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Miata -> Protege head swap

6K views 30 replies 12 participants last post by  Purpleloads 
#1 ·
I was recently doing a little head cleaning and found a cracked cam journal while I was reassembling. With this I decided it would be better to replace the head instead of reuse it. With a Saturday trip to the graveyard I found a 94 protege LX and decided it was my best bet. Tore the head off took it home and began to swap all of the parts. After everything was swapped over, reassembled, and timed the car started up just fine...except for 1 problem. Coolant is leaking from the back of the head.

I will state I made a bad decision in reusing head bolts due to money restraints. It seems as though the leak is coming from the center rear of the head. It isn't pouring out but more of a drip. No oil in the leak, just clean water (I refilled with water just to assure I didn't mess up the garage floor). My first assumption is from reusing head bolts the rear of the headgasket isn't sealing.

Any other nifty ideas?
By the way it is a 1.8l.
 
#3 ·
Head bolts are not stretch. They can be reused. Did you use a new head gasket? or any at all? Is the a coolant fitting not used on the miata but used on the protege that needs to be capped.
Do you have the rear housing and coolant sensors tight?
Did you torque the head bolts properly? If I remember correctly its a 3 time sequence increasing torque everytime.
http://www.miata.net/garage/torque.html

Did you look to see where its actually coming from
 
#4 ·
All fittings are capped, reused the head gasket I had from the old head, Torqued head bolts to 20-40-60 ft lbs in a circular pattern. The only place I can see it coming from is between the head and the block. Not out of any of the fittings, I just replaced the rear heater throat gasket and the problem is still there. I have a spare head gasket that looks pretty skuff free. Should I try using that one?

I have never heard of a head bolt not being a stretch bolt.
 
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#25 · (Edited)
Okay so going from

To......
The coolant neck never came off. My friend was actually helping me with this part and in it he broke the neck. Getting the neck to actually sit back where it should is causing the leak. I can't seem to get it to seal. Options from what I have seen are JB weld, Braze, maybe I could try solder? any other ideas?
 
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