03 head gasket needs replaced any tips?

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Wed May 16, 2012 2:14 am

I just trade me blown up jeep for a 03 sxt with a bad head gasket. It still runs i drove it 90 before it got hot in my drive way. I pulled the filler cap and found alot of consistent bubbles. So anyone have any tips or tricks to make this easier?

DetergentCandy · Post by **DetergentCandy** » Wed May 16, 2012 3:56 am

A few beers.

Post by **occasional demons** » Wed May 16, 2012 7:08 am

Not much to make it easier, just add to the cost. If the mileage is up there, may want to consider a timing component kit while you have all that stuff off anyways. Rent the Harmonic Balancer puller from AutoZone or a parts store that rents them out for refund on return. The chrysler specific puller makes that part a bit easier.

If it has an ATX, use a large hammer on the wrench to break the crank bolt loose. Just keep hitting the wrench, it will come loose eventually. Otherwise you have to pull the inspection cover from the TC, and hold it some how. MTX models, just put it in gear, and put a screwdriver in each rotor.

Also have the head checked for warpage.

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Wed May 16, 2012 12:22 pm

Yeah a few beers are on the parts list and i have a pully tool to keep the crank from turning. And thanks for the tip on the puller. I also just got a p0440 cel wich is evep failure. Could this be caused by a bad hg?

Post by **occasional demons** » Wed May 16, 2012 12:36 pm

I doubt it.

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Wed May 16, 2012 12:56 pm

What would cause that? Anything i can look for or replace?

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Wed May 16, 2012 1:27 pm

Pretty sure bad gas cap is the culpruit. Its broke.. I just checked it..

DetergentCandy · Post by **DetergentCandy** » Wed May 16, 2012 3:53 pm

That will cause a fairly large leak.
Though it's not going to make your coolant bubble.

What other signs are you noticing that would lead you to believe it's a bad head gasket?

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Wed May 16, 2012 7:51 pm

Just gets hot ive heard bubbling in the coolant it normally caused by either had gasket or cracked block/head. But no fluids are contaminated. No water in the oil or oil in the coolant

OB · Post by OB » Wed May 16, 2012 7:53 pm

Sounds like a HG, can't hurt to pressure test the cooling system and maybe rent a block tester to check for exhaust gases in the coolant reservoir.

DetergentCandy · Post by **DetergentCandy** » Wed May 16, 2012 8:51 pm

Maybe you're only running water, and it's boiling over?

Just assuming, since you say no fluids are contaminated.

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:16 pm

Could be only water.. Idk tho.. Even on a cold run it has the bubbles making me think its a hg. Ill go get it and the block pressure tested tomorrow and ill post up the results.. Thanks everyone for your help thus far

Post by **occasional demons** » Wed May 16, 2012 10:34 pm

Meh, I had the constant bubbles/random overheating with the daughter's 1gn. It had 50/50 in it. I pressure tested it before I checked it for bubbles at the filler neck.

It held pressure fine. Even after 15 minutes the needle stayed put. It didn't blow white smoke, try to hydrolock at start up, or none of the other symptoms of a bad HG. Just bubbling at the filler neck, even when the temp was warm to normal.

Luckily it was only bad enough that it let combustion pressure out, but not cooling system pressure in.

It would just accumulate enough "air" in the head, that it would peg the temp gauge for a bit, then go back to normal. Of course it would push coolant out the expansion tank overflow, so you had to add coolant. Since it was not getting into the oil, or the ATF, and passed a pressure test, the expansion tank overflow is about the only place it could have gone.

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Wed May 16, 2012 11:55 pm

Sounds like this one. It pushes water out of the resivor im assuming since theres water on the vc after the temp gets hot..

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Thu May 17, 2012 11:59 am

Well the shop said everything was normal.. Both had a small leak. Cooling system held pressure with a small leak.. They told me its prolly the hg

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Sat May 19, 2012 12:53 am

So i drove around town for the last 2 hours and it never got above normal temp.. Went our on the highway and still never got hot. Im at a loss.. Anyone have anyideas of things i could check that would cause bubbles?

DetergentCandy · Post by **DetergentCandy** » Sat May 19, 2012 4:35 am

Drain the radiator. Refill with proper coolant/water mix. Check for airbubbles again.

OB · Post by OB » Sat May 19, 2012 7:12 pm

A bad radiator cap can cause the coolant to boil; it's the higher pressure that makes for a higher boiling point. If the cap isn't holding pressure the water will boil closer to 212 degrees F, which is far too low for these engines since they run at close to that temperature during normal conditions.

Did the shop actually test the coolant for exhaust gas contamination or just pressure test the system? Reason I ask is, if the head gasket is causing the cooling system to pressurize (i.e it is leaking exhaust from the cylinder or head into the coolant via jackets in the block or head) there will be traces of gas emissions in the coolant, which can be measured by a block tester. If it fails this test you can bank on the HG or a crack in the block or head. Unfortunately a tear down is the only real way to find the exact problem at that point.

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Sun May 20, 2012 12:58 am

Well they didnt say so im assuming it was only a pressue test. Ive found a back up motor 102k for cheat with a garrenty for it . Im trying to deceide if i wanna tear into this and replace the hg and hope therez no cracks or major warpage or just get the other motor and swap them

Post by **occasional demons** » Sun May 20, 2012 1:53 am

Even removing the head, you can't always tell where the HG has failed, especially with just a small leak into the water jacket. The way these new gaskets are, there isn't much sealer on them to give tell tale signs like the older gaskets. On the one I just did, there really wasn't anything that was obvious. Could have been leaking between the layers for all I know.

My guess is, since the bottom end is a DOHC, and the head was reman SOHC, they likely reused the head bolts, and they just weren't holding well. There was one that didn't take much to loosen at all. It looked fine, as in no stretch, but they all went in the trash. For $20ish for a set from RA, I am not reusing head bolts. Especially since I do not know the history of them.

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Sun May 20, 2012 2:05 am

Well you can tell its been replaced before.. Per the wiring isnt in the proper locations. So im thinking/hoping it maybe the head bolts or somethingsmall and not a crack head/block

DetergentCandy · Post by **DetergentCandy** » Sun May 20, 2012 2:06 am

CoMaToSe417 wrote:Ive found a back up motor 102k for cheat with a garrenty for it .

Guarantee*

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Mon May 28, 2012 10:22 pm

Alright so i got the hg replaced and the gas cap. The p0440 is gone! But now i have a p0420. Any ideas? Im gonna pull the cat off i guess and check it. And test my o2's anything else i can check car seems to be running great no missing its running just about perfectly smooth

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon May 28, 2012 10:42 pm

Probably nothing wrong with the o2 sensors. They are likely reading close to the same, due to the cat not doing anything.

If the HG was seeping small amounts of coolant into the combustion chamber, it may have done the cat in. Ethylene-glycol is bad for all types of cats.

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Mon May 28, 2012 10:53 pm

Im thinking of switching the cat from my 2000 to my 03 to see if that changes anything

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon May 28, 2012 11:04 pm

Ha, good luck, the outlet on the 2000 may be a bit small. Most 2000 and early 2001 were only 2" outlets.

CoMaToSe417 · Post by **CoMaToSe417** » Tue May 29, 2012 12:14 am

Wow thanks for the info.. I woulda been heated to do all that work with that result