95 Neon Headgasket

Bigcuba · #1 01-15-2004, 02:57 PM

I have been at a few forums and havent read much about them. I know the original head gasket is terrible. Here is my problem. I have a 95 sport sohc. I new i already had a leak but it wasnt to bad and no smoke. Then all of a sudden i was driving and the car started running real rough. Press on the pedal and a lot of hesitation. Kind of a gargly type feeling. No smoke at this point, which tells me i let the anti-freeze get so low. I stopped at the store and put anti-freeze mix. Car started to smoke out the back, bad. I drove the car home. Put it in the garage. Went back out to start working on the car and noticed a small puddle of oil. No more that 3 inchs round. My oil on the dip stick looks good and i was only about 1/4 of a quart low. So the oil wasnt dumping out and it only left a puddle like that after my problem started and only when i ran the motor. I know the oil runs through the cylinder head, i just automaticlly connected the oil loss to the bad head gasket. So i must say this is after the fact because i already have the cylinder head off. I looked at the headgasket and its looks like its in bad shape and i can see were the gasket is worn and was leaking into the #4 cylinder. The piston heads had a lot of loose flaky carbon type build up on all four. There is a some visible oil on the back of the motor. So i guess im asking if this is classic head gasket problems? The loss of power? Loss of oil? Smoke looked white, maybe with some blue but i have to be honest i was just trying to get home and didnt pay attention to color. It had stoped smoking already by the time i got home. Maybe 7-8 miles from store i was at. If you need any more info let me know.

BigCuba

71RoadRunner · #2 01-16-2004, 05:24 AM

A blown head gasket can cause a loss of power, overheating, coolant and/or oil loss and noise. The oil leak could be the head gasket or the oil pressure sending unit. If the SOHC is like the DOHC, the oil pressure sending unit is on the back of the motor above the exhaust manifold. I have heard that they are prone to leaking oil from there, if that is the case just go to Autozone and get some thread tape. Remove the sending unit and wrap the thread tape around the threads on the sending unit a couple times, then re-install it(you may need a special socket for the sending unit, also availible at Autozone), leak fixed.

tavandy · #3 01-25-2004, 05:34 AM

The '95's had a badly designed headgasket. IMHO.

The headgasket has been redesigned 3 times that I know of (part number is in AC revision now). The new design has an improved oil passage seal that keeps oil from leaking down the back of the engine andgetting on the exhaust sheild/ transmission..

After a while of leaking down the back of the engine it procedes to leaking oil in the number four cylinder and "lifting" the head further off the block. Eventually coolant either enters the cylinders or mixes with the oil. When it gets this bad I usually mill the head to make sure its true, before I replace the gasket.

I personally don't trust any, but the Mopar, head gasket att. I've seen too many aftermarket parts fail again in less than 20K. Maybe they've gotten better, but maybe not. Maybe they wern't installed using the revised techniques. 

On the plus side (or is it plus/ plus), the mopar headgasket kit comes with instructions, hints and tips to head surface prep, and revised torque specs. I also use the mopar headgasket sealant recommended in the kit but sold seperately.

3 engines rebuilt so far and no headgasket leaks (yet... knock on wood<IMG src=smileys/smiley2.gif border="0">)

71RoadRunner · #4 01-25-2004, 09:51 AM

Yep, '95-'98 all had bad head gaskets and I believe some early '99s did as well.