Specter tomorrow and ask them but I'm not sure if they will know about the updated HG. They do make a note next to the kit number that it is a "Japan" kit and not "OEM" I wonder if it is an aftermarket kit offered in Japan? Anyone use Specter's HG in the past and know if it is the updated one?

Thanks.

 

[landtank]

That job is just too damn big to be screwing around with aftermarket parts. I seriously doubt anyone has used one of those gaskets for the head.

 

[jjbodean1970]

aftermarket - BAD!

 

[MSGGrunt]

Thanks for the info. I will be returning the kit to Specter and going with factory Toyota. Anyone know the cost?

 

[MTNRAT]

PM Cdan.
Cheers,
Sean

 

[robbie]

It would be very difficult to do a cylinder bore job on a engine with the head on, what they do is fab or buy a torque plate that has all the holes where the bolt go through and then open area above the cylinders so the boring machine will move up and down properly.
As for the gasket, I am sure that toyota has some gaket manafacture make the gasket for them, they more than likely have set for the repair of these engine over in Japan. As for quailiy you really will not know unless you open it up and look. I have recently seen Chinese/Tiawan made gasket sets for the 3FE, product look good, but had no idea of the quailty. We set it back and went with toyota for the rebuild. customer suggested the company and we tried for him.
I personally have done a lot of head gaskets and will do lots more for customers, if done right then a good servicable repair will be done and the truck will go for many more miles, should go to the service life of the bottom end. later robbie