Blown Headgasket Options

[BoMbS]

I have a 1991 Plymouth Colt 100 with the carburated 1.5L engine. I've owned it 3 years now and in the last 30k km's I've gone through 3 headgaskets. I just blew the 3rd this morning, and I'm pretty sure that it has something to do with my original install (whether it's a warped head or whatever), but I was wondering if anyone else has blown the headgasket on their 1.5L more than once? I used Fel-Pro gaskets each time and torqued the head bolts in the correct order and specifications, so that's not it unless one/some of my head bolts had been stretched to it's/their yield point. I never replaced the head bolts (maybe i should have) but i don't think i can suffer through another headgasket change, just to know it's going to pop in 15k kms... Suggestions?

[chain rattle]

did you check the head and block for warpage you are allowed 2 thou only

next step is to take it to a head/engine reconditioner and have the head faced and pressure tested

[DFBonnett]

Most likely the headgasket failed because at some time in the past the engine got severely overheated and the head warped. You can't polish a turd, the turd being a warped head. As the previous poster noted, you need to get the head checked by a reliable shop and proceed from there.

[BoMbS]

I've decided to buy a new car, then fix the head gasket and sell the Colt. I will check the head for warpage this time, but if it's still within proper tolerance, do you think I could've blown my headgasket from bagging the $hit out of my car everyday? I have a short 8-12 minute (depending on the lights) drive 4 times a day and I'm pretty consistently hitting 5500 rpm at the shifts. Anyone know where I get can new head bolts?

[DennisW]

You may well have the wrong head installed by the factory like I did in my '87 Colt E. If you have uncapped jet valves, with the heads just recessed in a spider hole, it is one of these. Not just that, but the combustion chambers are a completely different shape from the right head, making an oversize squish area with the piston crown that dynamically forces the charge up against the seal ring in the gasket (more than designed for), leading to eventual failure. On top of that the cc's are smaller making a CR of about 10:1, not the correct 9.4:1. Nobody knows just what the head I had was supposed to go to, but look up JIS Engine in Texas, they have a bunch of (the proper) remanufactured heads for this engine on the shelf ready to go pretty cheap, if you used jet valve engines in Canada. Your high revving wasn't helping, but if this was the problem you should be able to go up there regularly with the right head with no problems.