Confirmed: Head gasket blown

[240ZD]

It's indisputable. I actually watched oily coolant seeping and bubbling between the head and block at the rear of the engine. The car doesn't overheat......yet. And considering the power and smoothness with which the engine unceasingly cranks out quantities of torque that would make a Catholic inquisitor turn away in disgust, I doubt that the fire ring is blown............yet.

Regardless, the unavoidable is not to be avoided, but to be confronted straight on, like a samurai taking an enemy in the field of battle. Like a hawk takes the bird of his choice, though there may be a whole flock of others all around. Though the list of "must dos" circles overhead like a flock of vultures, an oppressive dark hood slowly creeping closer to my head, I must attack this head gasket threat with the resolve of a hardened samurai, who, even if his head should be cut off in battle, should be so resolved that he should be able to cut off the head of his undoer plus one more foe.

I should get the head off this evening if all goes smoothly. Pics to be posted tonight.

[240ZD]

K, despite all that bombastic talk, due to the need for my car this week the head removal has been postponed 'till Sunday. :[

[240ZD]

Head removed. Went very smoothly, and damn is that thing heavier than I expected, since I left the intake, exhaust, turbo etc. all attached.

The Gasket was pretty good around the fire rings, but much of the rest was corroded, which explains the oil and coolant increasingly seeping between the head and block.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/713/bores.jpg/
The block.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/37 ... mbers.jpg/
The combustion chambers and valves look fine.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40 ... ching.jpg/
You can still see the factory cross-hatching, or course, which is common even on 300,000 mile L-series engines.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/803/turbosis.jpg/
Turbo, free of damage or shaft-play.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/713/wedgeq.jpg/
The infamous Datsun L-series wedge. If this thing slips up and out, then that is the start of The Unhappy Times.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/37/workshopn.jpg/
The time-honored tradition of using the back hatch of one's Z to store parts during projects.

Overall, there is no damage to the pistons or valves or anything. It all looks good. Just gonna clean it up, slap on a new head-gasket (three-notch) and go!~[/img]

[rlaggren]

Great pics. Look like your engine is doing well. Thanks for sharing.

Rufus

[JasperG]

Looks good. Hope you didnt have the same hassle I did finding a headgasket. I got mine from CarQuest. From the dust on it, it was hanging around somewhere ALOT of years!

[240ZD]

I got my new head gasket from Mr. Savage himself, always quick to assist a fellow Nissan Diesel enthusiast in need. I now have two pieces from the limited edition Savage Collection, including the extremely stout double-roller bearing IP pump tensioner, as well as the Factory Fantastic, leak-free new IP.

Phase two of ghetto head gasket swap complete.

Block and "combustion chamber" surfaces scraped clean using a very sharp French pocket knife, practically designed for the purpose. The combustion chambers were caked in areas with soot that was thick enough to be beating into the pistons. Both pistons and head were cleaned smooth. I think there was enough material in #4 and 5 to throw off the compression and make the car run a bit erratically.

Degreaser and brake parts cleaner were used liberally and carefully, and canned-air from the computer store was used to blow clean the cylinders and bolt holes.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/863/imgp0613.jpg/
Twas a rainy day in the ghetto workshop.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/818/imgp0615.jpg/
Revealed beneath the caked-on grease.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/577/imgp0616p.jpg/
The head with accessories. It weighed enough to hurt.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/594/imgp0619g.jpg/
This was no problem for my esteemed associate-in-arms, who became a human engine hoist.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/534/imgp0622l.jpg/
The head rests on top of its new gasket. Bolts were torqued to a reassuring 95 ft-lbs. The wooden wedge held the timing chain tensioner in place, the timing gear was reinstalled without incident, and it looks I avoided The Unhappy Times!

Minus all that hardened, caked soot in the combustion chambers, and without oil and coolant leaks, I expect the engine to run much more smoothly.