603 head crack and/or gasket
 

Has there been anyone who has just had the gasket go bad or does the head almost always have a crack or two? Are there any cracks that can be imperceptable when the head is removed?

I just purchased a wagon in haste without paying attention to the somewhat obvious signs. It did run on the cool side just above 80C. Oh well, live and learn. The price was right regardless.

I will be pulling the head this weekend if I get around to it.

Let's just say that you'll need a good dose of fortune to get away with just a head gasket on that engine.

They are fond of cracking between the valve and the prechamber and you'll see it immediately in almost all cases. The aluminum isn't good at hiding the crack like cast iron.

So, you've got to ask yourself a question...........

"Do I feel lucky"

"Well..........";)

I feel lucky all right!! I will let you know just how lucky soon enough...

#22 head
 

Are you asking about the car in your signature line with the #22 head?

No, I sold that one a year ago. I just picked up an 87 Wagon with the original #14 head.

torque socket
 

Do I need a special torque head socket for the head bolts or is it just a large torque size? I have not given the bolts a good look and I am not with the car right now.

I took the car for a good ride and drove it hard. It ran about 80-85C. I parked it and it sat for over a day and I checked the upper radiator hose and there was no pressure and it was gooshy.

Isn't it suppose to be hard if I have a blown gasket or cracked head? Or is that in just some cases?

The 603 takes a different, smaller, socket than the 617.

Is the socket a dealer item or just a normal torque head with more teeth? What about the upper radiator hose not having any pressure in it? Is it possible I do not have a cracked head or gasket?

you can get it at any local auto parts store. Should be 8mm.

You began this thread with the plan to remove the head.

Now, you've driven the vehicle and have no symptoms of a blown gasket or a cracked head by what you've presented here.

So, I suppose we're all a bit confused by the plan to remove the head without any symptoms of a problem.

You might wish to start from the beginning with the symptoms.

I think it is a M10 Triple Square. There is a long version - that is the one you want. The part number is in the FSM.

I have read posts where head gaskets blew and the head was salvaged, given a valve job and a light surfacing and put back into service. I have also read posts where the car was overheated, the gasket was replaced and the head showed no signs of a crack, but the head failed later without ever being overheated again. It seems that when the head was overheated the first time, it started a crack, and it took more time for the crack to enlarge and cause problems.

Check the compression, look for oil leaks at the front of the head, and if it has the wrong coolant, do a citric acid flush and put the Zerex G05 in the system. I think one of the leading causes of failure is the incorrect coolant corroding the metal parts of the head gasket, causing it to fail and the engine to overheat. My head had pitting, and I could match the pitted area up to the corroded area of the head gasket.

Your logic is always perfect Brian.:D

Well, oil at the front of the head and near the exhaust manifold near #1 and oil in the coolant resevoir are my symptoms but no overheating and hard upper radiator hose. I guess I never posted the oil in the resevoir thing. Oops!

So I have some symptoms but not some. I am just a little perplexed. Maybe I will just do a shout flush then a citric acid flush and see what I see in the resevoir.

It is possible that the PO had a blown head gasket replaced, but failed to clean out the oil. Now, if it turns out this is notthe case, then yes, you either have a blown gasket or a crack between the oil and water galleys some where.

You do not have to have pressure buildup in the cooling system to indicate a crack or bad gasket.

You can even have "compression sharing" between cylinders, without any mixing of oil and water or cooling system pressurizing. That is why you do a compression test with the injectors or GP's removed, or spark plugs removed on a gasser.

So, as Brian said, go through your diagnostics steps and post them here.