Meissen's LT1 Build-up Thread

[kammi10]

shit 500 thats cheap... when i did my swap i bet i had closer to a grand in nickel and dime stuff

[MP81]

Brian, if your doing head bolts that means your re torquing the head correct? Which means the head gasket is being uncompressed. Therefore you need new head gaskets as well. Nows a good time for those gaskets you and joel talked about, impala gaskets or something?

He's doing one bolt at a time. Should keep the gasket good.

[sman]

Dont think you can do one bolt at a time, theres a torque sequence, you would be releasing torque on one section still, which would alter the torque sequence no?

[MP81]

Hmmm... you could do it in sequence, and maybe it'd work.

Needless to say: if it were my engine, I would be pulling the heads off, and replacing the gasket.

But, we did work on an engine at work, and didn't change certain gaskets when we had to take stuff apart again before we fired up, cause we hadn't ran the engine yet...he might be able to get by - plus, he only used like 22 lb-ft of torque plus 180* or so.

[meissen]

shit 500 thats cheap... when i did my swap i bet i had closer to a grand in nickel and dime stuff

I spent over $400 on Monday.

And if I have to buy new head gaskets because they were torqued down once, that is the biggest piece of shit design ever. Do you guys really think I need a new head gasket just because it was torqued down once and never started? Hell, the spark plugs haven't even been put in so there's no compression on the cylinders either if that makes any difference.

[MP81]

Yeah, I'm thinking you don't...the more I think about it...

[sman]

I would, Ive always been told that once its completely compressed, its no good anymore once uncompressed, at all. If it were me, id by new. Sure would suck to get it all back together and have to pull the heads when the motors in the car.

[MP81]

I'm not sure he put all that much load onto the gaskets...

~20 lb-ft torqued, then like 180 degrees or something.

Considering the bolts were already used, they would not put as much clamping load on it as new bolts would, and it wasn't heated, they should be good...

But, I would like to have some more input than just us two...

[meissen]

Yeah, I posted on CamaroZ28 just to get some more opinions. My dad thinks we should be OK for the same reasons you do, but I just want to be sure.

[MP81]

Yeah, I don't want to lead you in the wrong direction and have you blow a head gasket.

[JoeliusZ28]

i was just going to ask that... u need to actually set the vavles when the car is running not when its just sitting there.. and yes it will get a little messy

IMO engine running is much harder to do accurately. I tried it that way and its worse than what i started with.

[kammi10]

always been easier for me and ive never had aproblem with them being to loose or to tight

[DETROITMUSCLE]

From a few people I've heard from on the subject if they are torqued down they need replacement. For your sake I hope not but let us know what you find out. If you wanted to reuse them you'd have to shell out $120 for a set of cometics.

[meissen]

Either of you guys know about whether or not I need to buy new head gaskets?

[JoeliusZ28]

OK well maybe yours is different. To me doing it with the engine running was like trying to do it blindfolded with earplugs and oversized mittens on.