Evol

My 87.5 cgt has got about 285,000 miles on it. I've noticed that i seem to have oil coming out around a couple spark plugs and oil seeping out around the head gasket, indicating a blown head gasket I imagine. Sad thing is, the car run quite well, but with all the oil leaks it has, i feel it's time to address them. While i have the head off i figure i might as well rebuild the motor, what suggestions do you all have that BTDT? Should i consider a turbo swap at this point? Not sure which is more cost effective if i do the labor.
The topic is now open!

Dwight V.

Expensive proposition, unfortunately.
Here's the nightmare for you:
Machine work
Cook and clean block $50
Hone block $60
Deck block $80
Freeze plugs $10
Cook and polish crank $65
Balance parts $300
Clean and redo pistons $60
Cook, clean and pressure check head $50
Install valve guides $60
3 angle valve job $100
Surface head $40
Custom port work (optional) $400
Assemble short block $200
Additional misc $100
So figure $1500 or so at the machine shop. Wait, you ain't done yet:
Radiator hoses, subframe mounts $100
Clean & test radiator $20
Cap & rotor $30
Gasket set $160
Main bearings $70
Piston rings $120
Lifters $200
Timing belt $16
Water pump $70
Rod bearings $40
Misc $30
That's about $850 in parts, so your total rebuild without any labor is $2350.
And a CGT is worth how much these days?
I'll sell you mine, finished, for $5000.

a4kquattro

Well, as far as your oil leaks go, I've never heard of oil coming up through the spark plug threads unless they are badly stripped or the plugs are not torqued. Oil seepage from the head gasket is also odd, typically when they go it will be the 'oil in the coolant' variety of failure.

If you want to try to solve the problem on the cheap I'd replace the valve stem oil seals, cam and crank seals (might as well do a timing belt job while you are there) and then see where you sit with oil leakage. My buddy Huw Powell's CGT used to consume about a quart every 1000 miles. It went down to none after he replaced the valve stem oil seals. Just a thought.


If you do decide to pull the head, why the heck not, go for a turbo swap. They CAN be done for relatively little money.


Your sig makes me want to move to Florida. I'm getting sick of the low temps and shoveling ice off my driveway!

Cdn Blue Coupe

spark plugs can hold oil spilled and weep and caught drips around a head gasket after 15 20 years is nothing. Are you sure its raeally bad? Maybe you looking at the residue for a weeping valve cover gasket.
I'd clean the engine and see if it comes back in a short period of time before jumping to conclusions.

Jeff Doble

OK, maybe it won't be 100% reliable, but it should do fairly well for the next bunch of years. I think if you're going to keep the car and it's not a rust bucket it's worth it. Then again, I welded a rollcage into a leased car at one point

JD

cuatrokoop

Just a caveat, my NF has an oil leak on the driver side of the engine, seeping from the HG. Odd....Done it for the past 4 years or more? Never got motivated to R&R the HG. Finally did the VCG and cleaned the goop off the IM after a few years of that leaking (oil filler cap leaks too).

cuatrokoop

That seems high to me.

I'm rebuilding the MC, including turbo, and it isn't going to cost me $5000 in parts and labor. I'm swapping it in the CQ for around $3000 including the rebuild with 40mm intake valves, QLCC chip, 1.7bar C.S. WG spring and a FMIC from a late build S2.

Not getting the crank balanced, not going to be using the 10vt for racing more than a few years (I hope). Doing absolutely as much work myself as I can. So far I've only needed the machine shop to clean up the block, ream the valve guides/cut new seats, and ream the wrist pin bushes to fit. I may or may not gasket match the head/IM/throttle. May or may not do the same with the head/EM/turbo. Again, that would be DIY.

StormChaser404

at most you need a head rebuild and a new head gasket. The NG bottom end is VERY robust...