Tell me about your successful head gasket replacement on a 1.3 Festiva

[David88]

If you repaired a Festy with a leaky head gasket (ie. oil in coolant or vise-versa) and had success in that it was a durable repair with significant miles put on afterwards, please tell me about it. Its seems I've heard about a lot of them failing after a short time or see them up for sale immediately after the repair.
I've always just swapped engines for something like this and while I do have a good engine available, I am thinking about doing the head gasket on my 90 automatic. There really is nothing else wrong with the engine and it is otherwise very clean and leak free. The oil in the coolant just started happening on the most recent oil change and it has many new parts on it. My brain dreamed up an idea that it could be trans fluid leaking into the the coolant inside radiator. That theory could explain the continued leaks after a new head gasket hence the "failed repair". It has been my experience that 90% of the Festys I've seen with oil/coolant swapping issues were automatics. Is that possible/likely? How can I can I tell definitively what oil it is, and where is coming from?

[twopass]

1. rad pressure test .find the air leak ,tranny dip stick bad rad,oil filler or dip sick = head or head gasket


2.Do a cylnder leak doun test,find where the air is comming out at .is it in the rad ?=bad head gasket ,the dipstick ?=rings ,both or tail pipe at same time ?= bad head.

fix
r&r rad
or
repair head ? first and most important have the head crack tested & surfaced!!! (me I get the valve job done too ) then use a good head gasket ,chase the threads, and use a good torqe wrench.
2 days + the machine shop time

[bolokid]

I had the same issue on the 91 automatic. Turned out to be the radiator leaking trans fluid into the coolant. The sludge that built up under the radiator cap and in the radiator reservoir was brown, almost a dark, dark brown rusty color.

[ryanprins13]

Its a lot easier to replace a radiator than a head gasket... Do a leakdown test on the oil cooler in the radiator


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[william]

Is the transmission fluid low?

[David88]

I had the same issue on the 91 automatic. Turned out to be the radiator leaking trans fluid into the coolant. The sludge that built up under the radiator cap and in the radiator reservoir was brown, almost a dark, dark brown rusty color.

This is exactly what I have. Thank you for confirming it is possible.

[David88]

I agree completely. I will do some checking.

[David88]

Not noticeably, but it just started happening.

[David88]

Good tips. I hope it doesn't come to the head. I'll find out and report back.

[jason_]

Even if it is the head gasket, calm down!

#1 reason people have issues after is because they didn't take care of the issues during!

Slowly, carefully, tediously, enjoy 3 or 4 brews while scraping all old gasket material off with a file edge. Files are true and straight, slowly work your way all over without marring or gouging, that more focusing on the aluminum head.

Then flip it flat and float everywhere to get an idea of any warp that may be too wild that the bolts can't over come.

A new gasket is worthless against dirty surfaces, or surfaces that can't touch.

I do all my engines usually without books. Normal practice is half torque working center outwards. Anything 80ft# in the end has always worked for me on smaller engines/bolts and never had to come back apart because of gasket issues.

I have rolled 190k miles on a head I did myself. Milled 058 off, ported and polished, new valve seats, new guides, new aluminum in the 40 over block, new meaty valves to eat up displacement, in the end I ended up around 11.5:1.

Peppy b3 it still is.....

But maybe it is the cooler. I never had a combo. To avoid issues like that I ran a cooler separate. Copper hvac coils work nice. Looks good too.


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[Flyin4stroke]

I just did a head gasket in 2 stock 1.3's. Everything is running great. I had oil in my coolant on 1 and air getting into the coolant on the other. Cleaned everything and reinstalled without a hiccup. Maybe I'm just lucky.

[ricko1966]

As an ASE mechanic with 30 plus years expierience I have never had a head gasket come back on me,I also have never worked in a shop that had a head gasket come back. Done right failure is really not a problem.Do not use a cheap head gasket! Do make sure sealing surfaces are clean and flat,follow proper torque specs and sequence.

[David88]

I've got the head off. Taking it in tomorrow for cleaning/inspection and repair if needed. No real obvious sings of leaking. there was a couple of areas where the gasket had degraded and that could have been it. Is it necessary to replace the head bolts with new?

[David88]

I got the head back. They de-greased and pressure tested, also pulled a vacuum on the valves. All good. Resurfaced it too. He said he didn't see how it could be the gasket as the oil ports are all drain back ports and not pressurized. He said the gasket looked good. Rad had a very small external coolant leak at the tank seam on 15lb. pressure test. New radiator going in as well so I hope that does it.

[bravekozak]

Check the block and the head with a machinist's straight edge before reassembling.
One or both could be warped.