what if, what if, what if;
Pondering something.. and this may be way out in left field; My engine had lower liner height all along the exhaust side of the block. Some were 'just' within minimum spec, some were worse.
This block mirrors what mine looked like as well.. exhaust side leakage. Without measuring, I won't say for sure this is also what happened to this one.
Now for my question/statement; lots of posts in here stating the row of bolts were looser to remove during a head gasket R and R. This is the row that is immediate to where my liners were lower than the intake side. Half my liners were actually below deck, half were level.
What happens when the preload is lost on a fastener? It becomes 'loose(r)'. All I'm implying is, if my liners all were installed at a positive height, and this height was 'lost' from thermal breakdown, erosion, or just plain squished... the PRELOAD is reduced, and the clamping force reflected back up through the fastener is also reduced. Resulting in that row of bolts taking less torque to remove..
Wild swing I know, but going from a .002 raised liner, to a .000 level liner is going to remove .002 inch of preload, or stretch on that bolt.. 'maybe'... it isn't the bolt's fault after all?
Vmspecialist told me to 'push' the installed height of these liners.. up to .0025 inch. I'm thinking they've seen a lot of 'sunk' liners over the years, and recommend this added height to add a few years service?? This particular design engine (or the materials used) may be just prone to not 'holding specs' in this area!!
Gordnado; when I look at corrosion such as we see on this deck.. it's the acidic combustion gasses headed out.. and even if the coolant system was filled with pure oil, it's going to corrode where ever the gasses displaces the coolant.. When I took out my liners, I saw the corrosion was only along the top part of the coolant jacket.. Go5 is fantastic stuff for 'whole system protection' but even this is asking too much for localized 'hot spots'
Yes, the best coolant is paramount here!!!
Geordi;
How does going with a thicker gasket, that is flat, parallel surface, and is totally incompressible (except for that thin layer of rubbery coating) seal any differently than a thinner one?
The only time this MIGHT work is if the difference these gaskets is the thickness of that coating.. not the actual steel shim(s) I can't believe the difference in the 3 available gaskets are based on how thick a soft coating is. Our gaskets have 3 layers of steel. 2 thinner outer layers, Possibly a harder type steel, (stainless?) and the 'variable' center layer. This is the layer that 'should' have the different thickness according to it's final designed thickness.
1. Take a 1 hole gasket, on a properly set up block and liner, and a brand new cylinder head. Torque the studs to recommended spec.
2. remove this head, and install a 2 hole gasket. repeat the torqueing of the head once again.
3. There will be NO difference on clamping pressure between the 2. Even directly on top of the liner itself, the amount of 'bite' (seal) will be the same.
4. the ONLY thing that can change the amount of 'bite' or seal in this particular instance, is how much the liner protrudes up out of the block... and INTO the flat gasket surface. Thick or thin gasket, it is flat, and if the liner sticks up .002, then it's going to bite into the gasket exactly .002 inch. regardless of how many holes it has
Please explain how a taller gasket makes a better seal in this case.
If these gaskets were 'soft fuzzy' gaskets, that needed to have a lot of flexibility to fill deep gouges, pits, etc.... then YES. Thicker would be better...