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Is it worth it to re torque heads, leaking cometics.

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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 07:55 AM
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Default Is it worth it to re torque heads, leaking cometics.

So ive put 5k on my forged 348 running a non water cooled tc78.im running ported 241 heads and a little thicker custom cometic head gasket.it was tuned after 1 k and runs great, no track passes.in the last thousands miles ive had to add coolant twice and on cold morning start you can smell coolant burning for about two minutes then it goes away.I used a boroscope and found alittle coolant in every cylinder.should I try re torquing the arp head studs or is that a waste of time?

Alex
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 01:49 PM
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to the top
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 01:58 PM
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doubtful...many years ago had the same issue...I took it apart and sprayed them with the copper spray stuff and it sealed up.
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 02:21 PM
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It is my understanding that cometics headgaskets are supposed to be retorqued after the first heat cycle. Did you put any of the gm seal tabs in the radiator when you put it together? Those help as well.
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 03:10 PM
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no I have never heard of gm seal tabs.is that just like a leak stopper.l
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 06:36 PM
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I use alumiseal & retorque them & have never had a cometic leak (yet)
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 08:39 PM
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Replace the gaskets.
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 11:16 PM
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I say just switch to ls9 gaskets.
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Old Oct 7, 2010 | 11:35 AM
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what is the thickness of the ls9 gaskets and will they work on a 348 ls1
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Old Oct 7, 2010 | 11:41 AM
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Originally Posted by SPRAYED 01
So ive put 5k on my forged 348 running a non water cooled tc78.im running ported 241 heads and a little thicker custom cometic head gasket.it was tuned after 1 k and runs great, no track passes.in the last thousands miles ive had to add coolant twice and on cold morning start you can smell coolant burning for about two minutes then it goes away.I used a boroscope and found alittle coolant in every cylinder.should I try re torquing the arp head studs or is that a waste of time?

Alex
Not quite sure on your question, but on my lt1 I used the copper spray on them and the directions specifically said that they do not need re-torqued. That said for a week or two after install it kept kicking on the low coolant light and after filling it back up every time it settled down and is now full all the time!
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