that's a bummer about the head gasket. did you reuse your old head bolts the first time? i saw you are getting new ones this time.

for chasing threads, you don't want a tap/die set. you want a thread chaser or thread repair kit, like this. this will clean the threads without cutting.

 

Did you check how flat the engine and head surfaces are?

 

 

I know you followed a procedure for putting the head back together. This is what google AI says:
https://share.google/aimode/oPAUZKGm9Xs3c7Uk9
I never did a job like this, just trying to help. I'm sure people here with hands-on experience can comment on this.

 

thanks for the suggestions.
yeah i know not to cut the threads. i went ahead and bought an angle grinder, something i could use a lot for other things. i m going to try and cut slits in the old bolts to pull out the gunk and work on cleaning the bolt holes as much as possible.
i checked for flatness yes when i removed it. i used a machine edge and a .004 feeler. just now after removing it again i checked again, this time with a .003. there is one low spot on the block where the .003 grabs a little but not near any coolant passages.
i feel like the head didnt go on right and maybe the gasket didnt line up very well. it was a little bent when i got it and wouldnt lay flat on the block and i had to use a piece of wire on one of the little tabs to make it lay flat. i am not surprised. i have got a lot of stuff lately that says it fits but doesn't. ive been using amazon because oreilly's prices have gone through the roof. the one i bough is called "Evergreen HSHB9016 Head Gasket Set Head Bolts Fit 02-08 Mini Cooper Supercharged 1.6 W10B16A W11B16A"
is the head gasket different from the R50 VS the r53? is that where i went wrong?

 

The head gaskets are the same. The R50 has engine code W10B16A as where the R53 is W11B16A.

Not sure about that headgasket but I would always recommend using MLS (multilayer steel) headgaskets and preferably from Elring.

Not sure about what gunk you are talking about but I clean the bolt holes using brake cleaner and some toilet paper to suck up all remaining fluids.

 

i was afraid to push tp down in there for fear of getting it out. i ordered some long, fat 8" ob/gyn swabs to get the existing oil out of there.
the gasket i used was dual layer. idk. just flailing at this point i suppose. even if i got it running it's not worth much. i kinda like being without a car. took my ebike to get the angle grinder yesterday and cut across the cemetary through the gate and saw a big coyote running around

 

Rock Auto and AutoZone have been really useful for me. The most important thing, regardless of where you buy it, is making sure you buy quality parts. If you can a deal on a felpro or mahle gasket on Amazon or eBay, then that's great. Engine internals is not the best place to skimp, either.

If you feel like you're not surprised the head gasket might not have sealed properly based on something unusual on the previous installation, then you're probably right. But the second time through, be sure that it goes on properly. It seems like you're doing things properly as far as step to step and not throwing parts at it. It's also positive that you're #2 misfire went away when you redid the head gasket and valves the first time. That suggests you were able to fix it.

 

yeah number 2 was the one with a cracked exhaust valve. i try to do everything right. watching multiple videos and following my hanes mqanual, the new gasket and bolts are felpro ones. the gasket is advertised for "imperfect surfaces" although it says that it's .13 thick which seems is ridiculously thick

 

so the new felpro head gasket came and it's kinda tweaked. it wasn't even shipped in a box! i dont know if it will flatten out on the car or if i should return it

 

WTH???
'Seems to me that you don't really have any immediate need for the car right now(?)
After all you've been through - I'd say return it and try another vendor.
Totally unacceptable, what you received.

 

It's a huge bummer when you receive damaged gaskets due to poor packaging. It's happened to me before, too. Slightly bent is one thing, but that looks like the layers have separated....

 

yeah. i am returning it. it has to lay flat. the nubs on the block aren't very tall. even the previous gasket was a little bent. i have received a lot of bad stuff lately and returning a lot of it. shipping quality has really gone downhill. ordered a mahle .95mm gasket from autozone where i can go and look at it before i take it home. it's $100 but this is such a critical piece.

 

alright following up. got everything back together and she stinks but runs great! i did a couple of things. i got the .95mm Mahle gasket and i also measured the rocker i replaced with a caliper. it was different! i think that's why i had zero compression (the new one is longer). freaking ebay parts. i think it's 50/50 that it will fit. anyway i was able to get the clip off the new one and put it on the old one and it seems to fit. but running good now and no codes (yet). but she stinks like a bad cat. i guess that's next. thanks fort all the help and letting me use this forum as a log of the whole process.

 

That's great. Well done being so persistent

 

depending on how much coolant you were burning, it might have dumped enough into the exhaust to clog up the cat. you'll be able to tell, though. hopefully it's just burning off.

glad you got it going, though! that's always a great feeling.

 

good work Sir. hope it holds for years to come

 

"Patience means never"
Perseverance pays.
Congratulations for all your efforts - These little 1st Gens deserve a second chance.
BTW; I saw a product at Wally World (aka: Walmart), similar to what I'd used in the past (OZUM...?), that did a great job at eliminating lingering odors after a thorough deep cleaning.
Best of luck.

 

definitely. it's such a simple little car, perfect for in city drving. i'll keep running premium gas and now with the rear seat deleted i can even go to costco!
ozum is nasty. we used to use it in the hospital. makes me wretch...but driving around today the smell has burned off

 

Ozum - yikes! I had no idea it smelled that bad.
When I was a "kid", fresh out of highschool/first year of college - I was hired part time working at an independent guy's car restoration/bodyshop as a prepper & masker for a couple of months (I knew nothing about cars back then). He would get these old 1960's classics (e.g: Tbird, mustangs, toronado...) and completely restore them inside and out. I remember we used to drop these canisters of ozum with a pull- top (foggers?) in the cars and leave them overnight with the windows up. By the time I arrived to work in the afternoon he had already aired them out. But the interiors smelled absolutely clean.
I had no idea ozum smelled that bad. Good to know.