Head Gasket.

This thread has a 2 part question. One is simple one is not so simple :)


Question 1. Can a faulty Air/Fuel sensor screw around with burning oil?
Can the sensor make the cars engine run really rich for a short time causing a puff of smoke from the exhaust?


Questoin 2. HEAD GASKETS. I have come to the conclusion that my car's head gaskets are going. This being when she is in park, give her a slight fether on the accelerator (only upto 3k or so) on the down-rev when its at 1000rpm she puffs a blue cloud, not huge but very noticable. Being that headgaskets are $2000-$2500 i have 3 possibilities.

1. Fix Gaskets on engine. Well duh, take it to the mechanic and get the gaskets changed.

2. Get a 'new' engine and manual conversion at the same time. For $2000-$2500 i could get a manual conversion from Mal (MadMagna) and have upto $1000-$1200 spare, which should cover getting a second hand engine with less km's than 226,*** shouldn't it?! Written off car, wreckers. But its a 50/50 chance the new engine will have a **** up too..

3. Sell car as is (after getting fixed from rear end accident) or trade in and get new car. I'd hate to see the car go, yeah its a 97 model but no amount of money can pay for the endless hours working on/with the car. :(


I just cant put $2500 into the car and then possibly the trans goes, then another $1500. My job next year is thrown up in the air, my weekly income will either be $300ish or $650ish so its a huge jump, if i get a better job next year i could afford a new car/car loan but on $300 a week it would be a struggle to get a loan, would have to fix and save.

Any ideas/input would be GREATLY appreciated guys, this is a huge decision for me.


Thanks in advance!!

Dude, that's valve stem seals.

And no, your Air/fuel sensor does just that, control your air fuel mixtures, it does not induce oil into your cylinders.

Its commonish for this to happen. I would look into a 3.5L replacement engine...

But how much do you love the car? Are you going to keep this for another 5 years?
if you do not know, and might consider getting rid of it soon, just keep pouring oil in. I wouldnt bother fixing it if in due time the car will be sold

Blue smoke is usually Valve seals not head gasket, white smoke is usually burning oil. Also have you done the basic checks like compression check at a mechanics? bubbles in the radiator? checked the dipstick for water in the oil??

Head work including new gaskets will cost you a maximum of $1,200 if you do most of it yourself. This includes new gaskets, new exhaust valves, new hydraulic lifters. My TS V6 sounds like a well oiled sewing machine and burns no oil at 240,000 km.

As above, Valve stem seals. I had the same problem, engine+mc is the way to go. Engine + Major Service $1000, Manual Conversion $1160, Clutch $640. If you're fine to spend $2800 (do you plan on keeping it?) do it!

;1302012']Dude, that's valve stem seals.


Blue smoke is usually Valve seals not head gasket, white smoke is usually burning oil. Also have you done the basic checks like compression check at a mechanics? bubbles in the radiator? checked the dipstick for water in the oil??

Valve seals?! hmm are they just as expansive as head gasket? TBH i dont even know what they are, but as the name suggests it would be the seals on the 2 valves within the piston?

Annd honestly, i wouldn't see myself having hte car in 5 years most likely not even in 3, when im off my p's i would like to update to a newer car 2003+ hopefully. I know magnas dont hold their value, but i think if i kept it in an okay way it would fetch a little bit more.

Head work including new gaskets will cost you a maximum of $1,200 if you do most of it yourself. This includes new gaskets, new exhaust valves, new hydraulic lifters. My TS V6 sounds like a well oiled sewing machine and burns no oil at 240,000 km.

Ah, to the novice mechanic this cost will blowout. Cost me $1500 to do the heads on the TR back in the day. Stuffed up the head gaskets the first time. For a novice mechanic a head job is not the way to go! (nothing rude intended so gtfo)

As above, Valve stem seals. I had the same problem, engine+mc is the way to go. Engine + Major Service $1000, Manual Conversion $1160, Clutch $640. If you're fine to spend $2800 (do you plan on keeping it?) do it!

you went through Mal didn't youu?

I would LOVE a manual conversion thats one big electronic item gone as i hate auto's, and a newer engine would be sick. a 3.5l as they are newer hehe.

i might have to sit down when i find out about htis job and see whats going on, England 2011 might have to wait..

;1302036']For a novice mechanic a head job is not the way to go! (nothing rude intended so gtfo)

i may have a new sig ;) haha!

yeahh i wouldn't touch any seals by myself, i'd drop it off at work and say 'boys have fun!' ;)

Is the car using any Water or Oil...?? A head Gasket on a 3rd gen should be metal so i find it hard to believe that it has a head gasket issue.

Valve seals?! hmm are they just as expansive as head gasket? TBH i dont even know what they are, but as the name suggests it would be the seals on the 2 valves within the piston?

Annd honestly, i wouldn't see myself having hte car in 5 years most likely not even in 3, when im off my p's i would like to update to a newer car 2003+ hopefully. I know magnas dont hold their value, but i think if i kept it in an okay way it would fetch a little bit more.

Sounds like you'll be upgrading next year I reckon. Just keep topping the oil up mate and drive it as you do. Annoying to have a bit of smoke come out the exhaust but it's liveable. The $3K you could spend fixing it could be put towards something else you truly want.

The seals are just around the stem tip, allowing the valve stem to move up and down but keeping oil out of the motor.

Stem seals to get done i would think are a lot cheaper to do as you don't need to remove the heads at all? Please someone clarify!

id sell up.

Is the car using any Water or Oil...?? A head Gasket on a 3rd gen should be metal so i find it hard to believe that it has a head gasket issue.

seems to be using a bit of oil but not water (that i know of) i havnt checked the radiator and i havn't noticed a drop in the water levels. its just a rich blue puff of smoke after accelerating.


i just spoke to my boss. he said he would get onto his engine bloke but he said they might say lets pull off the head to get to it and that will be $1800+ (ballpark quote obviously tho) hmmmm

;1302043'] The $3K you could spend fixing it could be put towards something else you truly want.

yeahh that what im thinking, and if i dont get hte job i want that $3k is ALOT, im 6 months off unrestricted also, so if i want a beloved subi i am very limited to the 'slow and not as sexy' ones because the rest have turbos.

Would it be better to split and sell parts or sell car as is?

A new 3.5 is far cheaper than that fitted mate, better engine, more torque and good selling point down the line

Geeez people im sorry but it does not cost 3gs to replace head gasket. Its not even head gasket in this case since coolant levels remains the same. All we are talking about are the stem seals which can be done with heads on the engine, all you need to is take rocket cover of & pressurize the cylinder when doing it & that's it. Really you should be looking at one day worth of labour tops, about $800 MAX..... For 3gs you can do some serious head reconditiong & engine work like replacing pistons .

Geeez people im sorry but it does not cost 3gs to replace head gasket. Its not even head gasket in this case since coolant levels remains the same. All we are talking about are the stem seals which can be done with heads on the engine, all you need to is take rocket cover of & pressurize the cylinder when doing it & that's it. Really you should be looking at one day worth of labour tops, about $800 MAX..... For 3gs you can do some serious head reconditiong & engine work like replacing pistons .

$3K is the approx price for a 3.5L, manual conversion and new clutch.

Ok my bad....

Geeez people im sorry but it does not cost 3gs to replace head gasket. Its not even head gasket in this case since coolant levels remains the same. All we are talking about are the stem seals which can be done with heads on the engine, all you need to is take rocket cover of & pressurize the cylinder when doing it & that's it. Really you should be looking at one day worth of labour tops, about $800 MAX..... For 3gs you can do some serious head reconditiong & engine work like replacing pistons .

yeahh its alright, we decided that it was the valve stem seals


A new 3.5 is far cheaper than that fitted mate, better engine, more torque and good selling point down the line

yeahh, i wouldn't just do the engine tho because the transmission has had little problems for a while, and while the engine is out you might as well you know?

on experience, how much does a 3.5l engine cost mal? even just a rough quote?

Just run the thing into the ground and junk it when it no longer runs. Most people do.

Just run the thing into the ground and junk it when it no longer runs. Most people do.

yeahh but im not like most people. I have put too much energy and time into the car to just destroy it. I would love to see it running great and sold to someone who will look after it, but things dont always go to plan.

If i can, i want to wait minimum 6 months to just get off my p's then its a more open market to buying a car, not heldback at all

get a workshop manual and tuck in, if your mechanically minded its not hard. then all your up for is parts cost, whatever the problem.

For starters, please if anyone who has posted thus far has actually done the stem seals on a S4 engine, please feel free to comment, if not, while appreciated please feel free to read without comment

The first point I will make is that it is not simply a matter on a S4 engine of pressurise a pot, pop off retainers and go, the valves are extremely difficult to get to and most one sided valve spring tools will NOT manage the job, especially on the inlet side, they are a prick to get to with the plug tubes in the way

Second point, Valves in the S4 engines are also well known for carbon build up as well as wear as they are very thin unlike the 12v varient. For this simple reason it is not a quick stem seal job as often valves need replacing

Third point, if the stem seals are on the way out, then the engine has most likely done quite a few k's so a 3.5 option is even more worth while.

OP, have you tried to do a good engine flush, I know of at least 1 member here who had similar issues and has delayed the need for stem seals with a good quality flush, no fix but sure has reduced the smoke casued. Often in the third gen or S4 engine a build up of carbon can be a big cause of stem seal smoke

To give you and idea, I did a 3.5 conversion last week, this included engine, new timing belt, rad hoses, trans flush, fuel filter front and rear plugs, brake fluid flush (so generall 100k service with engine chucked in) and was around the $1600 mark, remember a lot more than just engine was done and this also included iol, filter, coolant and all other fluids