Head Gasket - Again...

[igdirect]

Hi all,

Two and a half years ago I had a misfire on startup problem with loss of coolant due to a cracked head gasket. This was duly repaired (about £1300) by a Listers Toyota garage.

A week ago, I began to notice lumpy idle when the engine was warm, and on a run to London saw steam coming from under the bonnet - the rad almost empty.

I took it back to the same garage who had done the original repair. They've pressure tested the system and found no external leaks but a definite loss of pressure. They're now about to remove the head as there's the obvious possibility that it's the head gasket once again.

My question is this - do I have any comeback on this garage if the head gasket is the problem? To my mind once a head gasket is renewed with a reskimmed and properly fitted head, then it should last a lot longer than two and a half years. The service dept. told me their repairs are guaranteed for just one year, but I pointed out that Lexus build quality combined with competent repair would suggest that any major repair should last a proverbial lifetime.

I'd welcome comments from anyone who's had this happen to them, or members in the Lexus trade. My car's a GS300 Mk1.

Cheers,

Ian

[Steve ( West Mids )]

After 2 and a half years no chance. You probably need to look for cracked or porous block as well.

[IanCornwall]

After 2 and a half years sorry no chance, if it was 2 and a half months then yes they wouold be liable and duty bound to repair it

I did my own GS300 Mk 1 head gasket, ok i am an engineer, but it was done in the car park with very basic tools off and back on dead easy, the standard of engineerin in the engine makes it a pleasure to work on

but if you do it yourself definately get the head skimmed before you put it back on and also ask for the machinist to pressure test it

[paul_k]

I had that engine for 5 years in my 97 Supra and had no problems at all.

I would be worried about skimming the head twice and wonder if you have sensor problems causing some pre-ignition?

Paul

[igdirect]

Update...

Well, they had the car for two weeks!

Engine need cleaning first so they could spot any spray from a leak - but valet guy away for four days. Finally got done but no external leaks at all. Head then came off and they found evidence of leakage between the cooling matrix and cylinder 5, very slight corrosion, but no cracks in the gasket. Head sent off for skimming but found to be perfectly flat apart from the area of the leak. Mega-light skim + pressure testing = good as new, no hairline cracks, no porosity, no nothing. Head refitted VERY carefully.

Then the fun started. Engine wouldn't start - spark, fuel, all OK. Diagnostics revealed nothing wrong. Anyway, a couple more days jiggery pokery later on the engine management system and distibutor and it's ready to roll, apparently. Got there again - engine wouldn't start. Another two days go by. Ready now, they said - and it was this time. Turned out to be overenthusiatic use of a pressure washer flooding the spark plugs.

The whole job cost the expected arm, leg, first born child and soul but not as much as expected. The story was that when the head was skimmed the first time ( because of cracked gasket), the garage used a sub-contractor, who then went out of business a year later. Suspect workmanship. Therefore, the garage conceded that the original job may not have been up to the usual standard and agreed to charge me labour rates as they were 2 1/2 years ago - £25 an hour less than now.

So although my wallet is in intensive care, it will survive.

This Lexus is a mean mistress...