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BEFORE YOUR HEAD GOES ON THE BLOCK viii - AA Gaskets

BEFORE your HEAD. goes ON THE OVERHEATING HARDNESS. Most modern engines operate within a temperature range Checking for hardness requires a hardness tester. of approximately 88 to 105 Celsius (190 to 220 While this in itself is not overly expensive or complicate Fahrenheit). If an engine exceeds its normal operating it is often difficult to obtain a specification as to what range and overheats the elevated temperatures can cause the allowable hardness figure should be. Each engine extreme stress in the cylinder head. This particularly true manufacturers has their own blend of aluminium alloys of bi-metal engines where the difference in the thermal with the mix trace elements used differing slightly from expansion rate of the aluminium cylinder head is two to manufacturer to the next. Some further complicate this three times that of the cast iron BLOCK . It is important to by using a number of different alloys within their range note at this time that a water temperature gauge only of engines the specific alloy used for a Nissan CA20.

BEFORE YOUR HEAD GOES ON THE BLOCK... viii. CLEANLINESS. Prior to assembly a final check of all components should be made paying particular ... engines whether of aluminium or cast iron construction however due to the rapid changes in technology always check the …

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Transcription of BEFORE YOUR HEAD GOES ON THE BLOCK viii - AA Gaskets

1 BEFORE your HEAD. goes ON THE OVERHEATING HARDNESS. Most modern engines operate within a temperature range Checking for hardness requires a hardness tester. of approximately 88 to 105 Celsius (190 to 220 While this in itself is not overly expensive or complicate Fahrenheit). If an engine exceeds its normal operating it is often difficult to obtain a specification as to what range and overheats the elevated temperatures can cause the allowable hardness figure should be. Each engine extreme stress in the cylinder head. This particularly true manufacturers has their own blend of aluminium alloys of bi-metal engines where the difference in the thermal with the mix trace elements used differing slightly from expansion rate of the aluminium cylinder head is two to manufacturer to the next. Some further complicate this three times that of the cast iron BLOCK . It is important to by using a number of different alloys within their range note at this time that a water temperature gauge only of engines the specific alloy used for a Nissan CA20.

2 Records the average temperature of the engines coolant it engine may differ to the alloy used for a Nissan RB30. does not indicate the temperature of the engine BLOCK or engine . cylinder heat castings. Overheating is caused by the inability of the engines cooling system to absorb and dissipate the heat Cylinder heads that generated by the combustion process. Low or loss of have softened coolant, accumulated deposits in the water jackets, defective thermostat or radiator cap, slipping fan clutch should not be put or inoperative electric fan, eroded or loose water pump back into service impeller, poor air flow through the radiator can all contribute to an engine overheating. Other factors such as retarded ignition timing, lean air/fuel mixture, detonation/pre-ignition, exhaust restrictions and Most aluminium cylinder heads will have begun to soften overworking the engine will also contribute to when exposed to temperatures between 200 to 250.

3 Overheating. Celsius (392 to 482 Fahrenheit). At 250 to 300 . Celsius (482 to 572 Fahrenheit) the softening will have HOT SPOTS become quite severe making the cylinder head not suitable for service. For this reason, even with the difficulties Hot spots in a cylinder BLOCK or head are caused by a mentioned above, it is very important to hardness test localised overheating. When a hot spot forms the any aluminium cylinder head when the engine is known to surrounding metal expands greatly creating added have overheated or when repair work such as welding has stress which may cause the head to warp or even crack. been carried out on the head. Localised hot spots within The extreme temperature of a hot spot can also cause a the cylinder head can result in localised soft spots so it is localised soft spot in the cylinder head. essential that the testing is carried out over a number of positions on the head. In addition to the sealing surface of A cooling system that is not operating efficiently, loss or the cylinder head particular attention should also be paid lack of coolant, an air pocket in the cooling system, or an to the mating surfaces for the cylinder head bolts.

4 Abnormal combustion problem that causes combustion Indentations on the head bolt mating surface resulting temperatures to increase dramatically can result in the from where the bolt head has sunk into the cylinder head formation of a localised hot spot. aluminium cylinder heads is a sure sign of softness. where the exhaust valves for the two centre cylinders are positioned back to back are also prone to localised overheating between the adjacent sets of valves. Localised hot spots are one of the more easily identifiable causes of a head gasket failure. A hot spot causes the surrounding metal in the cylinder BLOCK and head to expand which in turn can crush and damage the head gasket, creating a leak where the exhaust gases will erode the Gaskets facing material. Eventually the escaping exhaust gases will burn through the Gaskets fire rings and steel core. viii BEFORE your HEAD. goes ON THE CLEANLINESS surface and the head bolt mating surfaces.

5 While the following refers to cylinder blocks Prior to assembly a final check of all and cylinder heads the basic principles should components should be made paying particular be applied to all surfaces where a gasket is attention to the cleanliness of all items. required to create a seal. Assembling of the engine should be carried out on a clean work surface free from foreign Distortion relates to the total values of the objects and debris. cylinder head and the cylinder BLOCK . To measure just the cylinder head or just the The presence of foreign debris such as BLOCK in isolation produces an incomplete abrasive residue, dirt, carbon, old gasket result that may be outside the recommended material, etc. on either of the gasket sealing specification. Total maximum distortion values surfaces can greatly reduce the ability of the for cylinder heads and blocks combined are gasket to create an effective seal. Foreign shown below: material can prevent the gasket from establishing good contact with the sealing 3 cylinder & V6 engines surfaces creating a path through which Length: ( ).

6 Leakage can occur and debris that becomes Width: ( ). embedded in the surfaces of the gasket can cause damage to the gasket or in extreme 4 cylinder & V8 engines cases to the sealing surfaces. Length: ( ). Width: ( ). Straight 6 cylinder engines Length: ( ). Width: ( ). Using a good straight edge and feeler gauge check both the cylinder head and BLOCK for warpage and flatness as shown: A build up of carbon deposits in the combustion chamber and on the crown of the pistons is a common cause of detonation. A. thick layer of carbon can also have an insulating effect that inhibits the transfer of heat from the combustion chamber to the cylinder head and into the cooling system causing combustion temperatures to rise. This Both the cylinder head and BLOCK surfaces rise in the combustion temperature can lead should also be checked for waviness. to the condition known as pre-ignition. Undulations or waves across the sealing surface should not exceed a maximum height DISTORTION.

7 Of ( ) for wave peaks between A Gaskets ability to create and maintain a seal ( ) and ( ) apart. is directly related to the condition of the Wave peaks with a spacing greater than surfaces upon which it is required to perform. ( ) the wave height should Distortion on either surface, damage such as exceed a maximum of ( ). corrosion, deep scratches, gouges, pitting, There should be no wave peaks with a spacing excessive surface roughness and or waviness of less than ( ) and there will all reduce the Gaskets performance. In should be no sudden irregularities on the short, a poor surface will produce a poor seal. sealing surface that exceeds It is therefore very important when replacing a ( ) or any out of flat of plus or minus gasket to inspect the condition of both ( ) across a ( ). surfaces to ensure both are within acceptable section in any direction. limits. Of equal importance is to check that the cylinder head has not developed any cracks or has not softened particularly on the sealing ix BEFORE your HEAD.

8 goes ON THE FINISH COOLING SYSTEMS. If a surface finish is too rough or coarse the gasket can More than half of head Gaskets received by AA Gaskets not fully conform to the irregularities. Combustion gases Pty Ltd for evaluation that have failed in service clearly and engine fluids can not be properly sealed. In the past show signs that can be directly attributed to engine the prevailing theory was if the surface finish was too overheating. As we have mentioned earlier in this section smooth, friction between the surface and the gasket is (page viii) the reasons for overheating are many and reduced allowing the gasket to move and prone to blow varied. Quite often however the condition and proper out. Due to the improvement to composite materials in functioning of an engines cooling system is ignored. recent years current thinking is now that the smoother the finish that can be achieved the better. It is the job of an engines cooling system to absorb, transport and dissipate the heat generated by the Surface finish or perhaps more correctly surface combustion process.

9 In today's modern vehicles the roughness values are normally expressed as roughness cooling systems are smaller and are designed to operate average or Ra, either in micrometers or microinches. Ra a near maximum capacity. It is therefore essential that is the calculated value of the average roughness the cooling system is properly maintained to the deviation from the mean roughness height. Another manufacturers' specifications. Following a major engine expression commonly used for surface finish is average repair or rebuild it is essential that the vehicles cooling peak to valley height or Rz, again either in micrometers system is thoroughly checked. Radiator tanks and cores, or microinches. Rz is the average value of individual peak thermostats and thermo switches, fan belts and water to valley heights in five continuous individual pumps should all be inspected and if necessary replaced. measurement sections. Unfortunately Ra and Rz are not The cooling system should be drained, thoroughly flushed comparable and therefore the value of one cannot be and refilled with fresh coolant.

10 Converted to that of the other. There are two ways to check surface finish. One is to use a comparator gauge which is a flat piece of metal upon which a number of specimens of standard surface finishes have been reproduced. By comparing the appearance and the feel of the machined surface to those of the specimens on the comparator an approximate surface finish can by estimated. The other method is to actually measure the surface finish using a surface roughness tester called a profilometer which drags a diamond tipped stylus across the surface to One of heats basic principles is that it will always flow measure and calculate the surface finish. from an area of higher temperature to an area of lower temperature. Corrosion and or contamination can The material from which the gasket and the components severely reduce a cooling systems ability to operate to be sealed are manufactured have a bearing on the level efficiently and effectively. In basic terms corrosion is the of required surface finish however the following general deterioration of a solid by a chemical or an specifications are suitable for most petrol and diesel electrochemical process.


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