Headgasket failure

[Paff]

Hi guys.

First let me apologise if this is in the wrong place.
I've done some searching but managed to totally get lost and confused, so if anyone could point me in the right direction it would be appreciated.

I have an MR2 mk1 89model, but its running a 3vz-Fe out of a camry.
Just before I took it back off the road the system kept over pressurising and blowing a pipe off. A little mayo was appearing in the oil cap as well. I'm not too worried, have already got the gaskets and just the headbolts to get then I can start the rebuild.

The thing I was wondeing is I saw in one post someone mentioning a breakdown of replacing the headgasket on the 3VZ-FE but cannot actually find this breakdown.

If anyone could help I would appreciate it. I have a lot of work to do to this car and the quicker i can get some of the info means the quicker I can get it back on the road and start the V8 swap into my second mr2.

Cheers for any help you can give me.

Paff

[Vagisimo]

it was blowing off a pipe? any idea what pipe? or was it just a tube? hmmm let me think, could be blow by from the piston rings since you say it was over-pressurizing, what was over pressurizing, is oil dripping out of the dip-stick tube? take the dip stick out and see if oil squirts out when you rev the engine, amyonaise in the oil cap is normal from moisture created by combustion, is there water in the oil? that would be a sure sign of a blown head gasket, probably need new rings though? im not sure because your description is very vague!!!

Im still trying to get my pipe blown, so far no one wants too.

[Paff]

Cheers for the reply vagisimo.

Reading back it is a little vague, oops, really should think before I post

The pipe the is popping off is a coolant pipe. Its annoying because its one on the mr2 that needs modifying to fit with the V6 water pipe location so always a bit suspicious of it.

Basically the water temp on a long run will slowly creep higher and higher but put the heaters on (not fun on a rare hot day) and the temp will sit steady at the midway point on the guage. Also the coolant is becomming discoloured after a short while even tho the system has been flushed though. I couldn't see any water in the oil last time I dropped it which was about 2 months ago.

I know the headgaskets can be an issue on these engines so I plan to replace it anyway and will be checking everything while its apart as I plan on a low blow turbo application in the future.

The oil pressure appears fine, its been linked through to the stock mk1 guage and as of yet I can see no issues occuring with it.
I realise a little mayo may be possible due to the combustion but in my experience it usually clear on a long run, altho it doesn't appear to on this one.

Other than that the engine appears to run sweet and is totally at home in the mr2, certainly makes for a lot of fun

you wanna come to Wales if you want your pipe blown. Plenty of loose women round here

[EvoFire]

What radiator are you running? I hope, since you have the expertise to swap the V6 in, that you swapped in a bigger rad too, there is no way the stock rad that cools the 4AGE can possibly cool that V6. The 3VZ is a hot engine, especially after you run it hard.

I would be suspicious of the pipe too since you said it has to be modified. Also did you use a new or old pipe? My pipe in the Camry was a soft hose, and it was clamped down. After I did my headgasket, we found the pipe to have deteriorated and the clamp wasn't strong enough to clamp on the new pipe, maybe that is something you can check out.

The thermostat on these cars are known to go too, check that also.

The mayo is fine... Though I would check the head gasket. I dunno if there can be a slow leak on a head gasket cause when mine went, bam it boiled and overflowed most of my coolant.

Since you plan on low boosting it, I would pull it all out right while you have it off the road, and swap the head and valve gaskets. The gaskets on this engine isn't the strongest, though the engine is quite stout.

Oh and if you have the time, port and polish the head and headers. From reading some MR2 sites, it seems to give a decent gain.

And nice little chuckle about the pipes.

[Paff]

I am running the standard rad, altho I'm not the only one that has done that. TBH is is too good at cooling on the 4AGE and the fans never kicked in when it ran stock. A few other guys are using the same setup with no issues so I don't think there is a problem there tbh, its a new rad as well so should be up to the job. At some point I will hopefully get a different rad but for now this is all I have, altho might upgrade the fans and have them put on a switch so I can determine if I wwant them on rather than a temperature sensor in the bay.

I'll definatly be ordering a thermostat when I order the head bolts as I don't know how long the other has been on or in what condition the existing one is.

I've had a few gaskets go now on various mr2's and as you say its usually an eruption of coolant so perhaps the gasket is fine, still as I have a new one already I might as well go ahead with swapping it out I spose. At least I know it will be good for a while then.

I'd love to be polishing and porting the block but might have to wait until the next build of the lump (might even get a second engine if I can find one at a decent price). Can then go to town on it and build up a nice not so low boosted engine. There is a guy who would do it for me but I just can't afford to spend out much more at the moment, got some more plans involving nos. both on the V6 and my bike.

This is definatly only the first build unless I can get hold of a 5vz and then I'll just use that instead and swap this engine into a mk2 to sell.

I'm sure it was a new pipe we used but will check that again anyway, its definatly worth looking.

Cheers for the help guys.
I just hope I can get it sorted soon as have a lot of other things to do to this car other than the engine. and driving the track car daily is a bit of a pain

[EvoFire]

Check the clamps, maybe its not clamping hard enough.

If you have the time, maybe not port, but polish the head, I think that would give you some marginal gains, its always better to be smooth than rough.

I've read up on these engines, port and polish and some bigger valves gives some nice gains. Cams do nothing though.

Good luck troubleshooting ur car.

[Paff]

Will check that when it all goes back together, see if I can find a better clamping method as well.

I've actually got a second head on its way so am gonna get that one done up ported and see about swapping that over afterwards.

We've actually got a guy over here who is trying out various things and getting them on a flow bench but he wants £450 for the porting and I just havn't got that spare at the mo.

Cheers for the suggestions, will give me something to look at

[toyomoho]

Toyota had a recall of these engines (around 88 and up) for head gasket problems.

[EvoFire]

At least you have something to keep you busy on the car. I don't.... Kinda boring to drive a car that's even more of a grocery getter than a Camry.

[Vagisimo]

Here are some links for Head gasket info on the 3vz

change of cilinder head gasket

so i blew my head gasket