Advice needed--blown head gasket
 

Hey everyone, I need some advice on dealing with a blown head gasket. I have a BDR with a 351W stroker with Edelbrock Vic Jr. heads. 2k miles on the motor. I have been losing a lot of coolant lately and now I know why. I drained the oil and it looked like cappucino. I also have white smoke from the driver's side exhaust, especially at idle, so I think there's no real doubt what's wrong. I would like some advice on how to deal with it, though.

First and foremost is whether to fix it myself. I assembled the top end of the engine from a 'kit' supplied by a reputable engine builder. It was my first time doing such a thing, so in the back of my mind, I'm worried that maybe I did something wrong when assembling it, and maybe would unknowingly repeat my mistake. (I know that only I can really answer the question, but opinions are still welcome.)

So now, assuming I decide to tackle this myself, I have some more concrete questions:

1. Should I do one or both gaskets? I only have smoke from one side, so I'm assuming only one gasket is bad.

2. How much of a pain is it to R&R the head while the engine is in the car? Has anyone done this job on a BDR? Unfortunately the one I have to change is on the driver's side, and the steering column will make the job more difficult.

3. I know I have to check the head for warpage, but do I also have to be worried about the (iron) block?

4. If the head is warped, and I have to have it flattened, do I have to worry about the compression ratio changing?

5. I assume that I need to use new head bolts, but do I need to use new intake manifold bolts as well?

OK, now, if I decide not to do it myself, can someone recommend a shop in the San Diego area that I could trust to do this job correctly?

Thanks for your input.

Did you use new bolts to begin with, did you use a torque wrench, how long have you been running the motor with diluted oil? Also - I am not sure about a BDR, but I have the Flaming River Column in LSC and it is a breeze to remove to work on head.

New head bolts were used and torqued to the builder's specs (with a torque wrench). I used moly lube on the threads and tightened them in three stages: 85 ft-lb, 95 ft-lb, and then 105 ft-lb. I tightened them in a pattern from the center to the ends.

I don't know how long the problem has been going on, but probably for a few hundred miles. It has gotten pretty hot (220-230 deg. F) on a couple of occasions when I didn't realize the coolant was low. I'm thinking those occasions were after the gasket started leaking and probably just made it worse, but I can't be sure.

Midnight,

Sounds like you know what you are doing. I recently did this on my 427 and I choose to change both but I was doing a routine maintenance on my engine to get ready for some track time. To answer your question about your heads being warped, I would think it is very unlikely and you can take your head in and have it re-surfaced (as I did) for about $30 per head. When you decide to pull your head keep all your bolts, push rods and lifters in the same order they came out of the engine.

During re-assembly be sure that both your head mating surface as well as your intake surface is really clean (use laquer thinner a clean blue paper towel). Before you reassemble the you might want to put a little silicone on your finger and wipe a thin amount around your water jackets to help hold everything in place and give you a little more security from water getting into your combustion chambers.

Also, if you are running aluminium heads you might want to torque them down to 110 lbs. and then re-torque them after you have brought your car up to operating temp.

Clois Harlan

I do not recall an engine surviving for any length of time after a blown head gasket without a complete tear down and look over.

I would pull the engine and disassemble it completely to see what "other damage" has blessed the metal.

If this is the suggestion of others, then Sorry for my reiteration. Clois has soom good advice.

:D

per Fel-Pro gasket instructions, the lower (exhaust) head bolts should be coated with a non-hardening sealant and the upper (intake) bolts with 30 wt oil. The lower bolt hole penetrate into the water jacket and there for need a sealer.

Dwight

I would do both sides while you have the patient opened up. We had a local member blow a head gasket, which he replaced. Then, the other side went and he had to open it up agian.

I wouldn't tear the whole thing down unless you suspect other problems. Probably just crappy gaskets that failed.

ops
 

I just noticed this thread is two years old. I did a seach on head bolt torque and this one pop up.

Dwight

Too funny. I read the thread but didn't look at the date. That Dwight guy can't read dates either I guess. :LOL:

I am getting ready to my heads back on.. What type of sealent for the lower head bolts? Looking at the permatex site I don't see it.

Thanks
Ron

http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut..._gasketing.htm

head bolt torque
 

I posted the head bolt question on FFR site for Gordon Levy and this is his response:



Today 02:53 PM
Gordon Levy
With stock bolt, 75#. With ARP bolts it should be 80-85# with arp moly on the threads or 110# with 30w oil on the threads.


I use a industrial grade non hardening sealant, I don't remember the name. I'm sure the part store sell sealant for head bolts.

Dwight

Glad to see this thread still provides information for those in need.

Not on a 351. No sealer needed on any bolts.

Jim

Thanks jwd
I guess I was having a bad day. Old thread, wrong motor :o

To much searching for torque information and gaskets for a 302.

I called Keith Craft Monday and found out that the Fel-Pro intake gasket for Brodix and Edelbrock heads will not work. There is a very small area at each end of the head (water port) that the gasket does not cover. He said the Cometic gasket will work. Three day wait till new gaskets get here. And it's 70 degrees today and my motor in on 2 tables.


Dwight

We use the EDELBROCK intake gaskets for such an application here at the Ranch--

-- we had problems with the Felpro Intake gaskets reacting to CA gasoline and getting gggooooooeeey.

X2 on the cometic gaskets, good, very good!