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Oil leak from headgasket?
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 5:25 pm
by hachigo87
So a little background to start.. I bought my 85 GTS a few months back, fixed a few issues with it and was able to drive it until the headgasket went on me.
So I finally got around to getting the head work done, put it all back together and finally got it to run again. I noticed an oil leak and figured it was a few things which I quickly ruled out. Wasn't coming from the distributor, not the oil cooler lines nor the filter itself..
So I drained the oil and went to fill with new and it looks to be running down the block on the exhaust side. All I can figure is the headgasket I used is junk and the seals around the drain into the block have failed. Anyone else ever have this issue? Makes me really wish I had poured oil in it before reassembling everything else :/

Re: Oil leak from headgasket?
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 9:28 pm
by ae86xy
What gasket did you use
Re: Oil leak from headgasket?
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 9:42 pm
by jondee86
Not leaking from the cam cover gasket and running down the side of the head ?
Cheers... jondee86
Re: Oil leak from headgasket?
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 3:59 am
by hachigo87
I used a generic that came with a headgasket kit from eBay..
I'm pretty sure its not the cam seals but I'll check again. Whoops, just reread that. I replaced all the gaskets and the cam covers are dry as a bone..
Re: Oil leak from headgasket?
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 8:05 am
by MisterJerk
did you torque the head the recommended way(by toyota) .
Link to Manuals in my sig.
the only time I had oil leaking there is when i first got my current ae86, p.o installed head gasket upside down and drove it like that until #2 exhaust valves cracked.


Re: Oil leak from headgasket?
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 9:59 am
by hachigo87
~50ft/lb. It was upside down at first but I realized it before I put the head on. At this point maybe the seal came apart when I flipped it?
Re: Oil leak from headgasket?
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 10:03 am
by Tora
I had a pretty severe coolant leak after my rebuild because I forgot / didn't know about the washers under the head bolts.
Re: Oil leak from headgasket?
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 8:24 pm
by hachigo87
Tora wrote:I had a pretty severe coolant leak after my rebuild because I forgot / didn't know about the washers under the head bolts.
Popped the valve cover tonight and the headgasket is on the right way. Pulled the first cam cap and poked around with a flashlight and it doesn't look like its cam seals. RTV'd it back together and am still scratching my head here.
I was thinking about that unfortunately.. my MR2 ironically had a blown headgasket when I got it and I remember it had washers. I used a spare head that came off a junk block when I did the headgasket. Neither it nor the head that came off of the car had washers however.. Though, aside from throwing the waterpump/alt belt and overheating this engine never had a problem without washers in it?
I have another spare motor that came out of an 87 GTS but I forgot to check if there were washers in it. I'm about to the point of just throwing it in to be able to drive the car then tearing this one back apart to investigate in the meantime.
Re: Oil leak from headgasket?
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 9:56 pm
by yoshimitsuspeed
Did you check the head and the block for flatness?
Ebay isn't a brand. If you r gasket kit didn't have a brand name on it then there is no way I would trust it for any internal gaskets let alone the HG.
http://matrixgarage.com/products/street ... ead-gasketFor a stock to mild build I would run Cometic or OEM.
http://matrixgarage.com/products/cometi ... ead-gasketFor a crazy build I might go with a Toda stopper.
Re: Oil leak from headgasket?
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 4:54 am
by MisterJerk
StreetPro Top End Kit w/MLS 81mm Head Gasket
Choice of HG thickness?
Hachigo: You need them washers under the head bolts. Plus you need to oil the threads of the bolts and clean the bolt holes of all debris, coolant, etc.
Found some toyota part numbers for you. lithia has em.
Head Bolt, Intake (Short) 90109-10058
New Part Number 9091002120
Head Bolt, Exhaust (Long) 90109-10059
New Part Number 9091002121
Head Bolt Washer 90201-10344
Re: Oil leak from headgasket?
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 5:37 am
by hachigo87
Didn't check the block for flatness, the head was milled down before reassembly however. I know using that hg was a bad idea. I bought the kit for all the other gaskets and forgot I had a Felpro sitting here when I put it all together.
Head bolts were oiled and holes cleaned before assembly, only thing I'm missing is the washers..