Heads Look ICKY?

[pgriffith]

So I pulled off my stock heads last night. The underside of the heads by the valves have a copper rusty color too them. Its even on the plugs. I just thought it looks kinda icky. Is this bad? What would cause this?

[Tiago]

if u use too much fuel system cleaner Ive heard it makes the heads look that color.

[pgriffith]

Never used fuel system cleaner. But I did run about 5 galons of race gas one night not too long ago. It was 104 octane unleaded.

[Magnus]

how long was the car sitting before you pulled the heads?

[pgriffith]

Lets see. I drove this car everyday untill I pulled off the intake manifolds. I started working on the car last tues. I then pulled the heads off last night. So it would have been sitting half way ripped apart for about 6 days.

[Magnus]

6 days with the upper intake off.. ??

If any intake valves were open, I could see it being very easy for rust to form.

Were ALL your cyl's like this?

Is the rust thick or does it wipe right off?

I wouldn't really worry too much about it.

[pgriffith]

It was kinda thick. Wiping it off would only get my finger dirty. Plugs looked the same.

Gaskets and head bolts just came in today. I should now be able to finish the job today and tommarow.

[pgriffith]

all the cylenders were like this. yes 6 days with intakes off.

[Magnus]

If your taking any kind of notes at all, e-mail them to me..

I still need to write up my heads/cam install guide and wouldn't mind another persons input as well.

I am definately going to recomend people pull a knock sensor to drain the coolant though. Otherwise your cyl's will collect a puddle.

Also, make sure your gasket surfaces are CLEAN!!!! And the head bolt holes are CLEAN as well.. NO drops of coolant.. if a coolant drop gets trapped between the bolt and the block, when it heats up it could expand and crack the block.

Use a turkey baster to lower the coolant level in the block so the 1 bolt that dips down into the coolant passage is clear.

[pgriffith]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Magnus:
If your taking any kind of notes at all, e-mail them to me..

I still need to write up my heads/cam install guide and wouldn't mind another persons input as well.

I am definately going to recomend people pull a knock sensor to drain the coolant though. Otherwise your cyl's will collect a puddle.

Also, make sure your gasket surfaces are CLEAN!!!! And the head bolt holes are CLEAN as well.. NO drops of coolant.. if a coolant drop gets trapped between the bolt and the block, when it heats up it could expand and crack the block.

Use a turkey baster to lower the coolant level in the block so the 1 bolt that dips down into the coolant passage is clear.<hr></blockquote>


Where is the knock sensor? I drained coolant from the radiator. But as soon as I pulled the lower head bolts on the passenger side a bunch of coolant came pooring out. Made a big mess. What would you suggest to get the head gasket off clean? These suggestions are great. If you have any more respond to this post or email: pgriffith@ikano.com

Im really getting worried. I dont want to screw this up.

[ June 24, 2002: Message edited by: pgriffith ]</p>

[Magnus]

I hear a plastic ice scraper is good.. you really want to be careful not to scratch the surface.

I used a razor though.. just be careful.

When you reassemble the heads.. make sure you put the right side of the gasket up.. its marked.. also make sure the cyl's are clean too.

When your cleaning the surfaces, put a lot of paper towels in the cylinder to help catch the dirt.. the best way is to use a shop vac as you scrap... that way the dirt won't fall into the block or cyl's.

Also, make SURE you torque the heads down to spec!!! We only have 8 bolt heads. :(

Also, don't forget the ground in the rear of the driver side head.. and be VERY careful not to pinch the wires back there.. if your not careful when you put the head on you might get the wires caught between the head and the block and its very hard to tell.

Also, when assembling the front cover.. be SURE you put on the crank position sensor before you put those 2 bolts in.. I was putting 1 bolt in and it wouldn't become flush with the cover so I tried to muscle it and it snapped.. then I realized the crank position sensor wasn't there.. DUH!!! :(

Clean gasket surfaces are very important.

- Keith

[93v6firebird]

the felpro gasket kit for the 3.4s are NOT marked for which side goes up, but it fits in two ways identically.. the only reason i could figure this out is that theres only one way that both of the patterned or not patterned sides are facing up and if they were wrong youd have one gasket w/ teh patterened side up and the other gasket w/ it down, if they both fit and both have the same side up then theyre the correct way...

knock sensor on the 3.4s is pointed up..you cant draink coolant out of there, however there are drain plugs beneath each side of the engine...

I dont thing any moisture got in screw holes, but I hope not, its been humid and I dont want the block to crack, but its been together and the engine has gotten real hot so I guess what done is done

also i found after a blown headgasket, filling the lifters and pushrods with oil before you put them in cleans out a lot of dirt...


in general with jobs this big, make srue you bag bolts and nuts together w/ what part they attach to and LABEL THEM and take notes and such, makes putting it together much easier
if I think of anything more, I'll post