ggino85

iTrader: (1)

hello everyone, so heres the story.......i traded a 99 silverado for a 98 BGC Trans am. the trans am is pretty much stock (from what i know), other than a comp cam......... the previous owner said the cylinders were bored or whatever but i dont think he meant bored, maybe honed and cleaned but i dont think they are bored? maybe you guys can tell.

anyway, here is the issue....... when i got the car it ran fine but it would overheat when driven for any extended lenth of time, anything over 30 minutes. the previous owner gave me paperwork from a shop with the estimation for a headgasket change, they diagnosed the overheating issue and said it was a headgasket. i have worked on ls1's before, nothing as extensive as a headgasket job but i am pretty sure i can get it done. i have already took both heads off and now im just trying see whats going on. the gaskets look fine, to me. one piston is really shinny and clean while all the others are covered with black gunk. here are some pictures, let me know what you think and feel free to ask questions.

chevydan

iTrader: (4)

its been steam cleaned. check for cracks and put new head gaskets on it will be ok.

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

Welcome to LS1 Tech.


Looks to me like gasket was blown near #2 cylinder; the shinny one. This can happen as a result of low coolant. Looks like the overflow from the radiator was dry & that there was an air pocket @ the high point of the engine, pistons 1 & 2. The heat from the air pockets can cause the gaske to give out. So, change the gaskets (dust the new gaskets w/ some copper gasket spray). Make sure you get all of the coolant out of the threaded head bolt holes or you'll wind up w/ a cracked block. When finished, make sure the front coolant cross over tube is connected from the heads to the high point on the radiator or hose to the radiator. Fill the system through the top of the water pump. Run engine for 5 minutes then check level & top off. Run for 10 minutes, cool down & repeat. Then w/ overflow filled to proper level run for 15 minutes & cool down. Check level. If overflow has coolant in it after completely cooled down, the system is full. Go for a drive & check level again. Make sure that overflow always has coolant after car has cooled. If not, the system is low on fluid & there will be overheating issues.

09camaro383

iTrader: (2)

in other words and to make the story shorter coolant was getting into cylinder #2 take the head to the machine shop or napa and they can check it out if the head is good it could be a bad head gasket or the head was not torque properly

ggino85

iTrader: (1)

thank you for the replies! i didnt realize that was my first post, i've been lurking around since i joined in 08'.

i also plan i putting in a new radiator (current one looks pretty shabby), dual springs (they didnt do it when they did the cam), im also seriously considering an ls6 oil pump, and a ls2 timing chain.

can the headgaskets let coolant by without showing any signs of damage to the gasket?

here are some pics of the heads and the gaskets, u can see the same piston that is clean has a clean valve area.

garygnu

what cam is it?maybe you can install some single beehive springs, alot cheaper.clean the combustion chambers and piston tops .check the coil pack and plug and wire for #2 .any ses lites before tear down?

ggino85

iTrader: (1)

its comp cams XR265HR-14, its a small cam from what i can gather. 212/218? i wish i could afford something a little bigger, like a 224/224 or 228/228. or whatever the torquer v2 is......... oh and no SES light.

anyone know how good or bad this cam is? i havn't ever heard anything about it.........

the dealership said 395$ for a headgasket kit! WOW!, waaaaayyyy more expensive than i thought..... it comes with the intake manifold gasket, headgaskets, valve cover gaskets and misc. gaskets/seals. Thats REALLY! expensive isn't it?? I cant really afford that (rite now), i dont want to go cheap on the build by any means, but i know dealerships prices are insane so im sure i can get them from somewhere else, for cheaper......what would everyone here recommend? whats the best headgasket? where do i get it?

thanks,
gino

1of625

use GM MLS head gaskets,,,and make sure you get out all of the coolant out of the head bolt holes,,then double check ,triple check agian to be 100% sure the bolt holes are dry.

chvy=power

iTrader: (10)

just put that cam in a buddies avalance...great low end and mid range power. I'd go bigger for a car tho

bjamick

iTrader: (31)

Call Scoggin Dickey for the gaskets. They are the cheapest I've found.

joecar

Can you see signs on the gasket/head/block of coolant leaking into #2...?

VIPRETR2

iTrader: (63)

You don't really need all that other **** unless the gaskets are torn. Go to Scoggin-Dickey and get these.

This kit is both gaskets

http://sdparts.com/details/gm-perfor...parts/12498544


You will need two of these

http://sdparts.com/details/gm-perfor...parts/12498545

To hell with the stealership. Good luck,

Larry

joecar

When you get it assembled and fill the cooling system, bleed air out from the crossover tube, remove the hose from it to let air out.

408Maro

iTrader: (14)

I thought the crossover tube goes to the bottom on the rad neck and reservoir goes to top?

ggino85

iTrader: (1)

no i cant see anywhere on the gasket where there was a leak of anykind. im going to take the heads in tomorrow to get resurfaced. (thats what i should do to them wright?)

crainholio

iTrader: (2)

Check GM part# 12499217. Comes with MLS head gaskets, valve cover gaskets, MLS exhaust gaskets, head bolts, basically about 90% of what you need.

List is around $165, SDParts.com or other wholesale places can probably get it for around $120 or so. I got my kit for $116.xx at the local dealership where I buy my trucks and whatnot.

BrntWS6

iTrader: (7)

******* dealerships

66 BADBOY

iTrader: (2)

$98 at GM Parts Direct:

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/results.cfm

Nevermind, I see I can't cut/paste item result link. Just enter the PN previously stated from crainholio - 12499217

SOMbitch

iTrader: (8)

You will need head bolts too if they are not in the kit. After drying head bolt holes out with a rag blow them out with compressed air WELL as they are blind holes and the block will crack if any coolant is still in there.

Also when I fill the radiator up I do it on ramps to lift the front and with a little hose massage I have always gotten the air out of the cooling system w/o much trouble.....

00pooterSS

iTrader: (40)

You may not see where it was leaking on the gasket. Just get the heads surfaced like you said, clean the block really well and inspect for cracks, if no cracks are found then put it back together following the torque procedure carefully and you will be ready to go!