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Head sealing surface... how clean? Also my lifters were a PITA to get out?!
just yanked the OE heads off my 99 5.3 with 150k. It had knotched 862 heads and graphite gaskets. I have new 862 heads ported and LS1 MLS gaskets and ARP bolts. I scrapped the decks with a razor and some brake clean. The issue is the knotched area of course is more rusted and rough/raised. I know with MLS the surface needs to be clean! Im thinking of using those nylon wire disks to clean it up good as they are designed to remove paint and rust without eating metal etc. I've heard horror stories of scotch bright pads ruining the level surface.
What do do you guys use esp as I'm going from that nasty graphite gasket to MLS.
Also when pulling my lifters i literally needed to get a visegrip
on then to get them out. They felt like they were mushroomed or something. Very tight on like 80% of them. I thought these would pull out with a magnet. They all spinned fine in there bores but after pulling out like 1/4-1/2" the got stuck and I had to twist and pull like a mule to get them out. I can only assume grime and caked burnt oil on the lifters caused the issue.
Yes, varishh build up can make for headaches. Next time try using some paint thinner to soften it up.
As for the deck surface: clean with a razor blade and paint thinner, and then just lightly block it with 220 grit and some WD-40; it should seal up just fine.
As for the lifters, some of mine were hard to get out and some were easy. I think if the lifter trays are in good shape they will actually be harder to get out but I'm not sure on that.
I think it will work good. Just go lightly over the head surface and not stay in one spot too long. Do you think I should use WD40 or I have silicone spray lubricant I can use (alot like WD40) with the nylon wire brush?
Also I pulled the lifter trays and they came out easily but the lifters stayed in the bore. As this was all right from the factory its never been removed and the trays looked fine just old and dirty lol. I got new LS2 trays and bolts to go back in. But the cam is still in the motor. I'm going to pull the balancer, cover, oil pump and timing chain. Then swap the cam and replace it all with new including a new GM HV pump (LS6 style). Lifters and trays go in last before I put the heads back on.
I like atf and paint thinner mixed up & a wire brush for anything that a razor scraper can't get off. dont worry about stains, just knock off the gasket material.
roloc discs and power tools tend to roll the edges of surfaces
also: side note, i think felpro now makes an mls headgasket that works for notched heads.
copper spray the **** out of them too. i get two motors out of one can with light coats.
I used scotchbrite pads by hand and oil. I made sure to keep the lifter bores stuffed with shop towels and vacuumed everything out, and hit it with air afterwards.
Edit: also my lifters did the same thing, they just do that I believe. I tossed ls7 lifters in it and they do the same thing.
I like atf and paint thinner mixed up & a wire brush for anything that a razor scraper can't get off. dont worry about stains, just knock off the gasket material.
roloc discs and power tools tend to roll the edges of surfaces
also: side note, i think felpro now makes an mls headgasket that works for notched heads.
copper spray the **** out of them too. i get two motors out of one can with light coats.
Quoting this to make sure OP sees it. As far as I know, felpro makes the ONLY MLS gasket that works with notched heads
Thanks guys. Sounds like the consensus is oil and razor then brush and oil or equivlent with a scotch bright. Do you guys use the red scotch bright?
thanks for the info on the felpro MLS. I don't need it as I got new heads without the knotches. That way I can run the cheap GM LS1 MLS as $36 for the pair
since the heads are new and has a .005 clean up I don't need to worry about cleaning them up. It's just the block I need to get ready. Do I need to worry about the iron block with the nylon wire brush? I was planning to use a variable speed drill to keep the Rpms down and light pressure anyways. It's not my first head gasket job... but my first time with MLS style gaskets.
I used Cometic MLS gaskets with mine, and they recommend the surfaces to be extremely smooth. I had the heads milled so those were fine. But I literally spent 4-6 hours with an entire box of 50...extremely sharp carpet blades, 4 cans of brake clean, and a bunch of micro fiber towels to do mine. I did not use any Rolac Discs or any other things. No leaks yet but only have about 250 miles on it.
Thanks! They look good. That's the one thing I like about the OEM as they don't require as much prep to put on. And since these are now the stock replacements for all LS motors in sure they will do fine as they are meant to replace the graphite.
01-16-2017, 11:16 PM
Head sealing surface... how clean? Also my lifters were a PITA to get out?! 
