Losing my head-gasket? Head work? I/C vanes bent!?!?

[Guest jjohart]

Hi, on a Sunday mechanic visit in NH, my credible tech/mechanic told me I've got two oil leaks: from the oil pan, and the front crank seal. He didn't rule in/out a head gasket leak, but he said at the first step, to replace the oil pan gasket and front crank seal, and then see if the leak continues. Since I'll be putting up the boost with an NPR I/C, Greddy Profec 2 control and modified pop up valve, up to 15psi, it would be a shame, in the words of G.Miller/Road Warrior, "to blow it up"!.

My tech. said to watch oil levels in the near future and lay off boost increases until diagnosed as a possible valve cover and head gasket problem. Of course, I'd rather have the gasket work done ahead of the I/C ("get the mechanicals straightened out first" said the tech in the next breath!_...so, I was just wondering if anyone can tell me what the bulletproofing, preventative upgrades (aka HYBRID) would be if I have to have (ACKWARD! See also=want, like, lust, etc) to send the head off and out....?~!?|

The mechanic spoke in terms of a specialized gasket lining that might be better suited to high boost pressures, obnoxious turbo on behaviour, etc. Does anyone care to comment on specific brands, prices to expect, sources, etc, that I can keep a running tab on, so if the machine shop takes the head while the exhaust and I/C install take precedence at the installer's shop, I can kill two (or even 3, as in longevity) birds by having "upgrades" dialed in at the same time as the gasket stock work is done?

Final query.....being that I'm bringing the car back to my mechanic post I/C, is there any point in what he suggested, but then retracted, being that mine is a turbo car, aka 83 280ZXT, in having "the heads shaved...made smaller.." as he then stated that larger is better for a turbo!?!? I ask any respondent to keep it short and simple, as I am a total invalid for technical answers. I'd love to forward more intricate replies directly to the mechanic, but alas, he is plugged into the machinery more than the web, so I have to verbally articulate, or at least type up a list of what I want done in mid-Dec, and I am not all that knowledgeable on whether port and polish is a boat chore, aka swab the deck matee, or other really vital stuff for a top reliability head.

Finally, my I/C off E bay has lots of bent vanes...does this matter, and if so, why? What's the tool I need to acquire, or tell the I/C installer about!?!

John

[vashonz]

Around here there is a guy who makes copper head gaskets, whatever thickness you want, its a couple hundred $ but it shouldn't blow up. The hks one is also supposed to be good, I don't know how hard they are to find.

 

Bigger combustion chamber, not shaving the head= lower compression, easier to run more boost, less likelyhood of detonation on pump gas.

 

Bent vanes are bad because they prevent airflow and decreasing the effectivness of the ic. You should be able to just bend them back, with a screwdriver or needle nose pliers.

[Guest jjohart]

Hi..prev. respondent...where is "around here"...can you post the copperhead's fabricator and contact info, or send me a private message so I can get his price range/turnaround time?

Thanks

John

[Tim240z]

If your IC fins are very bent, you can buy a 'comb' to straighten them The screwdriver will work, but can be very time consuming if you have a lot of bent fins.

 

Tim

[SleeperZ]

Assuming you have a stock L28, running less than 15 psi, there is nothing you need to do except get the leaks fixed, and diagnose the headgasket (just do a compression test). If you determine all that's wrong is a bad head gasket, just replace it with a stock one - they are very durable. And do not mill the head, aside from a minor surfacing to flatten it. To get cam timing and valve geometry back to normal, you may end up having to shim the cam towers and get new lash pads. For a turbo, you don't need higher compression. Stock is best for your anticipated power goals, IMHO.

[Guest jjohart]

Hi.

My car goes in next week to Custom Tubes in Woburn, MA, and though I bought WannaBeVan's NPR intercooler (on this list and Ebay the end of last mo.), I took a 2nd look at it yesterday, and I guess out of $300 worth of denial, I am stuck with a 2nd rate unit, mostly due to what I think was seller failure to disclose (Mr. Wong was careful to sell this off his old Z through a silicon valley pawn shop..I couldn't figure out if he ditched it b/c of it's condition, or he wrecked the car and made a half arsed attempt to get it out, but I warn people to avoid other product from this seller/pawn shop! Huh, I shoulda known right, from the photos taken in dark lighting from 8-12 feet away:

1. MANY vanes bent! I spent about 3-4 hours straightening what I could with a mini-screwdriver. There were at least 30-40% bent to the point that I could get the vanes looking normal only by peeling the first layer of wiring which makes up this unit (I don't know what material other brands use, but the bent wire vanes came off like old tar paper...seems like they'd been smushed for some time!).

2. The bottom row of vanes was bent right in the middle, kind of like some fat cat sat on a bee's honeycomb nest and flattened it about 1 inch (is it the top or bottom, do these things have one?)..it's the one with no lengthwise distribution horizontal cooler ducting, just a flat filler bottom piece (I wish I could send photos!). I have no idea how much flow I'm losing from at least a 5 inch section, but this is the largest NPR, supposedly, and my suspicion is it must have been pushed down or up against something on that row!

3. MY QUESTION is...I've now worked on it for a few hours, and gotten every row but that last one (above) looking reasonably V or U shaped vanes, but I am wondering if I should peel back the remaining 20-40% of the outermost row of vane wires, so they aesthetically all line up. Seems to me I won't be seeing too much of this in mounting in the 280ZXT, but I am surprised, after I peel the first wire of the vanes out, how uniform they look sitting right within the horizontal bars...the ones that were good enough to just bend and save come out about 1/4 inch further, but they're pretty much isolated in the outer edges>

I know it sounds like I'm putting too much emphasis on aesthetics, but I do have one other "looks" question with some substantive worth. I am suspecting, though not sure, that the unit was painted black at some point...I had originally assumed this was OEM black, but the brush strokes on the side of the unit hint otherwise, as well as with the vanes that I peeled off having flakes of old black paint looking not much of a piece with the metals at all. SO, sorry for tiresome and vague description, but I am wondering if I should take some kind of chemical bath of something to the whole unit to get rid of the black paint left on the vanes, or is this not worth the effort, or possibly more damaging, given the fragility and lack of care the unit has seen already. God knows, I knew I wasn't getting a front piece off a Mitsubishi Evo, but I alternatively wonder if I should paint it black, not to be Mick Jaggerish, but I was wondering if in fact the black paint is a good thing to insulate the I/C? I would think silver, reflective is better, since why else would they call it a "cooler"?

Any opinions on how to clean this up will be appreciated. It is my installer's final call on whether to use it, and god knows I'll spend a lot more trying to find a new unit, but, being that I think it's "salvagable" (hmm, how much of this web site is really "salvage Z" anyway ?)), I guess it's a question of to paint, strip, or just leave it alone and get on with it.

I will say it again, that even though some replies to my question on this site of where the best place to get used Z parts is answered it by saying "E Bay", I think it is really obvious, but I feel better warning others that you never really know what you're getting off Ebay unless the seller is locally accessible!"

Thanks

John