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Replaced the head on my 1991 745T about a year ago. Has run very well since, with no ongoing problems. The alternator or its brushes just failed, and with the alternator off, I could see under the intake manifold clearly. Noticed a bit of dried/caked coolant or some other crusty gunk on the junction of the head and block, right about between the #2 and #3 cylinders. Decided to take a good look around the whole thing, and noticed a bit more on the exhaust side, some by the #4, and some in the #2/#3 area. Not much, and no signs of it being wet or even new. All in all, it does not look like much (not enough to trail down the block anywhere), but then, there should be absolutely nothing there, at all. When I get the alternator back in, I will watch it very carefully. Given that it has been a year and about 25,000 miles since the head change, the amount is really very little.
Should I clean it off to make watching it easier? Or leave it alone under the "the only thing that may be holding it together IS the gunk" theory?
The color of the gunk is not right, though: it is greenish white, but not the distinct blue/white of dried Volvo coolant, which is what I use.
There is no sign of coolant getting into the cylinders, none in the oil, no oil in the coolant, etc. Further, the cooling system holds pressure for a long time after the car is shut off, about 2 hours, maybe a little less now - in the Florida winter - as it cools off more quickly.
Is this serious? Does it mean impending, sudden, unannounced doom, or a slow deterioration, if any, until the head gasket fails?
I torqued the head bolts to the right torque and angle value when I installed them. Can they be tweaked a bit, say 5 degrees, to try to stop this, or would that be folly?
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Scott Cook - 1991 745T, 1986 Toyota Tercel (Don't laugh, it is reliable, faithful AND gets 41 mpg!)
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