I bought a T-type parts car very cheap because a mechanic had diagnosed it with broken rings because it was blowing smoke out the breather. After blowing a ton of headgaskets myself I was pretty sure what the problem was. Today I finally got around to pulling the intake off and sure enough the headgasket on the #3 cylinder is sticking straight out and to top it off it's not a steel shim and the fire ring is too narrow to be a composite turbo headgasket so I assume someone installed non turbo gaskets. I almost feel bad for getting it so cheap knowing it was probably just a blown headgasket. I'm half tempted to install it in my car and bolt all my good stuff to it until the 4.1 is ready.
I was right.
- Thread starter cool 84
- Start date
Welcome!
By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
- Messages
- 16,745
GASKETS??
Cool, your "bestest bud" most likely learned to use N/A gaskets while he was the manager at Lou's place!!!!
Cool, your "bestest bud" most likely learned to use N/A gaskets while he was the manager at Lou's place!!!!
I pulled the heads today and the cylinders are absolutely perfect. Hone marks are still there. To my surprise, the pistons say 30 on them and they're not factory turbo pistons. The surface is kind of rough, I'm thinking hypers. I was really hoping the seller told the truth that it had never been rebuilt but I guess he was wrong. I'm going to sell it but I need to make sure it's in good order. Anyone got suggestions? I plan to pull the rod and main caps and if the bearings look good, plastiguage them and make sure clearances are ok and also make sure it's a turbo crank (after all it had non-turbo headgaskets).
One oddball thing I found is the back of the block, in about the same place as where the oil drainback is on the 109 blocks (except in the rear) is a tapped hole with a brass plug. I have no idea what it was used for unless someone was trying to be sneaky with nitrous. Any ideas what it's worth if all checks out ok?
Chuck, you might be right. Maybe Jason built this thing. I found where it looked like someone tried to surface the block with a die grinder. Sounds like when he surfaced his heads (that he later sold to me) with a belt sander.
One oddball thing I found is the back of the block, in about the same place as where the oil drainback is on the 109 blocks (except in the rear) is a tapped hole with a brass plug. I have no idea what it was used for unless someone was trying to be sneaky with nitrous. Any ideas what it's worth if all checks out ok?
Chuck, you might be right. Maybe Jason built this thing. I found where it looked like someone tried to surface the block with a die grinder. Sounds like when he surfaced his heads (that he later sold to me) with a belt sander.
Look at the pistons from the bottom and check for the steel plates that support the pins...There are some aftermarket cast turbo pistons that have all the features that are shown on the piston pics page of the gnttype website except for the steel plate that is in the crown of the piston and that makes up the top ring land on the factory turbo piston...I HAD a set of them in my other motor and detonated the crap out of them for 30k miles, before I pulled them out to freshen the motor(put in TRW forged) and replaced the NA crank that was in there, and to put the correct head gaskets on it...
Hey, if you can, send me an email with pics(or a link to pics) of the pistons and the head gasket that was blown(see if you can get a pic from underneath the piston if it's still in the car, like when you check the bearings or something)...I want to see them to find out if someone else made the same mistakes on that motor as they did on mine...
Hey, if you can, send me an email with pics(or a link to pics) of the pistons and the head gasket that was blown(see if you can get a pic from underneath the piston if it's still in the car, like when you check the bearings or something)...I want to see them to find out if someone else made the same mistakes on that motor as they did on mine...
I'll have to take a picture of the headgasket. This is the worst I've ever seen. I'm saving it just for that reason. The fire ring is very thin. No way this was a turbo gasket. The pistons are starting to scare me, I really hope they aren't non-turbo pistons. I might pop one out and see. At this point it wouldn't surprise me if the crank was non-turbo also.
Mygrain, that's interesting, I had no idea about the turbo Rivieras having the drain back there.
Mygrain, that's interesting, I had no idea about the turbo Rivieras having the drain back there.
My point on the pistons was that someone does have a replacement cast piston that has all the features of the stock pistons EXCEPT the top plate didn't extend into the top ring land if it's even there at all...IMO, I'd rather have them over the hyper's...
This is what mine look like, but they aren't the factory piston... http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/pictureguides/pistonguide/38turbopiston.html
When you get the chance, I would like to see some pics...I might be able to get some pics of my replacement cast pistons, if I can get them clean enough to get some good pics and possible one of my NA Felpro headgasket that is blown...
This is what mine look like, but they aren't the factory piston... http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/pictureguides/pistonguide/38turbopiston.html
When you get the chance, I would like to see some pics...I might be able to get some pics of my replacement cast pistons, if I can get them clean enough to get some good pics and possible one of my NA Felpro headgasket that is blown...
I just looked in the 44w parts book...It seems that the turbo Riv had the same fitting at the back of the block somewhere for the turbo oil drainback but it doesn't show where...It just shows the big inverted flare adapter fitting and the drainback tube like the 86/7s but shorter...
