Damaged Head Gasket?

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FelipeGP

Joined
Jun 6, 2024
Threads
1
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Location
Reno, NV
I am in the process of doing a head gasket job on my 96 LX450 (new to me). The gasket kit (OEM 04112-66036) arrived today, but the head gasket has a potential defect near the coolant passage by cylinder 6. The top layer (extremely thin) is peeling off. I already had to return a gasket as the last one was severely bent.

Would you run it? Maybe with a copper sealant? I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks in advance 🫡
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Yeah, it's kinda hard to see. That chip at the edge does not really bother me since it is not near the coolant passage, and the edges don't even get much clamping force in the first place. My concern is the coolant pressure will find a way through that peeled area over thousands of miles, resulting in a leak. I can barely feel a low spot when I run my finger through that peeled area. The one thing I notice is the peeled area is a lot less smooth. 🤷‍♂️
 
FelipeGP said:
I am in the process of doing a head gasket job on my 96 LX450 (new to me). The gasket kit (OEM 04112-66036) arrived today, but the head gasket has a potential defect near the coolant passage by cylinder 6. The top layer (extremely thin) is peeling off. I already had to return a gasket as the last one was severely bent.

Would you run it? Maybe with a copper sealant? I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks in advance 🫡
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What brand of HG is that?
 
Put hylomar blue on the head directly then lay down the gasket. Hylomar is used to fill any imperfections, read up on it.

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Renago - there is no sleeve in that picture.
 
FelipeGP said:
You mean the rust spot at the edge of cylinder 6, on the top left of the second picture? Or something else?
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He's talking mud OCD

Cylinder wall is showing some wear. Doesn't show the cross hatched honing you see in many engines, still there from the Toyota factory process. (Could just be your photo quality)
Also maybe someprevious rust spotting on the cylinder walls. Rust damages rings, coz its harder than the iron of the block.

There looks to be a bit of a lip near the top of the cylinder. If you were putting in new pistons or rings, this can be a problem as a new ring can crash up against the lip and break.
Existing rings created the lip, and have worn in accordingly.

So, maybe it's not all pristine.

If all your doing is putting a head gasket in, you're good to go.
 
mudgudgeon said:
He's talking mud OCD

Cylinder wall is showing some wear. Doesn't show the cross hatched honing you see in many engines, still there from the Toyota factory process. (Could just be your photo quality)
Also maybe someprevious rust spotting on the cylinder walls. Rust damages rings, coz its harder than the iron of the block.

There looks to be a bit of a lip near the top of the cylinder. If you were putting in new pistons or rings, this can be a problem as a new ring can crash up against the lip and break.
Existing rings created the lip, and have worn in accordingly.

So, maybe it's not all pristine.

If all your doing is putting a head gasket in, you're good to go.
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Regarding the cross-hatching, it is slightly more apparent in person - my phone camera has a broken lens cover and it is always dirty. It's a 30 yo car, it's not going to be perfect. I'm going to proceed with the install. Thanks for the comment!
 
@FelipeGP : there appears to be some ?staining of the #6 cylinder wall, did the engine sit with water in a cylinder?
Can you feel any irregularities ie: by running your finger tips on the cylinder walls?
 
Kernal said:
@FelipeGP : there appears to be some ?staining of the #6 cylinder wall, did the engine sit with water in a cylinder?
Can you feel any irregularities ie: by running your finger tips on the cylinder walls?
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I am not sure if the previous owner let the engine sit with coolant. When I got it, I checked the exhaust for smell and color but did not notice anything strange. I drove it from the Bay Area to Reno with 0 issues. Then, I noticed white smoke and sweet out the exhaust a week after I bought it and tore down the engine maybe 2-3 weeks after that. Running my fingers through the cylinders, I notice that cylinder 6 is not as smooth as the others. Here’s new pictures with a new phone - the first picture is cylinder 5 and the remaining are cylinder 6. The rust spot on cylinder 6 is a little coarse, but I think it is above the path of the piston head. How bad is it? What are my options? Appreciate all of your feedback!
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FelipeGP said:
I am not sure if the previous owner let the engine sit with coolant. When I got it, I checked the exhaust for smell and color but did not notice anything strange. I drove it from the Bay Area to Reno with 0 issues. Then, I noticed white smoke and sweet out the exhaust a week after I bought it and tore down the engine maybe 2-3 weeks after that. Running my fingers through the cylinders, I notice that cylinder 6 is not as smooth as the others. Here’s new pictures with a new phone - the first picture is cylinder 5 and the remaining are cylinder 6. The rust spot on cylinder 6 is a little coarse, but I think it is above the path of the piston head. How bad is it? What are my options? Appreciate all of your feedback!
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That cylinder definitely had coolant sitting in it for an extended time.
The rings most likely have some corrosion on them.
The cylinder wall has been etched and is not as clean as I would like to see.
You could.put it back together and run it, but you will burn oil. It may clean itself up with long term running, but you will see lower compression on that cylinder and you may eventually see a broken ring that could damage the cylinder wall.

That's a tough call and depending on budget, time frame, and vehicle use would determine whether I put it back together and run it or pull the engine and rebuild the bottom end with a bore and pistons.

That's a $6000 decision.
 
#6 looks pretty dirty in the photos and it may be helpful to wipe it out and make another photo. I can't quite tell if some of what I'm seeing is pitting or rings of residue.

As @BILT4ME says though, looks like #6 has seen some coolant and likely has some damage. I would need the broader story before knowing which way I'd go on running as is or getting deeper in. What are your plans for the rig? What's you capability (time / $$) for taking on a rebuild? What's your tolerance for risk if it develops issues after the HG work? etc.

Cheapest/easiest option is to clean her up, re-assemble and hope for the best. I lean that direction unless you are trying to set yourself up for guaranteed reliability for years to come and are prepared to spend the time / $ that it takes to get there.
 
@jpoole and @BILT4ME, thanks for your input.

I am fortunate to have a new and reliable daily. I got the LX 450 to be my off-road and overland rig. I was planning on installing mods to tackle trails around the Tahoe area and eventually longer-distance overland trips around the country. I am estimating at most 6000 miles per year.

I also got the LX as a project to learn about cars in general. Prior to starting the head gasket job, I had never worked on an engine other than oil changes. As much as I enjoy working on it, I am conscious of the funds it takes to rebuild it in detail and would like to manage my expenses. I also have a crazy itch to get it running and off-road as soon as possible.

Given my plans for the car, what would you do?

@jpoole the pictures above were taken after cleaning the cylinder thoroughly.
@BILT4ME out of curiosity, can you share how you arrived at $6000?
 
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