***COMETIC 1.2 MLS HG SR20DET LEAKING? Any advice?***

[jgauspohl]

I have a fully built blacktop that I put a MLS Cometic 1.2 HG on. It's been running fine but seems to be barely seeping oil above the oil pump/front cover...and then when we hit 12 degree temps yesterday ....steam started coming from the back of the head...seemingly from the HG...this seems odd to me since it is a brand new gasket installed on a sr20 with ARP head studs correctly torqued in sequence. I'm going to retorque the headstuds ...or check them persay today and then have the motor compression/leakdown tested. I was just wondering if anyone has had this problem before? The motor hasn't felt quite the same as it was after the initial break in...and I've had to bleed the coolant system too many times due to air entering the system...which leads me to believe the HG is faulty. If the HG is bad...I'm going to try and recover some of the cost and then probably go with a HKS 1.2...since it has the rubberized coating already..and I know for a fact it won't fail. Any opinions and advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

[ILikeMy240sx]

Ive seen many Cometic HGs leak toward the back.

Go with Apex'i HG I use this and have not had any problems even after 5 times of torquing it down.

[karmakaze]

when you installed it did you use copper spray? and how did you have the matting surfaces machined? for a metal headgasket to seal properly it needs to be much smoother than the stock headgasket requires.

[xero1]

no problem with my cometic head gasket. always resurface the head when installing a new metal head gasket.

[jgauspohl]

everything was machined and decked...of course...but I figured out the problem. Apparently the shop that I had hone and assemble my bottom end ****ed it up. The pistons after removing the head and seeing the nastiness ....the pistons move front to back about 1/16 of an inch or more...which is ridiculous. Either the block was honed to big and the rings not gapped or there was no clearance in the rod bearings. Either way this is what caused the headgasket failure/leak. I'M F'IN PISSED!!! I'M SERIOUSLY READY TO F'IN MURDER SOMEONE. I'm trying to get a hold of the shop because it is obviously their fault...either that or the machine shops that they used. Either way..one way or another either I'm going to have to sell the nearly brand new Ross pistons or tear them out and have the block sleeved with Darton sleeves to exactly 86.5. Either way it's a lot of money paid for PEOPLE TO DO A HALF *** JOB ON! Cross your fingers everyone hopefully this doesn't turn into a court case.

[karmakaze]

are those the same guys that tried to d!ck you over about how much you owed them?

[jgauspohl]

are those the same guys that tried to d!ck you over about how much you owed them?

nah...different people and I got a hold of them...they'll be disassembling the block as soon as I take it to them and inspecting it.

[karmakaze]

nah...different people and I got a hold of them...they'll be disassembling the block as soon as I take it to them and inspecting it.

awsome. where are you taking it to? i need to get my block sleeved and bored.

I was thinking of:B and R Automotive and Diesel Machine Shop6542 Chapman HwyKnoxville, TN 37920

The told me they would charge me: 90 per hole to sleeve100 to clean and bore

btw, hows that 7/9 spring setup?

[jgauspohl]

awsome. where are you taking it to? i need to get my block sleeved and bored.

I was thinking of:B and R Automotive and Diesel Machine Shop6542 Chapman HwyKnoxville, TN 37920

The told me they would charge me: 90 per hole to sleeve100 to clean and bore

btw, hows that 7/9 spring setup?

I'm taking the block back to the shop that assembled it...the only reason I didn't do it ..is I don't have a ring compressor or a ring file...that and I didn't feel like messing with it. That's alot of money to sleeve and bore..you can google Darton sleeves for the sr and theres a place that does the whole deal with sleeves included for like a 1000 bucks and they're much more reputable than anyone around here. They even have pics of the Dartons and AEBS t sleeves being installed and their machines they use. Oh and I haven't put the 7/9's on yet...6/8's are treating me just fine.

[brandonb012]

what shop is doin this work? not tryin to be nosey just curious cause im not aware of any shops around here besides racing innovations lol

[jgauspohl]

block is fine...I think I just gave it too much hell...it overheated and the head warped...btw don't ever do ross pistons they slap worse than any other forged piston I've ever heard because of the loose clearances. They sound fine when warmed up but they chatter. I should be getting the head back tomorrow as well as the block. It should be fine...still won't be running for a good while though. Need to buy a koyo and as well as redo some lines and put an oil coiler and clutch in before it goes back in.

[Fireplug]

Listen carefully. If you're re-doing your engine the machine shop will need to know this info or you will have coolant mix with the oil!! Take the shortblock to the machine shop and have them deck the block WITH THE FRONT OIL PUMP COVER ON!! The front cover sits .2mm higher then the block and causes a gap that the multi layer steel gasket cannot compensate for!

Edit: This generally happens at 500+whp level, but it's still good to have a completely even surface.
Modified by Fireplug at 10:13 AM 3/7/2007

[Sil80315]

I heard it was bad to use copper spray on an aluminum block? I didn't use it when i installed my Cometic Multi layer metal headgasket

[Fireplug]

I haven't had any problems whatsoever. There's guys that swear by it and there's guys that don't like it. I'm one of the ones that swears by it! I copper coated both of my Power Enterprise mls headgaskets, the intake manifold gasket, etc.

[jgauspohl]

sorry I haven't been on in a while but circumstances led to the problem. The head had warped lmfao. Oh well I got it fixed. Now I'm flipping cars for the time being...going to do a little endeavor into real estate to fund my passion for "wasting" money on nissans lmfao. Anyway all I'm lacking is a new headgasket and a koyo n-flow...they'll be coming soon as soon as I make some money through these investments I'm working on. I don't think the ka radiator was intended for crazy drifting sessions...so I've learned lmfao.