What do these head gasket photos tell?

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Terrible? How do you figure? Most head gaskets I have taken off don't look great, they delaminate and peel of coatings all over. I'd say unless there are burn throughs (especially in the area between cylinders) or other obvious signs of gross failure, it is hard to deduce anything from a peeled-off gasket.

Originally Posted By: Rand
what car? that looks terrible...
 
It's for an engine with at least 4 cylinders.

Except for the rubber coating peeling off, it looks pretty good. The shots aren't close enough to the fire rings to determine if the combustion seals have failed.
 
Yes, Acura Integra B18B1 engine (non VTEC), same engine type (different displacement) as Honda CRV.

The mechanic told me the head warped but not cracked. Prior to the rebuild I tested the compression and it was almost perfect (maybe too perfect).

The last rebuild's old gasket had a very obvious cyl 3 and 4 leak in between as well as into the coolant area. This time it seems like the coating is gone on half of 3 cylinders on one side.

Just wondering what can I deduct from this gasket. Mechanic said there's no pitting on the steel of the gasket, so the leak probably happened in a short period of time instead of a slow leak.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: splinter
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
The mechanic told me the head warped but not cracked.


How even did the deck measure up?


I think he said the deck is fine and he cleaned it up. Is there something I should be concerned about?


One question I'm afraid to ask is, is there any hint that the last rebuild wasn't done right (lasted 8 years and 75k miles) that makes it not able to tolerate a bad radiator cap or slow coolant leak that wasn't caught on time?
 
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: splinter
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
The mechanic told me the head warped but not cracked.


How even did the deck measure up?


I think he said the deck is fine and he cleaned it up. Is there something I should be concerned about?


One question I'm afraid to ask is, is there any hint that the last rebuild wasn't done right (lasted 8 years and 75k miles) that makes it not able to tolerate a bad radiator cap or slow coolant leak that wasn't caught on time?
hondas do not take well to overheating.infact most engines can take 230 or slightly higher.a honda may blow a head gasket at a much cooler temp. say 220ish. we cant tellmuch from your pics. you need to look at the fire ring for a crushed spot or crack leading to a water jacket hole.
 
I've seen at least 2 recommendations that head bolts should be re-torqued after a 1000 miles. Last head work I did, backed the head off in 3 stages. I was replacing exhaust valves, not dealing with an over heat. I checked it with a straight edge. Flat. I replaced the #4 exhaust valves and put it back together. No,the bolts didn't get re-torqued.

Head gaskets self destruct when the head is removed. the stuff left on the block might tell you something before you scrape it off.
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: andyd
I've seen at least 2 recommendations that head bolts should be re-torqued after a 1000 miles. Last head work I did, backed the head off in 3 stages. I was replacing exhaust valves, not dealing with an over heat. I checked it with a straight edge. Flat. I replaced the #4 exhaust valves and put it back together. No,the bolts didn't get re-torqued.

Head gaskets self destruct when the head is removed. the stuff left on the block might tell you something before you scrape it off.
grin2.gif



Try re-torquing a torque to yield bolt and let me know how you get along...
 
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