scarbrow

iTrader: (6)

i just pulled my heads on my camaro, and when you are removing the old gasket, and there are little flakes of it going everywhere do you just not worry about it getting in the coolant ports around the cylinders? or is there any way to keep it out of these since they are really not big enough to get a rag in? i was just wondering if most people just don't worry about it and then just do a coolant flush once it is back togeter?

GregWS6&z28

iTrader: (8)

use a paper towel, (cause you need to anyway to soak up coolant out of the head bolt holes). Just roll it up tight enough you can push it down into the holes. just make sure you get all the coolant out. when I did my heads I did a coolant flush just to make sure

radkon

iTrader: (2)

Plug the coolant holes with paper towels (in strips if you need just don't push them all the way down)

Also if you have to scrape any gasket residue don't use a metal scraper. Use a plastic one, you can easily gouge the block or heads. If it's real stuborn use gasket remover (chemical) to lossen it up first.

GregWS6&z28

iTrader: (8)

gasket remover should be a must-have when cleaning up. makes the job 100x easier than it could be

SgtB

iTrader: (3)

blow out the head bolt holes with air and that should get everything out

oange ss

iTrader: (50)

shop vac

WideOpenThrottle

What he said!!!

A buddy of mine with little effort broke a head bolt cause there was some water still in there. Took 3 hours to get it out.

Dipstick

I used paper towels in the bolt holes and water passages. Kept tearing off the wet part until the bolt holes were dry.

For the gasket, I used a Roloc abrasive disk with all the tiny fingers in a medium grade.

SgtB

iTrader: (3)

its deinatley the fastest and easiest way to get the holes clean and then I would suggest chasing the threads for added comfort

PREDATOR-Z

Shop Vac

orangeapeel

iTrader: (18)

Shop vac or a nice nozzle on the air compressor will work.

SgtB

iTrader: (3)

these two are your best options

LS1-450

iTrader: (33)

I am in the process of doing exactly what you are. Kept thinking " what the hell am I goin to do about these tiny gasket flakes?" Got tired of trying to keep them out of things & let 'em go. They came out of the bolt holes when I paper toweled the holes for drying & I used a tiny tube connected to a shop vac to suck out the bolt holes & coolant passages. Am planning another flush after everything is put back together.


Might want to check your intake to head port alignment. Measured the distance from the first bolt hole to all the runner openings on the intake & compared the same dimensions on the heads & found that the intake runners on the passengers side head were missaligned by up to an 1/8" on the width & 1/8" on the length (on the bottom, opposite side from the fuel injectors). Did what I could to help better align the ports by grinding chamfers on the head to make air flow a bit easier. Also found part of the intake gasket to be overlapping the runner opening in a couple of places.

SELLSZ06

iTrader: (12)

use a straw taped to the end of the nozzle, that will get deep in there and then use paper towels, then get use a grinded down old head bolt to get all the junks out of the holes. check out ls1howto.com.

Teutonic Speedracer

iTrader: (20)

Similarly, I used the Roloc also, jus the lightest one (white I think)