Blown Head gasket rebuild....@297k

Guys and Gals, checked my head and deck with straight edge and they are both perfectly flat, have cleaned up mostly everything but need to get the mating surfaces nice so wondering what method do you use for cleaning head, deck and timing cover surfaces before refitting new gasket? .. watched a lot of videos but everyone has a different idea, so how to do?

Those plastic/ nylon cup wheels seem to be a popular suggestion, some say (carefully) use 400/800 abrasive paper or scotch pad soaked with brake cleaner? what is the best method here..

 

A new razor blade....

 

I would strongly suggest you to use a Felpro Head Gasket. I lost count on how many head gasket jobs that I have personally done from the ‘revised’ version including the Gen 4

 

.. Thanks Doggie! will give that a go first if it looks nice I will leave it at that

too late unfortunately have already bought the OEM revised gasket would have liked a felpro kit but not easily obtainable in Australia without ordering from US

 

Hi peeps

Are you guys soaking the rings with anything while the head is off? also I'm trying to resist the urge to clean the one dirty piston top! Other three have been steam cleaned!

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Clean the piston top.... Clean them all so they match.
Some people pour different things between the piston and cylinder wall.
I don't really think it does anything to help. You would have to leave it soaking
for a very long time and continue to pour more when it eventully leaked through.
And once it leaked through in one spot, it would just leak through in that spot.

The only proper way to clean the rings is to remove the pistons and the rings.
If you are going to do that, you might as well replace them. But they you have to measure
the cylinder walls fto see if they are out of round.

 

Thanks again dogman

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Its a polymer coating for a little extra seal

 

The OEM head gasket vs Fel-Pro…big difference in the material & how it feels in my hand. I went w/ the Fel-Pro.

 

That one apparently has been revised. Not sure if there's a new part number. The Toyota USA parts site is no help; it's impossible to navigate, find anything, since about a year back. Dealership parts departments hopefully a better interface, to check on that.

There is a Toyota gasket kit, has head gasket and pretty much everything else that could be replaced.

All that said, "any" brand-new head gasket is going to look a lot better, than one that's endured 150k miles, with the last 50K under "duress".