very sick zs plz help:(

[mikey d]

hi guys iv got a mk2 zs 120+ and the it kept losing water i then changed the head gasket and within 4000 miles the head went again it had the new uprated head gasket all pumps and other gaskets changed new coolant/oil ect so i done a compression test and cyl 1 had 210 psi cyl 2 54psi cyl 3 180psi cyl 4 205 psi now taken the head off and it had gone in cyl 2 because of a small defect in the head iv had it skimed again and tested and went to put it back together and relised that the piston liners are under flush with the block and are lose turning can anyone help? thanks....mikey d

[talkingcars]

IIRC the liners need to be slightly proud and without rectifying this you will never get it to run, don't ask me how to cure it though.

Even ignoring cyl 2 there is a lot of difference in the compresions.

[mikey d]

thanks for the quick reply yeh when we done the compression test we done it like 4 times because they were so low we thot it was the tester so i tested my cosworth kba in my rally car and the were well up were they should be. so done it again but that was the best reading i got

[Din]

I think its 3/5 thou proud, (literally fag paper) to be spot on.

The best way of getting it to seal is by using the payne bw750 gasket NOT the mls type, this is because there is more squish on the fire rings between the head and liners.

Though it sounds to me like the head is scrap if you have had to skim it twice... is that due to indents around the fire rings ?

If so a second hand good head may be a better bet.

[mikey d]

iv just been out to check and took some phonos but dont no how to put them in my post the liner in cyl1 is mby a fag paper proud the rest and just under flush its the tripple layerd head gasket with steal shim part no camtec cam15-1391B the head had 3 thow of it this time im not sure about last time i no it wasn't much but when i got the car the boy assured me he had also done it BUT it went just after i got it and had no sign of being changed and had the old type gasket so if i go by what he said it would have been skimmed 3 times but nothing proves it was done

[Ritchy]

May be time for a new engine, usually when the liners are low its because the block is worn at the bottom where the liners sit, you could try removing and resealing but likelyhood it still wont be right, also may find the head is now over skimmed, a second hand k series may be the best bet now.
There is a chance the older style gasket may still seal it, but as din says the metal ones arent as good as taking up larger tolerances.