Head Gaskit Rb26

[PHA71L]

what do you guys use?

mine has let go for some reason after about 6 or more months, 20000kms after the rebuild.....

i have 300kw atm on gt2860r5s only 15psi....

no need for a head stud kit?

i do plan on running 20 plus psi

also the car never got hot either?......

will be pulling down soon....

[PHA71L]

also can the head be lifted out with the inlet manifold and turbos on?

[PHA71L]

any one?

i need help on on what brand style to use? so i can make my mind up

[s13_Skyline_inside]

go the hks stopper type head gasket

[STATUS]

havent had an issue with the MLS-R (cometic) metal gaskets yet.

[Swiper the Fox]

You have pm

[PHA71L]

thanks for the pm also guys can the head come off with the inlet still on and turbos?

[pure_methamphetamachine]

I run a Nismo one.

Yes, head can come off easily with everything IN and EX attached if you know what you are doing. Done it heaps of times on various 26's.

[PHA71L]

thanks mate just wanted to make sure!

i thought you would be able to

[pure_methamphetamachine]

JUST MAKE SURE you undo the water and oil line connections / supports (10mm heads) on the block to turbo brackets, and these brackets themselves (12mm heads unless people have changed and lost the bolts and replaced, and they'll be a 13mm head [they are an M8 thread]), and the water and oil line connections / supports on the turbos. Also the actual banjo bolts at the side of the turbos (14 and 17mm heads from memory).

DO NOT FORGET you have a 10mm head bolt IN side at front, behind the cam backing plate. You can either remove cam gears, then the plate and access, or, put a 1/4" drive 6 POINT socket on a magnet and put in the gap on the IN side. Use a 6" 1/4 extension and push it into the socket, then use a ratchet to remove the bolt.

Once bolt is out, lift extension and use magnet to get bolt out. Put magnet back in the hole and pull the extention up to make the socket disconnect. It will hit the magnet and you can pull the magnet out and it's all done.

Once head is ready to come off, get 1 person each side (IN and EX) to lift it. Get a third person to push the turbo oil and water lines out of the way, and disconnect the wiring under the IN plenum you can not access ie cold start (on runner [right next to head, purple plug, near cyl 3]).

You will also have to remove on the EX side, a 14mm head bolt that holds the PS bracket on as the lower 2 bracket bolts are in the block. The top is the head.

IN and EX sides at back corners of head also have 10mm headed bolts.

If all your stuff is factory, you will also need to remove the bolts that hold the bracket to the oil pressure sensor housing.

Undo the water pipe (U shaped) that goes from thermostat housing to hard water piping under IN plenum as that rubber pipe is block connection. The metal job is head connection.

Undo the water lines at the factory water cooling at oil filter.

Remove all other obvious stuff.

If you just want to swap it, and not fully remove and inspect, you can leave all wiring side alone, lift the head, remove gasket, ensure the dowells are put back in place and put new gasket on. NOT ADVISABLE as you really want to clean the surfaces, but if you are time desperate like we were on the way to a race meeting, you can do that.

[PHA71L]

thanks for the info mate helps alot!

no not in a hurry will be going in to get a full look over shave again if need be.

[PHA71L]

ok played with it for half the day! no drop in comp 160psi in all 6

no water in any....

plugs are all the same in colour?

its leaking oil into the water some were... first guess would be the oil cooler?

dip stick ect is not milky only a very little bit on the rad cap in in the over flow tank, is down say 500mm of oil in around 1000 to 1500kms

[PHA71L]

any other ideas?

befor i have to pull the head off ect and spend yet another 2grand o so

its starting to get me as much as i do like the car!

[STATUS]

quick trick:

heat engine so radiator pressurises, remove plugs and run a small mirror over each plug hole.... if it fogs you have headgasket issues in that cylinder. If you can get hold of a pressure tester for the rad it makes it easier.

[PHA71L]

well i will just check the oil cooler first not as much work and money as pulling the head off!

then if its not the cause then i guess its off with the head

[PHA71L]

had the presure tester on the rad to, no leak!

so maybe it is the oil cooler?

[SLAPS]

I run a Cometic MLS. No issues with up to mid 20psi; even had it off and reused with a little coat of Hylomar. Cheap for $220 odd.

Edited March 25, 2009 by TheRogue

[pure_methamphetamachine]

Let me guess:

1) You are running a factory block ie non N1 or RRR GT

2) You run 1.3 bar or more, or have hit / exceeded 1.3 bar a few times in the passed

Your block is cracked between where the head bolt goes into it and the water gallery on the outside of the bore. 99% chance it's the cylinder 5 or 4 one EX side). The crack is usually very small, but grows. If you pull the head off you may not even see it as it starts sub-surface. Skim the block and you'll see it clear as days.

You get trace oil accumulating in your radiator I take it, especially in your overflow? You empty it, it comes back?

The crack is small, but as the oil pressure is greater than the water pressure, it forces the oil through the crack into your water system. Over time, the crack will get bigger, and more will start on other head bolt / gallery places. The harder you drive, the faster it does it.

That is exactly what mine and many others have done. That is why the N1 was made, then the GT block, and why I went to an N1.

Changed to N1 block. No problems at 2 bar.

Other friends (boost ran [bar] / time it lasted before oil in radiator):

1.6 / 2 weeks

1.6 / 6 months

1.5 bar / 8 months

1.5 bar / 1 week

1.5 bar / 2 days

1.6 bar / 2 years and still no problem

The time for the cracks to start is random.

You can either replace with an N1 block, or do a semi-temporary / semi-perminant fix on your factory block.

You do not have problem with oil cooler, I guarantee it.

Pull the motor out.

Edited March 25, 2009 by pure_methamphetamachine

[PHA71L]

sounds like it i dont really have another 20g laying around to go tho all this again

[pure_methamphetamachine]

Pull the motor out and pull the head off (you can EASILY pull it off with everything attached outside of the car). Fully drain block of all oil and water. Make sure head bolt holes and water galleries are 100% dry. Add a thin(ish) smear of loctite stuff (see below) in head bolt hole, and put quite a lot in the water gallery, ensuring you go down as far as you can. You can put like 4mm thick of it in there. Allow to dry, put head back on and put the motor back in.

Do this on EVERY water gallery and head bolt hole, but only in the part of the gallery that is next to the bolt hole.

This half @rsedly emulates an N1 block (all the N1 is is a factory one with more meat between the bolt and gallery).

Loctite: Can not remember the exact stuff by name or number, but it is a 2 part epoxy(?). One tube is yellow, the other is black. Tubes are small too, like little super glue tubes. Mix like araldite and apply. The stuff looks like concrete, as opposed to araldite which is clear like a resin / glue.