Head Machining

ripmf666

Active member
Sep 20, 2006
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Wentzville Mo
The head gaskets are finished. They are leaking. The heads aren't off yet so I don't know exactly where but the coolant system is all pressured up, so somewhere along that interface.

Tell me how you adjust the valves to compensate for having the head decked? Do you shorten the valve stems.... thats the only way I can see it logically working.

If the shop has to deck your heads, when they reinstall your valves they will machine the seats then reshim the springs.
 

messejme

Jazzy, Me and Max
Mar 7, 2008
741
0
16
Branchburg NJ
I am right in the middle of the same situation. Probably burned the fire ring part of the head gasket:(I'm sending my heads to socal for stage 1;)
 

FMOS

Hard Up
Nov 19, 2008
352
0
0
Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Day two was low progress... got the exhaust completely off, the turbo off, dual shock hoops and all the stuff in the way that was pissing me off is off. Tomorrow morning, take off the intake manifold, valve covers, valve train and finally the heads. Then I'll leave them to get dropped off on monday by my bro and I'll start re-assembly next weekend I guess.

There is more involved in this process than I had thought. I suppose its worth saving myself the 3000+ dollars of labor charges.

On Edit: When I got the turbo out I noticed that it made a bit of noise when I spun it with my hand. Looks like the turbine is rubbing on the housing a wee bit. I checked the float on the compressor side and its probably got 1-2mm... So I would say severly damaged! I dont think she would have lasted too much longer. Haha, good thing new one is on order. I kinda knew because of performance and noise when its cold that it was going downhill.
 
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FMOS

Hard Up
Nov 19, 2008
352
0
0
Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Got the heads off. Thats a bigger job than I had expected.

Getting the coolant manifold off the front of the heads was a pain too, had to get the power steering and alternator brackets loose...

Putting it all back together now is going to be a savage under taking. I'll have to wait for another 4 days weekend hahah.
 

FMOS

Hard Up
Nov 19, 2008
352
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0
Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Haha. I'd say it wasn't a big deal if I had my own shop with my tools and a lift.

But doing it in a buddies garage that the truck barely fits in and bringing only what you thought the required tools would be makes it not enjoyable in the least though.

... I couldn't even speculate how many times I jumped on the rear tire, into the box, crossed to the other side of the truck and jumped down, got tools from the bench, jumped back into the box, crossed to the other side and jumped down.

So I've never seen a DMAX head gasket issue before, is there any tell tale signs I would see on the heads, gaskets or block?

I glanced it over fairly quickly and didn't see much. No rust/water marks... no really obvious indications of a failed gasket. The only thing I really noticed was that on all of the pistons there is a whiteish burned in star pattern and the rest is fairly sooty colored and they appear dry. The front drivers side cylinder, the piston doesnt show that whiteish star pattern and it looks like, or atleast to me, that there was moisture in that cylinder during the last time it ran... and probably for quite some time before that.

I'm guessing that this started a long time ago and slowly got worse and worse and finally got bad enough to blow the coolant out.
 

ripmf666

Active member
Sep 20, 2006
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Wentzville Mo
I know what you mean working in a small area lol.
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FMOS

Hard Up
Nov 19, 2008
352
0
0
Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Haha.. you got me beat!

I was atleast able to get the garage door closed, had a herman nelson for heat. There is ample room on either sides of my truck though, just not infront or behind. Still a pain being in a foriegn garage though haha.
 

FMOS

Hard Up
Nov 19, 2008
352
0
0
Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
I got a question that might sound stupid, but I'm no stranger to these!

The heat shields on the exhaust up/down pipes... are they really required?

I got this feeling that when I'm putting it all back together I will be inclined to leave off garbage that I think it doesnt need. Like 2 bolts in the tranny dipstick for instance... Especially for how big of an eff around it is to get some of this stuff on and off.. we'll see though i guess. Curious about the heat shields though because the bigger downpipe is going to make that kind of tough.
 

ripmf666

Active member
Sep 20, 2006
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Wentzville Mo
I left the heat shields off, You want the bolts in the dipstick.You really did not need to remove the turbo to do the head gaskets.
 

FMOS

Hard Up
Nov 19, 2008
352
0
0
Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
I think I will leave the heat sheilds off too. I will put the bolts in the stuff... I think it was mainly the heatshields that made taking stuff off the back of the motor tough.

Ripmf666 - I read something about guys honing the cylinders with the head studs installed and some sort of block bolted inplace of the heads??? I thought you usually only line bore the crank when you put in different mounting hardware. Do I need to do anything to the cylinders when it goes back together? I don't think I will be able to haha.

Also, is the procedure for torquing the same even though I'll be using head studs? I used that procedure you posted to take them off, I was planning on doing the same thing to put them back on... 30 lbs, 60 lbs then 60° and then another 60° .. or whatever it calls for exactly. And you mentioned loosening them off and retorquing???

Edit: I removed the turbo because the stock one was buggered up, and also I have an HTT coming to replace it.
 
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ripmf666

Active member
Sep 20, 2006
15,123
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Wentzville Mo
When you build a motor you can do a line bore if needed or if adding main studs, what your asking about is TQ plate honing the cylinders you can not do this as you would be adding junk inside the motor,You can install the heads in the same order but you will not be able to TQ them with the GM specs, Your ARP head studs will come with the new specs,You will want to tq them the way it sayd 3 times then wait over night and redo them again for a 4th and final time.
 

durallymax

New member
Apr 26, 2008
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Under The Hood
On my LB7 the ARP bolts went 50lb, 90lbs then 125lb. Wait a little, then back them off and torque straight to 125lb, do that 3 times. On the last time wait overnight, then once done install the little 8mm bolts at 25lb-ft, IIRC.

Also, if you loosen the nuts all the way make sure to reseat the stud as they like to spin out when you loosen the nut.

And remember only finger tight on the studs and ARP Moly Lube is your friend.
 

durallymax

New member
Apr 26, 2008
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Under The Hood
they arent the easiest motors to work on, but its better than a powerstroke. I really dont think they are too bad at all especially after you do it once.
 

ripmf666

Active member
Sep 20, 2006
15,123
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Wentzville Mo
On my LB7 the ARP bolts went 50lb, 90lbs then 125lb. Wait a little, then back them off and torque straight to 125lb, do that 3 times. On the last time wait overnight, then once done install the little 8mm bolts at 25lb-ft, IIRC.

Also, if you loosen the nuts all the way make sure to reseat the stud as they like to spin out when you loosen the nut.

And remember only finger tight on the studs and ARP Moly Lube is your friend.


Some ARP kits came with these and some did not. and you had to reuse the stock ones which should be replaced.
 

drmatt

New member
Mar 30, 2009
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I'm helping fmos (sean) rebuild his motor and i just dropped the heads off at the machine shop, i was wondering how i can tell what size the old head gaskets are A,B or C?
 

FMOS

Hard Up
Nov 19, 2008
352
0
0
Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Yes... how do you tell what gaskets you took off? I ordered "C" gaskets to go back on... in hindsight may not be the best but I will avoid any major problems.

The dude at the shop said that if the new gaskets are larger than the old ones, then even if he has to do any surface grinding or milling the valve seats may not need to be recessed because it will still be less than the increase in gaskets size...

It makes sense to me, I'm just thinking that to be on the safe side it would be best to recess the valves like you guys previously mentioned. I'm guessing the piston to valve clearance is extremely close.