First Start...bad head gasket

P

PHENDERSON

Well-Known Member
Yep...engine ran until my wife said "there's some thick stuff leaking". Didn't take long to see it's leaking from the cylinder head. I rebuilt the engine, new gasket and torqued everything per spec with new bolts. It's leaking oil from a couple different spots where the head gasket is.

Has anyone replaced a head casket or taken the head off the engine? Can I do it with the engine still in the car or do I have to pull the whole thing out?
 
R

r3drckt

Goblin Guru
You can pull the head with the engine in the car. Hardest part will be the timing chain which requires supporting the engine to remove the engine mount and the timing cover.
 
P

PHENDERSON

Well-Known Member
I think it stings because I took the engine apart 100%. I put in all brand new parts with exception to the rods and crankshaft, I even resleeved the cylinders. Everything else is new and where ever possible upgraded. I put in ZZP stage 2 cams, stiffer valvesprings, titanium keepers, LS4 throttle body, hotter coil packs, supercharger spacer platr, dual pass endplate, balance shaft delete bushings, 80# injectors, 2.7 inch pulley, hotter plugs, ecu remap running 93oct, shorty exhaust manifold, and I Ported and polished the head.
 
P

PHENDERSON

Well-Known Member
Don't remember off hand but what ever the book said. I didn't lub the threads. I purchased ARP head bolts for this next time around.
 
OptimizePrime

OptimizePrime

Goblin Guru
Build a wooden jig on a dolly to drop the subframe and engine as one. Then it's 4 subframe bolts, connectors/axles/coolant/trans cables/clutch line and you're out. Use the jig to lift it back into place and for the next time (if there is one). 2-4hrs max

I wouldn't risk it with the timing.

You'll want to change out the oil too since the rings probably couldn't seat and it has gas/coolant in it.
 
C

Chubbs

Well-Known Member
The fix will go quick. It's best just to get it over with.

When I built mine, the first time I pushed in the clutch fluid just squirted everywhere inside the bellhousing. Turns out, my clutch slave cylinder had a huge leak....and that's after I had the entire clutch apart to inspect everything. I was bummed and didn't touch it for probably a week.

When I finally got motivated enough to fix it, the whole fix took probably 4 hours of actual working time (I spread it out over a couple evenings). That's engine/trans out of the frame, trans and engine separated, replace slave, put it all back together, and back in the frame. Maybe 4 hours. maybe less. I bet I could do it in 3 hours now.

Once you've done it a time or two, it goes really quick. I bet you can replace the head gasket in 4 hours or less and have it running again. It's not as big of a setback as you're probably thinking it is.
 
P

PHENDERSON

Well-Known Member
Turns out you can do it quite easily keeping the engine mounted. At least for an LSJ. I drained the oil and engine coolant. Then took the air intake and supercharger off. Took the top bolts of the intake out that attach to the head. Took the timing cover off, removed the tensioners, and then cam sprockets and then finally the head came off. I didn't have to remove the engine mounts or drain the HX loop either.
 

Attachments

neodied

neodied

Well-Known Member
PHENDERSON said:
Turns out you can do it quite easily keeping the engine mounted. At least for an LSJ. I drained the oil and engine coolant. Then took the air intake and supercharger off. Took the top bolts of the intake out that attach to the head. Took the timing cover off, removed the tensioners, and then cam sprockets and then finally the head came off. I didn't have to remove the engine mounts or drain the HX loop either.
Click to expand...
Any special trick to holding the crank in place for removing and torquing the crank pulley / harmonic balancer? Before I jam a screwdriver in the flywheel teeth where they are visible on the back side of the engine and hope that doesn't damage the teeth.
 
G

Gtstorey

Goblin Guru
They make tools to hold the flywheel by the teeth and they make a tool for some motors to hold the flywheel teeth through the starter hole. I don’t know if that is available for the ecotec.

Pretty common to use a pry bar but don’t do it without some help.And a pretty big pry bar.
 
neodied

neodied

Well-Known Member
Vwsaabvt said:
put it in gear and use the brakes?
Click to expand...
I tried putting it in 5th (for best mechanical advantage) and applying the parking brake, but that was not enough holding force. With a second person holding the hydraulic brakes, it might work. I suppose the limit on the trans holding the engine still would be the torque capacity of the clutch, so that should work. Using an impact gun crossed my mind as well, but that doesn’t solve the problem of re-torquing it when the pulley goes back on. It might be feasible to remove the starter and use a holding tool like gtstorey mentioned.

The service manual says "Use J 38122-A to prevent the crankshaft from rotating while loosening the crankshaft balancer bolt." Unfortunately "J 38122-A" seems to cost $100. And that would also not work down the road if I choose to upgrade the OEM harmonic balancer.

the big complication is me not wanting to pull the engine out, which would make this much easier after separating the trans.
 
Last edited:
P

PHENDERSON

Well-Known Member
I used a tool that has pins that insert into the holes in the balancer, it's universal and adjustable. I think I got it off amazon for $20 maybe. It's basically a long metal bar with a pin on the end and then it has a second bar connected 6 inches from the end that can be adjusted so you can fit both pins.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top