My friend’s 98 Stratus appears to be suffering from a well known
( at least from google searches ) issue with a leaking head gasket.
His car has 140,000 mi on it so he’s fucked as far as any warranty
Thing goes. Anyway, the fix appears to be replacing the gasket
With a new MLS (multi layered steel) gasket that Chrysler switched
To as a cure for the problem.

I’ve done a few head gasket jobs before, but always on MG’s
And Triumphs. This engine has an aluminum head and overhead
Cams etc.

Anybody out there ever fuck with one of these?
Anything specific I should watch out for?

1/25/2006 3:44:40 PM

I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS.

[Edited on January 25, 2006 at 4:22 PM. Reason : get mitchel on demand]

1/25/2006 4:07:30 PM

Sell it and get a non-dodge car

preferably a honda or toyota

then there will be no mechanical problems

1/25/2006 4:50:39 PM

it may seem complicated, but its not so bad. take things apart like a puzzle so theres only one way to put them back together, and keep fasteners seperated in ziplock bags and you shouldnt have a problem.

1/25/2006 4:54:29 PM

You have to have both the block deck and the cylinder head finished properly to ensure that the new head gasket seals properly.

1/25/2006 4:54:38 PM

mill the head, get a felpro style HG, and copper spray it. or take the whole motor out like zxappeal said

1/25/2006 4:57:26 PM

thats overkill and you know it

1/25/2006 4:58:47 PM

you shouldn't have to get the block milled just to replace a head gasket. I even put one back together one time without getting the head milled. my brother took the bolts out in the wrong order though and warped it a little, but the truck wasn't worth much at all so I just put in some liquid glass with copper and drove it a long time till I got in a wreck with it.

1/25/2006 6:16:10 PM

liquid glass? not the car polish right?

ive never heard of taking the bolts out in the wrong order and warping a head either. not saying it isnt possible, but its something ive never run across. do you remember what kind of engine that was on?

1/25/2006 6:20:51 PM

Quote :

"Sell it and get a non-dodge car preferably a honda or toyota then there will be no mechanical problems "

these folks are only going to own the car for another 7 months. They are from France on a work exchange program. They have two small kids and are very tight on bucks.
I just want to make the thing last for them until they go back home in july.

thanks for the input zx and opt.
I was planning on taking the head to a shop and check for warping etc.
but what do you mean by properly finishing the block deck and head surface.
I know I have to remove ALL of the old gasket residue and have the surfaces completely
clean and dry, but is there something else that needs to be done other than that?

1/25/2006 6:24:41 PM

The problem with the 2.4's is oil leaking, I believe...not coolant.

If it's coolant leaking, I do recommend throwing liquid glass in it and driving the fucker until you either (a) blow it up, (b) wreck it, or (c) sell it.

I liquid glassed my dad's Toyota T100 after it blew the head gasket. No leaks so far (knock on wood), though we also ended up replacing the radiator, as the plastic tanks on the old one bit the dust prior to the K&W treatment (under pressure). Just the head gasket set with head bolts was gonna set me back more than 400 dolla, and the engine already has 330k on it. Fuck all that noise.

BTW, on the 'yota V6's (and on a lot of engines with cast iron block and aluminum head) mating surfaces are CRITICAL, especially if you're using the multi-layer steel gaskets, which don't fill in imperfections like the graphite composites. Sure, copper coat helps, but if you wanna do it right, you gotta deck.

I would at least get a skim cut done on the head.

[Edited on January 25, 2006 at 6:27 PM. Reason : head...]

1/25/2006 6:26:17 PM

maybe I should rephrase. it was on a 302 and he took all the top row out, then the bottom row and I think he started at one end instead of in the center. I torqued it down very carefully and the mating surface looked excellent, so that's the only thing I could figure that made it leak. the leak was very slight- causing the water to foam some and losing just a little bit. the stuff I put in it was the liquid glass head gasket sealer with copper in it. the stuff swells immensely when it dries, but it took care of the problem. I've still got it around because I think I may re-use the motor down the road.

1/25/2006 6:26:24 PM

^^

yes, it's oil not coolant.
It's coming out from behind the #4 cyl. corner.
google searches show this is the most common area.
I'd just say keep putting oil in it. but it's like two quarts a week for just around town driving.

1/25/2006 6:31:14 PM

2 quarts of super tech oil a week for 7 mos would still be cheaper than a head gasket replacement

1/25/2006 6:33:37 PM

^ i used to dump that crap in my old motor.

1/25/2006 6:34:37 PM

^
good point.
although they hope to drive to CA and see the US along the way.
also, there is the risk of an engine fire.

money wise, just the price of the parts.
the'ye good people. I want to help and I like working on cars.

1/25/2006 6:37:51 PM

no, decking the block isnt something you need to do. taking the head to a machine shop and having them clean and check it out is though.

heres what you do

acquire the head gasket set (should come with valve seals and new head bolts), when you get it look at it to verify that it is indeed correct

remove the head, remove all/manifolds/sensors and any extra shit

take head and the valve seals from the head set to the machine shop, have them clean it, pressure check it, and install the new valve seals. if they it needs to be resurfaced then do it. if they say its warped, then find another head.

reinstall

kiss you friends on both cheeks and eat some bon bons

1/25/2006 6:38:52 PM

Could do what I did once...it worked for a little while.

Clean the seam really well with spray brake cleaner and let it dry for a while. Then take some Loctite green formula and wick it along the seam. Let it sit overnight. The green stuff is for nuts and bolts that have already been assembled.

Permatex also sells a spray sealer that you can use on the outside of an oil leak.

The bottom line is that replacing the head gasket is gonna take time and money. I'd try either or both of the above first...they don't cost diddly squat compared to the head gasket.

1/25/2006 6:40:17 PM

just weld it

1/25/2006 6:43:05 PM

Oh...the bad thing is, though...it makes taking the head bolts out later a big pain in the ass.

1/25/2006 6:44:26 PM

thanks zx and opt.
you dudes ARE the gurus of TWW.

I'm gonna try the loctite thing (parts money)

then see what happens.

oh, and fuck the bon bons.
these folks have turned me on to killer champaign and beer from belgum
and I turned them on to tequila and ........other things

1/25/2006 6:46:56 PM

Quote :

"BTW, on the 'yota V6's (and on a lot of engines with cast iron block and aluminum head) mating surfaces are CRITICAL, especially if you're using the multi-layer steel gaskets, which don't fill in imperfections like the graphite composites. Sure, copper coat helps, but if you wanna do it right, you gotta deck."

ive helped a former co worker do headjobs on two 3.0's in 4runners, and neither had a problem. all we did was have the heads resurfaced. we did have a hell of a time with the lifter shims on the first one though, i cant remember why. IIRC, the only real problem we had was on the second one thoff fucked up and put the cams in backwards or something.

1/25/2006 6:53:56 PM

clean the PCV system out really well if you are gonna try a "bandaid" solution, and dont run synthetic oil.

1/25/2006 6:56:28 PM

supertech is perfectly fine

so says all the oil forums online

1/25/2006 6:56:57 PM

when you have a 2qt/week leak, oil is oil. ANYTHING is fine.

1/25/2006 6:58:56 PM

FER SURE, DUDE.

And change the filter twice a year. Let'er go...

1/25/2006 8:02:08 PM

that sounds like my old 74 ford. the oil never gets dark, but I only use it as a spare truck/farm truck so it doesn't matter

1/25/2006 8:38:56 PM