Originally Posted by Farrar
From pessimism to optimism... So, what's the best head gasket to buy? Oh, never mind, I'll just call Josh at DPI, who only stocks the best.
Honestly yes, call Josh on this one. And please, let us know what you find too. I've heard rumors that the Fel Pro gaskets are the way to go compared to the Volvo ones, and that the stock DMCH ones aren't as good as what went on at the factory in Douvrin... So I've no damn clue as to what is going on, and wouldn't be in any position to give advice on that one.
No worries at all. My wife is going to school to finish her degree, and working at the same time. So I know how hectic things can get.
As for blown head gaskets, it's funny because we were talking about that not too long ago in another thread.
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?12537-Ooze-Theory
I've got two engines, one with a good head gasket, and one with a blown one. I finally got around to creating a side-by-side comparison of the photos that I promised previously, and here they are. The first photo is of the oil filler cap.
On the left you can see the Oil Filler Cap from the PRV with a blown Head Gasket. Lots of people will tell you that when water gets into oil, it looks like chocolate milk. Now that might be true for differentials and whatnot when that oil gets exposed to muddy water. But when it's coolant that gets mixed in with engine oil, it looks nothing like chocolate milk. It looks like snot.
On the right side you see a clean oil cap on a properly running engine with a good head gasket. Inside of the Oil Filler Cap is part #102418; Filter Cartridge. DMCH doesn't sell, or even list this part. I've no idea why. But rest assured, it is serviceable. The bottom insert pops right out with a screwdriver. When you pull it out, it looks like a roll of chain link fencing that someone clipped together. Drop it in a bucket of parts cleaner, and it's good to go. But again, this is where Crank Case gasses get sucked up into the intake to be burned off. They all get pulled through that Filter. I imagine that it is probably for situations just like this, to keep the intake manifold and air inlet assembly clean. So when enough of this goop goes in there to get clogged, that's when you have excess pressures build up in the crank case. And the only real way out for them is though the main seals on the crankshaft ends.
Next up are the Oil Filler Necks.
Again the engine with the blown head gasket is on the left. The first thing that you notice is the absence of a screen. I don't even know what the part number for that thing is. But what I do know is that it's this clear-ish plastic screen that just sits down in there. It looks gold because it's been stained by the oil. But if an engine ever overheats at all, that little screen will melt faster than a crayon on asphalt in summertime. It becomes this deformed, white blob of plastic that starts to drip down. Looks nasty. And during the next oil change it'll be removed. Now I don't know if the 3.0L engines have that screen. But what I can tell you about the 2.7 & 2.8 models is if you ever see that screen deformed or missing, you know you're dealing with an over heated engine.
Also, look at the top of the Filler Neck. You can see all of that rust from where the water vapor has been condensing.
Now I don't know if there is a specific way for you to check the liners at the bottom of the block for leaking per se. But once you slide the heads off, you should see some obvious damage of where the head gasket is torn/deformed, and there would be streaks of coolant or rust where there shouldn't be any.
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