Head or Head gasket... need confirmation
Thread Starter
|
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Head or Head gasket... need confirmation
So my 1996 neon, 2.0L 16valve has 109K on it... reliable little car, but I have the ol chocolate milkshake thing going on in the rad fluid... engine oil on the dip looks good but I am a little conflicted... brown rad fluid, leaking straight oil on the driveway but when I top up the rad... get a brown mix of goo leaking out into a tray.. and when I pull the tire and trace it down the side of the timing belt cover... nice steady green trace of rad Green rad fluid up to the head... I am thinking head gasket... but too many colors are confusing...
Dip stick - clean oil
oil cap... clean oil
Rad cap- brown
Rad fluid in Rad..brown
Straight green rad fluid running down the side of the timing cover
No smoke and clean plugs.
I am still leaning to the simple head gasket, but the solid green tracer, and pure oil on the driveway when rad fluid is down a little has me second guessing myself?
Dip stick - clean oil
oil cap... clean oil
Rad cap- brown
Rad fluid in Rad..brown
Straight green rad fluid running down the side of the timing cover
No smoke and clean plugs.
I am still leaning to the simple head gasket, but the solid green tracer, and pure oil on the driveway when rad fluid is down a little has me second guessing myself?
Grand Champion
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,584
Likes: 0
From: Lima, Ohio
RE: Head or Head gasket... need confirmation
Yep, sounds like the HG. If it weren't for the bead of coolant however, I would say there is a good posibility the core in the radiator for the transmission (assuming it is an auto) busted, causing the trans fluid and coolant to mix. If this were the case, your transmission would be g going out here shortly. It is possible though that and the leaking coolant are two different problems, but I would just check the trans fluid. If it is clean, assume it is the HG or a cracked head.
Thread Starter
|
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
RE: Head or Head gasket... need confirmation
thanks guys... Tranny fluid is clean and holding its level... so lets hope its just the head gasket and not a cracked head... btw... the new designed HG's, are they all aluminum... I know dodge changed them?
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 958
Likes: 0
From: Wausau,Wisconsin
RE: Head or Head gasket... need confirmation
My parts Neon had a blown head gasket, I could tell because it was blowing steam out of the Oil fill hole in the valve cover, plus the oil was brownish grey, I traded that car for a header and $100, then had a chance to buy it for $100 once the guy I sold it to fixed the head gasket and need it out of his yard before the city towed it.
Thread Starter
|
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
RE: Head or Head gasket... need confirmation
just an update... I took the neon apart.. and found the oil leak, the plastic crank seal had popped out of place which has basically dump oil right through the timing belt chamber and onto the ground... which is why when I put oil in it just started to pour onto the driveway...
I also got the head off... right at the front oil port between 2/3 the oldgasket with steal rings shows a clear path from the port to both sides of the cooling chamber in the block... thus the great brown goo... but the gasket was in remarkable condition otherwise.
But now to the tiresome job, I have cleaned all the gasket material from the head and the block and is smooth to touch and clean to the razor... but you can still clearly see the outline of the old gasket with the little crosshatch marks from the old gasket... anyone have any hints or tips to get it completely clean without resurfacing to the shine or does it matter? the cleaner the better, but if I scrape any harder I am likely to start goughing the surface.
I also got the head off... right at the front oil port between 2/3 the oldgasket with steal rings shows a clear path from the port to both sides of the cooling chamber in the block... thus the great brown goo... but the gasket was in remarkable condition otherwise.
But now to the tiresome job, I have cleaned all the gasket material from the head and the block and is smooth to touch and clean to the razor... but you can still clearly see the outline of the old gasket with the little crosshatch marks from the old gasket... anyone have any hints or tips to get it completely clean without resurfacing to the shine or does it matter? the cleaner the better, but if I scrape any harder I am likely to start goughing the surface.
Trending Topics
Professional
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Head or Head gasket... need confirmation
the outline is normal its just discolored from the gasket as long as the surface is clean it should be fine sometimes a solvent will remove it such as MEK but it the staining won't hurt anything as long as the metal is clean
Grand Champion
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,584
Likes: 0
From: Lima, Ohio
RE: Head or Head gasket... need confirmation
ORIGINAL: mrsats
just an update... I took the neon apart.. and found the oil leak, the plastic crank seal had popped out of place which has basically dump oil right through the timing belt chamber and onto the ground... which is why when I put oil in it just started to pour onto the driveway...
I also got the head off... right at the front oil port between 2/3 the oldgasket with steal rings shows a clear path from the port to both sides of the cooling chamber in the block... thus the great brown goo... but the gasket was in remarkable condition otherwise.
But now to the tiresome job, I have cleaned all the gasket material from the head and the block and is smooth to touch and clean to the razor... but you can still clearly see the outline of the old gasket with the little crosshatch marks from the old gasket... anyone have any hints or tips to get it completely clean without resurfacing to the shine or does it matter? the cleaner the better, but if I scrape any harder I am likely to start goughing the surface.
just an update... I took the neon apart.. and found the oil leak, the plastic crank seal had popped out of place which has basically dump oil right through the timing belt chamber and onto the ground... which is why when I put oil in it just started to pour onto the driveway...
I also got the head off... right at the front oil port between 2/3 the oldgasket with steal rings shows a clear path from the port to both sides of the cooling chamber in the block... thus the great brown goo... but the gasket was in remarkable condition otherwise.
But now to the tiresome job, I have cleaned all the gasket material from the head and the block and is smooth to touch and clean to the razor... but you can still clearly see the outline of the old gasket with the little crosshatch marks from the old gasket... anyone have any hints or tips to get it completely clean without resurfacing to the shine or does it matter? the cleaner the better, but if I scrape any harder I am likely to start goughing the surface.
You have to be VERY careful with the aluminum head. I recommend going to the parts store and getting "scotch bright." It kinda looks like steel wool, but it much less abrasive and will clean up the block and head well.
Do you mean the cam seal popped out? And make sure you replace the timing belt and all other gaskets on the engine that you needed to remove.