I completed the head gasket job and engine runs great. YAY! The only problem I have (that I know of so far) is an exhaust leak under the driver's side head. I didn't have it surfaced and now I'm kicking myself in the butt for not getting that done. Is there perhaps a fix for this, like a sealant I can use or do I need to take it all off again and have it surfaces... pic in post below? Thanks.

Edited October 1, 201015 yr by 86GLScooby

Exhaust leak would not be the head gasket - that would be the exhaust manifold gasket.... they are about $6 to $8 at the dealer. Surfaceing is not typically done here but you can hit the head and header flange with a wire wheel (not too stiff on the head side) to remove carbon and such. A new gasket should seal it up and that's a pretty simple fix - just drop the header down.

 

GD

Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like I want to change out the head gasket again... That's the job I did, but the new exhaust manifold gasket is leaking... The reason for taking if off again would be to get this (the pic) surfaced... Here's a pic of the problem, I took this when the head was off knowing it might cause a problem. Think I posted it somewhere to ask about it, but no repsonse. Might have been a different forum. I cleaned it up and installed. My guess is the gasket isn't lining up well with the flat areas on the head. It's pretty pitted. The flat side of the gasket goes towards the head with the dougnutted side down right? It was so rusted I couldn't tell, someone told me to install it with the flat side towards the head. Thanks.

 

Edited October 1, 201015 yr by 86GLScooby

When I installed the new exhaust gaskets, the exhaust didn't really line up well, but I got it there with some force. I still can't get the other side lined up and will have to take off the front pipe and redo this. I'm going out of town for a couple weeks, so this will have to wait. At least I got the rest of it back on. Is there a sealant I can fill the pitted area with or just try redoing it and see if it works? Wish I had a lift, sucks working under the car without one.

Edited October 1, 201015 yr by 86GLScooby

Being it's aluminium you can just use a flat peice of glass (or wood if you choose carefully), wrap some 120 grit wet/dry paper over it and with WD40 as lubricant you can "resurface" that yourself.

 

But I think the major problem is not the pitting - it's that your pipe isn't fitting right. You shouldn't have to force anything. That's probably the source of your sealing problem much more than the pitting.

 

GD

Thanks, that's what I ended up doing... sanded it with 220 then 400 wet or dry and surfaced it myself. Checked it with a straight edge. I don't understand why it's not ligning up right, but taking the front exhaust off and redoing this part right will most likely fix the problem. More rusty exhuast bolts to deal with, fun. Was it correct to face the flat part of the gasket towards the head? Thanks.

Yeah - the head surface is typically flatter than the exhaust flange so that's how I install them as well. That's my logic anyway though I don't know the official policy on those..... I've never had an issue installing them that way.

 

GD