pulling my heads - pics (dialup beware!)
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 426
Likes: 0
pulling my heads - pics (dialup beware!)
This is a first for me, so I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at other than a big mess. The motor has 73K on the clock, its the original engine and as far as I know (at least since 1982) the heads have never been pulled. I assume that the heavy carbon buildup can be cleaned up, but what about the cylinder walls? Is that rust I see? What about the cross-hatching (is that the right word?).
My original intent was to do some light house keeping under the hood & freshen up the engine with some new paint & gaskets. But I am looking at a complete rebuild? I have a quote for $350 to have my heads rebuilt by Golen Engine Service (they aren't too far from home), but I don't want to have the entire engine rebuilt if I don't have to...
I had no major engine issues before taking it apart...and after Lars tuned it last year it ran like a bat outta hell!
The drivers side heads are coming off tomorrow.
This is the pass side...
My original intent was to do some light house keeping under the hood & freshen up the engine with some new paint & gaskets. But I am looking at a complete rebuild? I have a quote for $350 to have my heads rebuilt by Golen Engine Service (they aren't too far from home), but I don't want to have the entire engine rebuilt if I don't have to...
I had no major engine issues before taking it apart...and after Lars tuned it last year it ran like a bat outta hell!
The drivers side heads are coming off tomorrow.
This is the pass side...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
Hey that doesn't look to bad, how many miles on it? if its high still having the cross hatching is very good, means low wear. Shop vac the grit out of the cylinders, get the heads done, clean off the gasket surfaces and stick it back together. If it has a lot of miles on it then you might want to do a rebuild.
Good Luck
Good Luck
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 122
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Originally Posted by tonyk72
This is a first for me, so I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at other than a big mess. The motor has 73K on the clock, its the original engine and as far as I know (at least since 1982) the heads have never been pulled. I assume that the heavy carbon buildup can be cleaned up, but what about the cylinder walls? Is that rust I see? What about the cross-hatching (is that the right word?).
My original intent was to do some light house keeping under the hood & freshen up the engine with some new paint & gaskets. But I am looking at a complete rebuild? I have a quote for $350 to have my heads rebuilt by Golen Engine Service (they aren't too far from home), but I don't want to have the entire engine rebuilt if I don't have to...
I had no major engine issues before taking it apart...and after Lars tuned it last year it ran like a bat outta hell!
The drivers side heads are coming off tomorrow.
This is the pass side...
My original intent was to do some light house keeping under the hood & freshen up the engine with some new paint & gaskets. But I am looking at a complete rebuild? I have a quote for $350 to have my heads rebuilt by Golen Engine Service (they aren't too far from home), but I don't want to have the entire engine rebuilt if I don't have to...
I had no major engine issues before taking it apart...and after Lars tuned it last year it ran like a bat outta hell!
The drivers side heads are coming off tomorrow.
This is the pass side...
Last edited by 63mako; Mar 23, 2006 at 11:47 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 2,897
Likes: 0
From: Moon Township PA
Although I have been a Corvette owner for 14 years, my experience with engine internals is limited. However, those marks on the walls of cylinder look like typical honing marks from either the original engine build or a rebuild. Why not print your photos and take them down to an engine rebuild shop that you trust and have them evaluate it. I think you will be happy with the results. As has been suggested, your heads have probably been off before. No big deal there.
Gary
Gary
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,429
Likes: 44
From: Macon, GA
I gotta agree with the others that say THAT MOTOR LOOKS GREAT. The reason it ran "like a bat outta hell" is because everything was working properly!! Don't be scrared by a little carbon build up. Think about how much fuel has been burned in those cylinders over the years. I've built several engines and I would be excited to see that when I pulled the heads. Unless you've got tons of money laying around you don't need, don't touch the bottom end. Clean that puppy up real good, get a valve job, slap the heads back on and ROLL!!!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 426
Likes: 0
OK, good news so far! So after I shop vac out the crud inside the bores...my next question is how do I clean up the carbon on the pistons? Is laquer thinner OK? I don't expect to have my heads back for about a week after I pull them off. Is spraying WD-40 inside the bores necessary?
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Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 492
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham AL
Originally Posted by tonyk72
OK, good news so far! So after I shop vac out the crud inside the bores...my next question is how do I clean up the carbon on the pistons? Is laquer thinner OK? I don't expect to have my heads back for about a week after I pull them off. Is spraying WD-40 inside the bores necessary?
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 10,362
Likes: 5
From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Originally Posted by steves_77vette
Me personally, I wouldn't mess with trying to clean the pistons. That's normal carbon build up from just running and will look like that again in a few short miles after you would clean them anyway. You are at the point of needing to adopt the philosophy of: "It ain't broke, don't fix it!"
There is NOT excessive carbon buildup there. Clean what you can but don't wire-wheel the pistons because you'll get wire down the sides, on the rings and then score the cylinder walls. The rust though on the cylinder walls is odd. When was the last time the motor was fired? Has it been raining/snowing out side your garage since you pulled the heads, or are you in a particularly humid environment? I would scotch-brite and oil those cylinder walls ASAP. You may be able to scotch-brite the pistons too, a bit, but I doubt it will get much off them. HOwever as we said earlier the buildup on those pistons is NOT excessive.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 426
Likes: 0
OK, I'll stay away from the piston tops...Can anybody tell if those look factory?
What I think I may do is rotate the engine upside down on the stand & scrape off the remaining gasket material so I don't get any more junk in the cylinders.
I'll be checking the timing chain this weekend.
What I think I may do is rotate the engine upside down on the stand & scrape off the remaining gasket material so I don't get any more junk in the cylinders.
I'll be checking the timing chain this weekend.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 492
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham AL
That's a decent technique to use. Also, those look like the original smog heads. Rather than invest money in rebuilding them, take a look at an economical replacement such as the Summit Iron Eagle heads, SUM-152123. I have them on my motor and they are good bang for the $$$ spent. They're $325 per fully assembled.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,651
Likes: 11
From: Seattle WA
Originally Posted by tonyk72
OK, I'll stay away from the piston tops...Can anybody tell if those look factory?
What I think I may do is rotate the engine upside down on the stand & scrape off the remaining gasket material so I don't get any more junk in the cylinders.
I'll be checking the timing chain this weekend.
What I think I may do is rotate the engine upside down on the stand & scrape off the remaining gasket material so I don't get any more junk in the cylinders.
I'll be checking the timing chain this weekend.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,429
Likes: 44
From: Macon, GA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by steves_77vette
Me personally, I wouldn't mess with trying to clean the pistons. That's normal carbon build up from just running and will look like that again in a few short miles after you would clean them anyway. You are at the point of needing to adopt the philosophy of: "It ain't broke, don't fix it!"
One thing that no-one has mentioned is how bad the entire cooling system needs to be flushed. Check out the coolant passages in the block. That's some pretty nasty goo and just shy of being pudding. Flush that sucker ASAP!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by steves_77vette
Me personally, I wouldn't mess with trying to clean the pistons. That's normal carbon build up from just running and will look like that again in a few short miles after you would clean them anyway. You are at the point of needing to adopt the philosophy of: "It ain't broke, don't fix it!"
Originally Posted by steves_77vette
That's a decent technique to use. Also, those look like the original smog heads. Rather than invest money in rebuilding them, take a look at an economical replacement such as the Summit Iron Eagle heads, SUM-152123. I have them on my motor and they are good bang for the $$$ spent. They're $325 per fully assembled.
One thing that no-one has mentioned is how bad the entire cooling system needs to be flushed. Check out the coolant passages in the block. That's some pretty nasty goo and just shy of being pudding. Flush that sucker ASAP!!!
Last edited by sperkins; Mar 24, 2006 at 09:40 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 426
Likes: 0
Drivers side - cause for concern?
Can somebody explain these pics?
Whats up with the #3 cylinder walls? Those lines going up & down have a little roughness when I go over them with my fingernail.
The top of #7 looked like wet oil at first, but it's actually dry. There is a small bit of wet oil in there though...not sure if it dripped in there while I was pulling the heads off.
Edit:
Also found a part # on one of my pistons: 3959456
From what I found on the Forum archives, looks like a service replacement piston for a '70 LT-1.
Whats up with the #3 cylinder walls? Those lines going up & down have a little roughness when I go over them with my fingernail.
The top of #7 looked like wet oil at first, but it's actually dry. There is a small bit of wet oil in there though...not sure if it dripped in there while I was pulling the heads off.
Edit:
Also found a part # on one of my pistons: 3959456
From what I found on the Forum archives, looks like a service replacement piston for a '70 LT-1.
Last edited by tonyk72; Mar 24, 2006 at 10:59 PM.
