Keep blowing head gasket
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From: Dallas, Tx
Keep blowing head gasket I am having problems after doing a head/cam/intake swap on my 67 camaro ls1. I installed a set of 243 heads/ls6 intake and a cam and now i'm having problems with my head gasket blowing every maybe 1000 or 2000 miles. I have been using the cometic mls oem gaskets and have a set of arp head bolts. I've torqued the heads and ran it through a heat cycle and then retorqued the heads, but it seems like over time it blows again. Can anyone give me any ideas of what i maybe doing wrong? Thanks for any help or insight you might have. I'm getting tired of changing these things smh. Not hard but just time consuming.
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It appears to be the drivers side head this time. When it happened before by the time I got the valves off there was milky oil on both sides. Looks like it's from just the #7 piston this time and I can just see a little milky oil on the top of the valve cover in a very small amount so i'm sure I caught it very early. The other side looks fine. Oil looks clean and no sign of any coolant on the passenger side.
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Resurface! or at least check Nextime you have it apart, cometic gaskets are very picky,if you don't resurface you may as well plan to replace them.
If it were me I'd resurface and get ls9 mls gaskets and use copper spray. Bam how's that gona blow
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Definitely going to have the heads/block checked when i tear it apart. I was looking at cometics new mlx head gaskets. I've just been running oem head gaskets. Definitely going to go with cometics mls or mlx head gaskets now.
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Cometic gaskets are not the way to go if you having sealing issues already, just my 2 cents.
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No boost. Just a stock bottom end ls1 with ls6 heads and ls6 intake. A 233/239 cam and dual valve springs. I'm only making 400hp to the wheels so it's mild. When I swapped the original motor in my 67 camaro I didn't have any problems. It was only after adding the heads/intake/cam when I started having this issue. I had the heads resurfaced but i'm going to have them pressure tested and resurfaced by a different shop. I cleaned the block with a plastic scraper and added the copper gasket spray the last time I changed the head gasket. I really don't want to have to take the engine out of the car but it looks like I might have to smh.
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No boost. Just a stock bottom end ls1 with ls6 heads and ls6 intake. A 233/239 cam and dual valve springs. I'm only making 400hp to the wheels so it's mild. When I swapped the original motor in my 67 camaro I didn't have any problems. It was only after adding the heads/intake/cam when I started having this issue. I had the heads resurfaced but i'm going to have them pressure tested and resurfaced by a different shop. I cleaned the block with a plastic scraper and added the copper gasket spray the last time I changed the head gasket. I really don't want to have to take the engine out of the car but it looks like I might have to smh.
With only 400 horse you don't need them gaskets, some genuine gm gaskets would be my choice (ls7,ls9, why are you so content with those cometic gaskets, jus wondering?
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That's what I was thinking. I'm hoping it was just the shop that I took my heads to was the problem. I will be taking them elsewhere this time. Hopefully this time will be the charm. I am going to take the heads off and have them checked/resurfaced. I'm going to check the block with a straight edge and make sure it's not warped. The car has never run hot, so hopefully that will work in my favor.
While I don't know anything about the specific Cometics you mentioned there are some head gaskets that require a specific finish to seal properly. I think someone mentioned this already.
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That's why I asked why he doesn't use ls9 mls gaskets... they work for me and plenty of other guys on boost at 700+wheel HP,
The op isn't running boost though. A set of 40 dollar fm Mls gaskets should work just fine. The ls9s are nice pieces but they'll be double the price although still cheaper than cometic. But still he shouldn't need them if it's all working like it should.
Op pull the head and look at where the leak is. A compression test won't tell you that. Then get the head resurfaced and do your best to ensure the block is straight. Then get an Mls gasket for your motor and go
Op pull the head and look at where the leak is. A compression test won't tell you that. Then get the head resurfaced and do your best to ensure the block is straight. Then get an Mls gasket for your motor and go
The op isn't running boost though. A set of 40 dollar gm Mls gaskets should work just fine. The ls9 mls' are nice pieces but they'll be double the price although still cheaper than cometic. But still he shouldn't need them if it's all working like it should.
Op pull the head and look at where the leak is. A compression test won't tell you that. Then get the head resurfaced and do your best to ensure the block is straight. Then get an Mls gasket for your motor and go
Op pull the head and look at where the leak is. A compression test won't tell you that. Then get the head resurfaced and do your best to ensure the block is straight. Then get an Mls gasket for your motor and go
Definitely have your heads looked at. This happened to me recently and my heads were warped from the last time I had them off for a cam swap. Had them resurfaced and decked and g2g.
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The op isn't running boost though. A set of 40 dollar gm Mls gaskets should work just fine. The ls9 mls' are nice pieces but they'll be double the price although still cheaper than cometic. But still he shouldn't need them if it's all working like it should.
Op pull the head and look at where the leak is. A compression test won't tell you that. Then get the head resurfaced and do your best to ensure the block is straight. Then get an Mls gasket for your motor and go
Op pull the head and look at where the leak is. A compression test won't tell you that. Then get the head resurfaced and do your best to ensure the block is straight. Then get an Mls gasket for your motor and go
I also told him that ls7 would work.. i was just suggesting the ls9 since he was spending same or more in cometic. ..
Do you start and run the car for short periods of time often (idle or just a few miles)? It could be built up condensation that hasn't had enough time to burn off. This has happened to me before.