And now, a word about head gaskets...

Felpro gaskets are actually BETTER than OE. They don't just make OE gaskets, they actually make improvements on the design so they work better.

Reply to
m6onz5a
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On Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:54:23 -0400, Hachiroku ???? wrote:

If there's a Supra forum(s), check that out for gasket recommendations. It's not a given the Fel-Pro will have the best gasket. For the GM 3800 Series II lower intakes the Fel-Pro was said to be identical to the problematic OEM. In mid-2005 GM came out with an aluminum framed LIM gasket that is considered the one that won't fail. Fel-Pro doesn't have it. Toyota may have the best gasket. Might be harder to get a good gasket judgement on the 7M-GE versus the 3800 Series II due to difference in the pool of experience though. Rebuild versus doing the head gasket gets called mostly by the pain of doing the head gasket and how bad you want the car and how long you figure to have it. If it's a fairly easy job you just might do the HG. Keep in mind how long the local guy will be available and working too. Nobody is forever. I've had cars that I wouldn't think twice about spending $3-4k putting in a brand new long block. But usually body rust makes the whole deal a bad one. Did it once though, and no regrets. Consider how you'll feel if your cost/labor doing the HG gets paid back a few months later with a rod knock. Happened to me when I did heads in the high mile 350 I had in my van. Just a waste of time/money. Once you open an engine you can find the work expanding. For example on the 350 I had a burned valve. Well, when the heads are off you really want to replace those 16 old lifters, right? Whoa, there's quite a bit of carbon on those piston tops and I see a little scoring on the cylinder walls. Maybe I should do the lower end. You get the picture. And really scour info sources before you start. To cut this off and maybe provide something useful I'm starting a new thread to discuss this a bit in the tech and GM groups. Shop manual versus net know-how.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

Pull the head, clean things up, and if it looks too bad you just made pulling the engine easier.

Reply to
clare

ARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!

Thanks! Now my brain REALLY hurts!

I have a job where I drive a lot, and all day I was weighing the options: it's a 22 year old car, with 220,000 miles on it. I can get ~80,000 or less out of it, depending. However, the way it runs it may go more.

Also: transmission needs work. LSD is on the way out. Body has some rust, but not bad, but I have to get on it soon. Needs either a new PS high pressure hose, and/or PS pump, and/or rack and pinion...

This is my third sports car, and my third major headache. You think I'd learn by now and buy stoic, solid sedans and stay away from the high-strung models. But, where's the fun in that?

So, I can do the majority of the body work myself, and there is a guitar player in my band who will help with the harder stuff and paint it (he does EXCELLENT paint jobs...). I can probably do the HG myself, but beyond that I'd have to seek professional help...

So, do I patch it and run it till it blows, go all through it and hope it gets another 100,000 miles, sell it, or...

I always wanted a Supra. There are better examples out there, and there are a lot worse. This is a good base car for a rebuild. (There's also another one, literally around the corner with a fresh HG and a turbo for $1500...the kid bought a truck)

Of course, there's also the 1990 Mitsubishi 3000GT I saw today for $1700... always wanted one of those, too... ;)

I am leaning towards parking it for 2-3 years and going through it system by system until it is one of the better stock Supras on the East Coast...

Reply to
Hachiroku

Not much fun however, if this is a habit you wish to break, just get married and have kids - this will pretty much put an end to you having fun. I dimly remember my father coming home with a convertible when we was kids and we took our first ride in it. Now that was fun! My dad was excited and so were we. My guess is that having two (three?) excited kids in that thing scared my mother to death and that was pretty much the last time we rode or saw that car. Poor dad...

Reply to
dsi1

LOL! I bet.

But the kids are growed and out and after the divorce I was left with a big, empty hole in my life (or, without, depending on your POV...) so when this car came up for near nothing I decided I'd do it.

I get attatched to my cars. However, this one has me thinking about eBay... I love Toyotas, and this is the flagship. But it's the cash situation...

Reply to
Hachiroku

$1800+:

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Reply to
AMuzi

Not true. Fel-Pro part number 98014T

Reply to
aarcuda69062

Thanks for the update. When we did the Bonneville last year the latest word in the Bonneville forum was only GM had the metal framed.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

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Hmmm...I wonder what it has for trouble you can't see. At least mine

*looks* good!

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Reply to
Hachiroku

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Seller says it's "super fast" and no rust, recently stolen in Arizona or something like that.

Seriously, cars are generally cheap on ebay now. My own recent purchase and an employee's car were good value.

I know nothing about this or any Supra. This one may have the same head gasket issue as yours. Or not.

Reply to
AMuzi

=?iso-2022-jp?q?Hachiroku_=1B$B%O%A%m%=2F=1B=28B?= wrote in news:JbDPn.46341$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe16.iad:

"may need tranny adjustment" Hmmm.

Assuming there *is* such a car. I have severe doubts about ebay. A while ago, they had a entry for a pre-1970's Lotus F1 car. The only real pictures they had - aside from one that seemed to be copied out of Grand Prix Legends, was of an unpainted aluminum body shell. Nothing else.

Reply to
chuckcar

I just did one on a 3400 in an Alero and the Fel-pro one is metal framed and a lot better than the one that came with the car.

Reply to
zzyzzx

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