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I'm doing a head gasket on a (stock) '97 L31 Vortec engine that blew between Cylinders 4&6. I'm going to have the head checked for flatness, but I'm a little concerened about the block/deck. I don't see erosion between the cylinders, but there is a lot more pitting there, than I'd like to see. Will this thing seal up w/a new gasket? Or just blow again?
May seem hack but Id almost be tempted to longboard that one. Try speedtalk nothing but builders there.
Id guess it would probably be Ok with just a gasket but understand the concern especially if you gotta stand behind it.
Since you're dealing with a blown head gasket and the block erosion is at the same location. I would equal deck block. It won't cost that much more. If decking isn't part of the plan, "paint and stick " new head gasket and hope for the best.
Shitty situation.
Mr. Customer will have to chance it the way it is, or buy an engine.
Personally, I don't like the way it looks, but I would make the customer decide.
I certainly wouldn't warranty anything.
Thanks guys. I feel like the majority of you seem to; I don't like it at all...wouldn't warranty it or even recommend it. If it were my engine, I'd pull it and deck it. I'll ask the owner, but this is already the second engine in a junker truck, so I doubt he'll want to pay for engine removal and decking.
Thanks guys. I feel like the majority of you seem to; I don't like it at all...wouldn't warranty it or even recommend it. If it were my engine, I'd pull it and deck it. I'll ask the owner, but this is already the second engine in a junker truck, so I doubt he'll want to pay for engine removal and decking.
We'll see. I'll post what happens next.
See, now that is the right thing to do. (Kind of surprised it is that bad, my L31 didn't even need to be decked really but I had them clean it up on the rebuild) I finished stripping the 400 last night and that deck is visibly not straight at all and still was sealed. I've seen some people put back much worse and now that everyone said it, if you have to stand behind it, I'll retract my prior statement.
It would be nice if there was some type of high temp steel epoxy you could build up and let cure and then carefully file down without pulling the engine.
It would be nice if there was some type of high temp steel epoxy you could build up and let cure and then carefully file down without pulling the engine.
I would go over the area with some mild acid (cleaning grade vinegar, something in this order, cleaning grade vinegar is available at WalMart) in order to etch the metal and give it some real tooth to adhere to, as well as clean bare metal.
I would go over the area with some mild acid (cleaning grade vinegar, something in this order, cleaning grade vinegar is available at WalMart) in order to etch the metal and give it some real tooth to adhere to, as well as clean bare metal.
Yea... I think I'd try to run a weld before I tried that. I've never had any of those muffler type fixers last and thats just on sealing slip fit joints for leaks..
J-B Weld™ ExtremeHeat™ is formulated to allow for repairs to iron, steel and metal in high temperature environments (2400°F / 1300°C). When fully cured, this metallic compound can be drilled, machined or sanded. It is great for repairing cracks, small gaps, seam connections or holes in exhaust manifolds, pipe connections, mufflers, catalytic converters, outdoor grills, fire boxes, gas and commercial furnaces and water heaters. This product is water based, non-flammable and contains no solvents or Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
It will work. Welding between the bores is most likely to cause some kind of distortion. Plus cast iron welding (the block) is not the easiest to weld. Not everyone can weld cast iron. It is easier to lay some nickle or other material into it.
dr cook has a good point, who wants to get involved in that though.
Is the deck pretty straight? Have done some questionable HG jobs and only 1 failed, I bet he will be Ok..his decision/consequence.
Wonder if youll end up adopting this truck if the cost of fixing is too high. One thing I loved about working in shops when I was .....young.
Just for the hell of it I looked up the sds. Its roughly a 50/50 mixture of iron and silicic acid with a modified cross link in salts. IE a polymer. I'd wager the iron is the melt resistance as the base monomer breaks down around 400 degrees, much like most epoxies. However heat should dehydrate it, according to wikipedia it actually forms a glassy structure. (I've never worked with it so I had to look it up) and just as I suspected it is strong, but its actual toughness (area under the curve) is low. It is brittle. The failure mode I have had is a crack, most likely from the exhaust moving around.
My conclusion, as long is it's thermal conductivity and expansion rate is close enough to the block it probably would work for a while. But if not then it could break immediately or fracture or what have you. I'd guess having the iron brings it close enough.
Yes welding iron is a bitch. Yes it'll shrink the metal around it. Yes it could distort the top of the bore. However it should be below the ring packing and as long as it is done cleanly, could be hand filed close enough. That being said I've seen people smear high temp rtv on crap like that and slap it back together and work. So really, how crucial is it? I would think very but seeing a lot of shade tree stuff makes me second guess that.
Just a note on welding. If the area is built up by welding, the block has to be heated in a oven before welding. It will still have to be decked after welding. Both require the removal of the engine.
Block/Deck issue. Have a look....
