Ok so do I now make a mark on the pulley at zero?

 

 

Yep. Go for it when you are happy that you have found TDC. File it and liquid paper it.

You sure that the notch isn't on the back edge of the pulley - I reckon mine are, that way it shows up right next to the scale on the timing cover.

Ok now that it is set at TDC and I have made a mark on the pulley, do I take out the dizzy and put it in according to the diagram in the corolla manual?

 

In the manual it seems as if the dizzy cap clips line up with the front corner of the engine and the rotor button kind of lines up with the 1st spark plug, does this make sense?

 

Or is there a different way to get the dizzy right?

 

Here is a pic of the dizzy at TDC atm.

 

 

philbey, I am sure that the notch isn't there, although there did seem to be a tiny hole on the outside edge where my liquid paper mark was made, but nothing like a notch that I have seen on other pulleys.

Edited November 26, 200916 yr by anastasios

Ok now that it is set at TDC and I have made a mark on the pulley, do I take out the dizzy and put it in according to the diagram in the corolla manual?

 

Wouldn't hurt to re-set it now you know where TDC is.

 

In the manual it seems as if the dizzy cap clips line up with the front corner of the engine and the rotor button kind of lines up with the 1st spark plug, does this make sense?

 

:wink:

So somehow I managed to blow the headgasket, although in the time while it was driving I did manage to get a flange put on the end of the extractors so I could mount the manifolds on properly, but I think driving with the leaking manifolds caused the headgasket to blow.

 

So as its all out again, I took off the heat shield on the engine mount that was fowling the extractors, and will be getting the starter motor rebuilt as the plastic cap where the wires connect to seems very loose and moves around

Nope, manifolds won't blow a gasket!

 

Some other problem....

 

How did it run? I'm wondering how the timing is. You should take the lead out of the coil, turn the key on, then turn the crank pulley with a spanner until your mark comes up to the figures on the timing cover.

 

You will hear the crack of the spark when the coil fires, and that will tell you how many dgrees advance you have set it to.

 

Photos of the head gasket again! Something must have caused that- not torqued correctly? Shit in the bottom of the stud holes?

Shit in the bottom of the stud holes?

 

Nah that just crack blocks!!! :D

 

water in the holes that is.

First up, what are the symptoms of this freshly blown head gasket? Because I'd be amazed if you did blow one without seriously overheating the engine, or completely guffing the install (wrong torques, wrong sequence, shit on deck/head/gasket before install)

 

If you're seeing the telltales like bubbles/cappucino foam etc then you may have other issues - cracked head, cracked block. My engine builder reckons the heads go between 2 and 3 on K engines.

Well what was happening was it was overheating badly, I then started losing all my water through my overflow bottle, and I tried starting it with the radiator cap off and water was spurting out due to gases entering the water. Then when I got home I took off the oil cap and there was the foamy crap in the top of it, I made sure I was extra careful with the torques etc and the parts were very clean.

 

Would pics make things easier?

The headbolts couldn't possibly be bottoming due to the shaved block? You did run a tap through the threads for the headbolts in the block?

 

Did it ping at all before it overheated?

I had a mechanic come past who fiddled with the timing to get it started, I think it did ping as he was adjusting it.

 

I didn't run a tap through the threads for the headbolts, but I did blow them out with compressed air.

 

Maybe the headbolts are bottoming? How can I check this? Bolt one in and measure the distance inbetween?

Maybe the headbolts are bottoming? How can I check this? Bolt one in and measure the distance inbetween?

 

Yeah that'll do.

Head thickness is 80mm, distance between bolt and block is 76mm.

 

So I don't think bottoming is an issue.

 

Could it have blown when he pinged it? Or from the timing being out and trying to start it? I did get a nice little fireball coming out of the top of the carby a couple times.

Edited December 1, 200916 yr by anastasios

Wow that's a fairly epic head gasket failure. I have doubts about it failing from pinging, It sounds like it was crook from the word go.

 

Pull the head off and look for telltales on the gasket, to me it sounds like something went seriously wrong in assembly. Unfortunately fresh gasket failures don't have much to tell because they haven't had time to stain and chew out, but you may see some damage from something else.

 

My money is on something getting damaged in assembly, maybe snagging it and tearing on a head dowel. Did you grease the head bolts properly, perhaps something was off with your torque readings?

Edited December 1, 200916 yr by philbey

Yeah photos!

 

Try to get the block drained of water, even if you blow it out with compressed air before you lift the head. Then lift it carefully and photo the block & head a few times straight away before you touch the gasket.

 

Its often so oily and messy with water that you can't tell what happened. Years ago when Nissan was doing the WRC they refused to let the post-rally scrutineers lift the heads on their cars as they wanted to take them back to Japan and strip them in the laboratory to see exactly what was happening inside. That's the sort of cleanliness you need.

 

Can you check your torque wrench against someone else's??