Pulling heads. Advice welcome!
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Joined: Aug 2015
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Pulling heads. Advice welcome!
So I'm going to start my winter project of pulling heads on my 08z and sending them to WCCH to have them reworked
. I'm honestly sick of worrying about the valves dropping everytime I drive it. I read over a lot DIY threads and videos, have a decent stash of tools, and like to think I'm pretty mechanically inclined, but have never done heads before. Anyone who has done this have any advice or tips? Also the car is Paxton supercharged. So does anyone know if the paxton head unit will need to be removed in order to pull heads?
. I'm honestly sick of worrying about the valves dropping everytime I drive it. I read over a lot DIY threads and videos, have a decent stash of tools, and like to think I'm pretty mechanically inclined, but have never done heads before. Anyone who has done this have any advice or tips? Also the car is Paxton supercharged. So does anyone know if the paxton head unit will need to be removed in order to pull heads?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,950
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From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Yes you have to pull the entire front belt assembly off. The power steering reservoir bracket is the only pain in the butt. The rest is easy. Be sure and notch the power steering reservoir bracket so it goes on easier.
Check out this thread from Jaysplayss2 for a pic of how to notch that bracket. When you remove it you'll see what I'm talking about. You can only move the bolt 15 degrees or so. A ratcheting box end would probably help if it had very fine ratcheting detents.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...s-of-pics.html
Check out this thread from Jaysplayss2 for a pic of how to notch that bracket. When you remove it you'll see what I'm talking about. You can only move the bolt 15 degrees or so. A ratcheting box end would probably help if it had very fine ratcheting detents.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...s-of-pics.html
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Thanks for the input guys. The heads are off. To be honest everything was pretty easy, didn't really get stuck on anything. There was a lot of coolant in the cylinders which I vacuumed up and like an idot I wiped down the cylinders with a clean shop wrag. I heard this is a no no because of the possibility of getting lint or debris stuck in the piston ring. Any truth to this or should I not be worried?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,950
Likes: 264
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Thanks for the input guys. The heads are off. To be honest everything was pretty easy, didn't really get stuck on anything. There was a lot of coolant in the cylinders which I vacuumed up and like an idot I wiped down the cylinders with a clean shop wrag. I heard this is a no no because of the possibility of getting lint or debris stuck in the piston ring. Any truth to this or should I not be worried?
Pro
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 572
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From: Carol Stream IL
Thanks for the input guys. The heads are off. To be honest everything was pretty easy, didn't really get stuck on anything. There was a lot of coolant in the cylinders which I vacuumed up and like an idot I wiped down the cylinders with a clean shop wrag. I heard this is a no no because of the possibility of getting lint or debris stuck in the piston ring. Any truth to this or should I not be worried?
When I changed the heads on my old Chevelle w SBC, I got coolant in the cylinders and when I restarted the car the oil pressure was bouncing al over the place. I remember someone telling me to add a quart of diesel to the oil to help soak up the water and coolant, which I did and ran the engine for a few minutes, then did an oil change. Everything was better after that.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
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From: granville mass
If that coolant made it into your oil, it could really mess up the viscosity of the oil. I would recommend an oil change right after you bolt everything back together, not before. Watch the oil pressure when you start the engine. If the pressure is erratic, shut down and do the oil change right away. If the pressure seems normal, run the engine a bit to get the coolant out between the piston rings, then change the oil.
When I changed the heads on my old Chevelle w SBC, I got coolant in the cylinders and when I restarted the car the oil pressure was bouncing al over the place. I remember someone telling me to add a quart of diesel to the oil to help soak up the water and coolant, which I did and ran the engine for a few minutes, then did an oil change. Everything was better after that.
When I changed the heads on my old Chevelle w SBC, I got coolant in the cylinders and when I restarted the car the oil pressure was bouncing al over the place. I remember someone telling me to add a quart of diesel to the oil to help soak up the water and coolant, which I did and ran the engine for a few minutes, then did an oil change. Everything was better after that.
be smart, be careful, be aware, you have a very expensive engine, but don't be over concerned, rings are tight, coolant isn't draining past them like going down a sink drain. Like offered above, change the oil, but in my opinion, do it after you've had a chance to circulate it, otherwise you may end up with coolant not draining out.
