thanks to all for the support. i'm not too worried about the actual work of getting the engine back in, it's more about the money (i'm poor these days) and making sure i can get the parts i need. since i don't have the money right now to place a big order to IAP for everything i need to complete the project, i'm trying to get by with the basics. also, because of the short time i have, i don't really want to wait for shipping on the parts.
ok, some more pics.
first, the infamous o ring. you can see that the o ring on top (from my engine) has squared off shoulders. the ring on the bottom is just for comparison. it's a little harder to see in this pic but in person the o ring is obviously has squared edges and is not just deformed from use.
are the squared off o rings available generically? i'm guessing i should be able to find some at someplace local like "hollywood o rings" or maybe that's just for plastic surgery.
ok, here's some pics of the right side head gasket and the evidence of leakage. i was told by an alfa mechanic that the right side is usually the side that goes. (hmmm, that sounds hard to believe since italian logic would tell us that it should be the left side because that requires the whole brake booster fiasco!) you can see the chocolate shake on the right side of the pic. (it doesn't taste like chocolate though--more like coolant & oil.) is this where they usually leak? also, there was quite a bit of sludge/froth at the bottom of the head studs. looks like the oil made its way down the stud and mixed with coolant at the bottom near the gasket. not sure what's supposed to prevent that.
and here's some pics of the liners. i was afraid that the cylinder liner o rings might be bad and then i saw this wet spot around the bottom. is this common? it's actually not wet. just darker in color. should i be worried? really don't want to do those o rings. the local alfa mechanics said those almost never fail and that the liners are usually really stuck in the block & don't want to come out.
