First timer Head Gasket replacement
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,271
Likes: 1
From: PA
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
At everyone's suggestion, I pulled the intake off and laid down the RTV instead of the silly silicone gasket thingie. Thanks everyone!
We finished getting it all pretty much back together last night. Bolted down the intake, put in the distributor, and put on the carb.
She's coming along nicely! Tonight we'll do the timing and valve lashing.
Thought I'd share a pretty funny joke that happened last night
I had jacked up the car to get to the transmission's vacuum actuator to reconnect it, and when I did somehow the jack got stuck. My neighbor came over and was confused and said WTF. We couldn't get the jack to go down.
He then said, "I think you tightened it a little too hard. You just need to give it about a 1 inch stroke and that will get the job done."
I turned to him and said, "Well, maybe for you buddy."
He paused. Didn't get it at first. Then cried laughing
We finished getting it all pretty much back together last night. Bolted down the intake, put in the distributor, and put on the carb.
She's coming along nicely! Tonight we'll do the timing and valve lashing.
Thought I'd share a pretty funny joke that happened last night
I had jacked up the car to get to the transmission's vacuum actuator to reconnect it, and when I did somehow the jack got stuck. My neighbor came over and was confused and said WTF. We couldn't get the jack to go down. He then said, "I think you tightened it a little too hard. You just need to give it about a 1 inch stroke and that will get the job done."
I turned to him and said, "Well, maybe for you buddy."
He paused. Didn't get it at first. Then cried laughing
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 106
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Hahaha! Duly noted!
I painted the thermostat coupling too (see above picture). I like the silver.... but I'm starting to think chevy orange. Anyone have opinions either way? I also though about just letting my son pick the color and whatever he picks just paint it that :P
I painted the thermostat coupling too (see above picture). I like the silver.... but I'm starting to think chevy orange. Anyone have opinions either way? I also though about just letting my son pick the color and whatever he picks just paint it that :P
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Last night we put the finishing touches on her. When doing the valve lashing, I discovered before tightening one down that one of the pushrods was DESTROYED. See picture below:
Put the new fuel filter on today, nice percolator clear guy - it adds some nice flare since you can see the gas going right through it
We had some real trouble getting the thing at TDC. We were just having brain farts. For some reason the distributor wasn't lining up to the #1 spark plug when when turned it to what we though was TDC. The dampener has TWO lines on it for timing, and crap did that throw us off. We put it at one of them (they were about 4 inches apart) and it was pointing to #6. We were floored....
.... until we had a few beers and sat and went... oh.... thats BDC..... just gotta turn the engine one more revolution.... Hahahahahah
We put her all back together with EVERYTHING in place today. I replaced the breather grommet and temp sensor.
Here she is, all done:
When we fired her up for the first time she PURRED. Sounded AWESOME!!! PERFECT! It hasn't sounded that good in all the time I've owned it.
I am so happy now!
Then we had a celebratory cigar and scotch for a job well done. Thanks everyone for your help!
Put the new fuel filter on today, nice percolator clear guy - it adds some nice flare since you can see the gas going right through it
We had some real trouble getting the thing at TDC. We were just having brain farts. For some reason the distributor wasn't lining up to the #1 spark plug when when turned it to what we though was TDC. The dampener has TWO lines on it for timing, and crap did that throw us off. We put it at one of them (they were about 4 inches apart) and it was pointing to #6. We were floored....
.... until we had a few beers and sat and went... oh.... thats BDC..... just gotta turn the engine one more revolution.... Hahahahahah
We put her all back together with EVERYTHING in place today. I replaced the breather grommet and temp sensor.
Here she is, all done:
When we fired her up for the first time she PURRED. Sounded AWESOME!!! PERFECT! It hasn't sounded that good in all the time I've owned it.
I am so happy now!
Then we had a celebratory cigar and scotch for a job well done. Thanks everyone for your help!
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Congrats wasnt so bad eh?
Driving impressions?
Id leave the Tstat silver like the intake so it doesnt "stick out"
PLeeease do youself a favor and get rid of the eye candy glass filter, that will leak or break eventually. Been the source of many a fire. A plain old fram steel one works real well and looks fine imo
Driving impressions?
Id leave the Tstat silver like the intake so it doesnt "stick out"
PLeeease do youself a favor and get rid of the eye candy glass filter, that will leak or break eventually. Been the source of many a fire. A plain old fram steel one works real well and looks fine imo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,264
Likes: 3
From: Vero Beach FL
Congrats wasnt so bad eh?
Driving impressions?
Id leave the Tstat silver like the intake so it doesnt "stick out"
PLeeease do youself a favor and get rid of the eye candy glass filter, that will leak or break eventually. Been the source of many a fire. A plain old fram steel one works real well and looks fine imo
Driving impressions?
Id leave the Tstat silver like the intake so it doesnt "stick out"
PLeeease do youself a favor and get rid of the eye candy glass filter, that will leak or break eventually. Been the source of many a fire. A plain old fram steel one works real well and looks fine imo
Your next upgrade needs to be your fuel line. You are playing with fire, literary. Look to replace the rubber lines. I see that you are running a Holley. I am not so sure that the factory all steel lines will connect up without some mods. You can make (bend) your own or Summit makes some braided steel line kits for your set up. Glad to hear that everything is working. I will be doing this myself in the next few weeks. Thanks for keeping us posted its nice to see the end results. 
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Driving impressions - after getting it all up and running, there were a few things that I never noticed.
The gas pedal is MUCH more responsive now, not so sticky and sloppy like before. I attribute that to my stupidity in not tweaking the cable/carb. Also, the car idles SO MUCH MORE sweetly. No real vibration at all. Going down the road, acceleration is very smooth and shifts are good.
However.
In the world of corvettes.....
....... "There's always something".....
Took her out for a spin for about 30-45 minutes this weekend. Came home to see radiator fluid leaking out the front and thought maybe I didn't clamp a hose down...
..... low and behold....
There is now a pinhole on the seam of the front of the passenger's side radiator.
Damn. JB weld...
The gas pedal is MUCH more responsive now, not so sticky and sloppy like before. I attribute that to my stupidity in not tweaking the cable/carb. Also, the car idles SO MUCH MORE sweetly. No real vibration at all. Going down the road, acceleration is very smooth and shifts are good.
However.
In the world of corvettes.....
....... "There's always something".....
Took her out for a spin for about 30-45 minutes this weekend. Came home to see radiator fluid leaking out the front and thought maybe I didn't clamp a hose down...
..... low and behold....
There is now a pinhole on the seam of the front of the passenger's side radiator.
Damn. JB weld...
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
JB Weld worked great last night. No more leaks from the radiator.
I was tempted to use the bars stop leak but read and read and read here about it. After doing all my research, I'd suggest never, ever using that junk.
I was tempted to use the bars stop leak but read and read and read here about it. After doing all my research, I'd suggest never, ever using that junk.
