Mike The Grad's Coolant Splat

[Mike_The_Grad]

Mechanicalman: yes it is a picture of my passenger side head. But I think what may appear to be a crack might actually be carbon build up stuck on there from me cleaning the head. I only really had time to clean the driver side this past weekend. On Friday I will clean the passenger side up and post pics.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by Mike_The_Grad

Mechanicalman: yes it is a picture of my passenger side head. But I think what may appear to be a crack might actually be carbon build up stuck on there from me cleaning the head. I only really had time to clean the driver side this past weekend. On Friday I will clean the passenger side up and post pics.

Might be a good idea to take the heads to a good machine shop for a steam clean and a magna-flux just to be sure.

Make sure you inspect the lifters, and make sure they don't get mixed up as to what hole they came out of. Post us a picture of the worst one.

That "scratch" on the upper part of the cyl wall just below the deck is likely the result of coolant dis-lodging a piece of carbon and the carbon getting suck between the top of the piston on the side above the top ring and the cyl wall. You should be able to visualize the top ring if not spray with penetrating oil, blow it out and clean it out if nec. The piston ring needs to be free and floating in order to seal. Don't scrape or wire wheel the pistons (you can jam the extra carbon onto the rings into the grooves and stick them), just spray them with penetrating oil or douse them with top engine cleaner and let them soak. Wipe it out before you install the heads then the pistons will self-clean when you start the engine.

A good trick is to coat the cyl walls with grease, then rotate the engine and the rings will push the grease to the top carrying the dirt off the top of the rings with it then simply wipe it out with the piston down.

I wouldn't pull the engine out just yet if you don't think you put it in a hydraulic lock and the #7 top ring is free (the piston should move independent of the ring and the ring should stay against the cyl wall). Looks like the piston is stamped "30"? Probably been re-bored.

I'd be more optimistic of the bottom end than I would be of the heads, but hope you get away with just a pair of head gaskets.

[Mike_The_Grad]

Mechanical man: yes the engine has been totally rebuilt. I think in '92. At the 300k mark. And its got 74k on the rebuild. The work was done by my ex's grandfather. He had a shop here in town for quit a while. From what I hear he has a damn good reputation. I don't doubt any of the work he's done on any car. I know the crank is .10 under. My financial situation may change here shortly, so I'm thinking of taking advantage of the situation and do a little more than just change gaskets. The only true thing that's hurting me is being without a vehicle. And the more I send to the shop the longer the turn around is...

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by Mike_The_Grad

Mechanical man: yes the engine has been totally rebuilt. I think in '92. At the 300k mark. And its got 74k on the rebuild. The work was done by my ex's grandfather. He had a shop here in town for quit a while. From what I hear he has a damn good reputation. I don't doubt any of the work he's done on any car. I know the crank is .10 under. My financial situation may change here shortly, so I'm thinking of taking advantage of the situation and do a little more than just change gaskets. The only true thing that's hurting me is being without a vehicle. And the more I send to the shop the longer the turn around is...

No reason to believe the bearings are bad, the oil didn't get much water for very long at all, make sure the rings are free on # 7. Turn the heads upside down and pour some trans oil into the ports onto the underside of the valves to check for leaky valves before you take them apart.

Any chance anything on the valve seats looks remotely like a crack, send the heads to the shop. Valve seals, for sure; I'd put the "umbrella" seals on it along with the stock "o-ring" on the intake only. Don't put the o-rings on the exhaust valve if you are using the umbrellas, they stop the oil flow to the umbrella and it gets too hot. Same reason the o-ring burns up on the exhaust and fails, but if the umbrella gets the oil over it, it will last a long time. The stock exhaust valve faces are way too thick next to the stem and retain too much heat.

No advantage to replacing rings and honing unless the rings are stuck, and then I'd just do it on #7 ONLY if it needed it, it just increases piston to cylinder wall clearance and will decrease the life of the engine.

Because you have the intake off, do what I said for the lifters, it's too easy. After sitting outside for years with no tarp, a lifter could have gotten sticky and might be on it's way out. You don't want to take it apart again after you do the head gaskets. You don't want to see bad lifters/cam, but if you have a bad lifter/cam, you want to see it.

If the heads are cracked, replace them. Don't let the shop talk you into a crack repair.

If you think the heads need magnaflux test, they pass, and if your g-dad in law put new valve guides in it, have the shop grind the seats and put a "head improvement kit" in it, you can do it yourself if you have or can get a valve spring compressor. Very reasonable, come with everything you need, come in both valve sizes. Measure the valves first, I think you have the 1.94 but measure to be sure. Get the cheapest head kit in your valve size, you don't need higher pressure valve springs and if the cam is stock you don't want to shim the springs.

http://www.competitionproducts.com/H.../#.VD6_V010wu4

http://www.competitionproducts.com/C...s/products/27/

If you use a head improvement kit, you won't need or be able to put the o-rings on the intake valves.

New head bolts, 1094 head gaskets.

It is what it is. I'm telling you the cheapest, fastest way to fix right. Feel free to ask me anything.

[Mike_The_Grad]

Mechanicalman: I definitely appreciate your input. The way I look at it is, the more information available to me will help me make the correct choices. Everyone isn't right, and everyone isn't wrong. I will pass along the opinion and see what I hear in return. And yes, I agree with you about doing this again in the near future. I don't want to! It seems as though everything I've done up til this point I've already had to redo. But that's the fun about learning right?! Pfff.... I'm about getting it done right the first time. But that can't always be when I try and do everything myself for the first time. I love to learn, just not at the price of doing everything twice. It is what it is, and I'm much smarter now than I was 6 months ago.

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Originally Posted by Mike_The_Grad

Mechanicalman: I definitely appreciate your input. ...snip... It is what it is, and I'm much smarter now than I was 6 months ago.

HIJACK RANT: ON

Hell, I'm sixty-eight and have been working on American cars and bikes (and some BMW's thrown in the mix) since I was fourteen.

All I can say is that thanks to guys like mechanicalman, Locdoc, VetteVet, and so many others that SHOULD BE NAMED,
I'm much smarter about these puzzles than I was a few days ago. And a few months ago. And a few years ago.

Now, when it comes to taking good advice, I still need some work. It's a hard lesson to learn at any age to step back and
take another look while those with more experience than I offer up their selfless and precious help.

The real deal, in life as well as in this stuff, is getting out of one's own head. And then practicing humility while paying it
forward.

The people on this Forum are still teaching this old dog.

HIJACK RANT: OFF

[Mike_The_Grad]

Magweekeenercew2jh: 100% in agreement. Even though I don't really let others on to how much I don't know, I will be the first one to admit when I'm wrong. Mostly because, I don't want to give someone else the satisfaction in knowing that they called me on my bull$#!+...lol. I still don't know what I'm doing but I have an idea. In the short time I've been a member I've searched through countless threads for hours, thinking that I have a problem no ones EVER had. Boy am I wrong. Its comforting to know I'm not the first, and definitely not the last. So I try to pay it forward, even if my two cents ain't worth the time it took to type it.
Below is comparison for the amount of work I have put into my truck. All work done by me in my garage. (Except carb rebuild,to easy to screw up...) Top:Jan.'14,middle:mar.'14,bottom: may'14