New head gaskets worth it?

WAID

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Posts
134
Reaction score
154
Location
PDX
Pull them, put on new valve springs, check guides, do studs . NOW is the time. If a guide goes bad down the road you will be pissed.

How reliable are the guides on these? I just had to do them on my Toyota, and seems like they struggled a few years. The '01 Toyota was burning a lot more than the '86 Ford prior to that even with oil pouring out the Ford valve cover gasket.
 

G. Mann

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2007
Posts
927
Reaction score
86
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Pull the heads. Replace valve guide seals, at minimum, with the miles you have they are tired or toast. Check the valve guides, if you turbo, you have increased the load on the valves. If they don't seal right, you are blowing boost out the valves and don't get all you want or paid for.

Check the heads and block for flatness, Studs absolutely, New gaskets, certainly. while you have the heads off, look at cylinder wear condition, again, you want boost, if pistons aren't sealing good, you are paying for boost that escapes and doesn't produce work power..

In for a penny, in for a pound... do it right and while you have easy access to the engine.
 
Top