A stupid question...
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
A stupid question...
When taking heads off, to replace the lifters, are you replacing all gaskets? I've read places where other vehicles reused head or intake gaskets, but I come from old school small blocks where you replace/silicone everything as you put everything back. Just trying to get a list together before I replace a lifter that has been driving my crazy for a couple months. TIA.
#2
Safety Car
Definitely need to replace the head gaskets. Intake gaskets are sort of a large 0-ring and if still in good condition, can be re-used.
One thing that should be stressed, is to clean, clean, clean the head bolt holes in the block and the block and head surfaces. For the block and head surfaces, you don't want to use any thing more than a plastic scraper. No abrasives. If you are extremely careful, you could use a box cutter blade or similar scraper to remove any headgasket residue but you need to be EXTREMELY careful not to nick or gouge the aluminum.
Head bolt holes need to have every last bit of coolant and oil removed. Blow the holes out, use long cotton swabs to sop up any residue or trash left from scraping the block surface, etc. Then the holes need to be chased to clean the threads. There is a specific bolt hole chaser that works great but is not cheap, but well worth it even if you only ever use it once, however. Alternately, you can make a bolt hole chaser out of an old head bolt.
But again, clean, clean, clean. And when you think things are clean, check the holes again. If there is any liquid in a bolt hole when you go to torque the heads, it can crack the block.
One thing that should be stressed, is to clean, clean, clean the head bolt holes in the block and the block and head surfaces. For the block and head surfaces, you don't want to use any thing more than a plastic scraper. No abrasives. If you are extremely careful, you could use a box cutter blade or similar scraper to remove any headgasket residue but you need to be EXTREMELY careful not to nick or gouge the aluminum.
Head bolt holes need to have every last bit of coolant and oil removed. Blow the holes out, use long cotton swabs to sop up any residue or trash left from scraping the block surface, etc. Then the holes need to be chased to clean the threads. There is a specific bolt hole chaser that works great but is not cheap, but well worth it even if you only ever use it once, however. Alternately, you can make a bolt hole chaser out of an old head bolt.
But again, clean, clean, clean. And when you think things are clean, check the holes again. If there is any liquid in a bolt hole when you go to torque the heads, it can crack the block.
Last edited by Spaceme1117; 03-21-2019 at 06:44 AM.
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Gator6977 (03-21-2019)
#5
Instructor
Thread Starter
No cam, still on the fence on how far I wanna push things. At start up, she knocks pretty good. Almost has me thinking piston slap. Except, once she travels around 1/2 to 1 mile under normal acceleration, she quiets down considerably. Once I continue to accelerate, until fully warmed up, I can still hear a faint tick that matches RPM. Fully warmed, she's quiet. Aside from normal roller valve train noise. That's the best I can explain it. And honestly, before I start ordering things and upsetting the better half, I am going to pull the valve cover and see what I can see.
#7
Heck....guess i'm way out of touch with these new fangeled LS motors. Put many a lifters in the good ol Chevy small blocks from the past and never had to remove the heads......HEE-HEE.....
#9
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IIRC the LS head bolts are torque to yield and not able to be reused.
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#13
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#14
No cam, still on the fence on how far I wanna push things. At start up, she knocks pretty good. Almost has me thinking piston slap. Except, once she travels around 1/2 to 1 mile under normal acceleration, she quiets down considerably. Once I continue to accelerate, until fully warmed up, I can still hear a faint tick that matches RPM. Fully warmed, she's quiet. Aside from normal roller valve train noise. That's the best I can explain it. And honestly, before I start ordering things and upsetting the better half, I am going to pull the valve cover and see what I can see.
Wouldn't a bad lobe be noisy all the time?
#15
Some of the LSX engines, and even the LT1's before them, had issues with lots of piston slap when cold. GM shortened the piston skirts for less friction, and the pistons could rock in the bores until that aluminum slug warmed up and expanded. My '01 Camaro LS1 sounds horrible for the first mile, then calms right down. The LS3 in my 'vette sounds good, but I would push any engine until they warm up a little.
Wouldn't a bad lobe be noisy all the time?
Wouldn't a bad lobe be noisy all the time?