Head swap, cleaning block surface?
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (4)
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 739
Likes: 0
From: Knoxville, TN - Cedar Bluff
Head swap, cleaning block surface? The one concern I have in swapping my factory heads out for the 243's is getting the deck cleaned well enough for the new gaskets to seal. What's the trick to removing an old head gasket stuck on the block without damaged the surface? Also which type of head gasket would be good for a N/A Patriot stage II LS6 headed LS1? Stock or aftermarket? Thanks
TECH Addict
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,428
Likes: 0
From: Las Vegas, NV
The trick is just a little elbow grease, patience, and carefully using something like a razor blade to scrape off the gasket material. The only tricky part is cleaning around the locating dowels, but it's important to get this area clean.
I used the head gaskets that Patriot supplied. I'm not sure if they're called stock, but there's no graphite as with the stock 241 gaskets.
I used the head gaskets that Patriot supplied. I'm not sure if they're called stock, but there's no graphite as with the stock 241 gaskets.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (4)
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 739
Likes: 0
From: Knoxville, TN - Cedar Bluff
That sounds like a pain in the ***. So I guess patience is the trick to getting this done correctly. One other thing, how hard is it to get a breaker bar on the head bolts under the cowel? As well as a torque wrench? Other than that it sounds fairly easy.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Five Reasons the Camaro Was the Most Pivotal Player in the Pony Car Wars 2.0
Brett Foote Its not too hard to get a bar and a tq wrench in there.
I think instead of a "breaker bar" he is thinking of a "break over." A breaker bar is typically used to pry things loose where a breaker bar is like a ratchet that does ratchet. It is just in a fixed position so it is stronger than a regular ratchet.
For getting the material off, you can go to your local parts store or Sears and get a gasket scrapper or a razor will work fine. Use some carb or brake cleaner to help with breaking the old gasket material loose. Be sure to not gouge the deck surface of the block. Minor scratching will happen but take your time and be careful. Be sure to use a clean rag to wipe out the bores of any debris and make sure all the bolt holes are clean and dry. You can use an air compressor to blow the bolt holes out and the rest (if it is carb/brake cleaner) will evaporate out pretty quickly. Once everything is clean you are ready to go back together! Let me know if you have any other questions!
For getting the material off, you can go to your local parts store or Sears and get a gasket scrapper or a razor will work fine. Use some carb or brake cleaner to help with breaking the old gasket material loose. Be sure to not gouge the deck surface of the block. Minor scratching will happen but take your time and be careful. Be sure to use a clean rag to wipe out the bores of any debris and make sure all the bolt holes are clean and dry. You can use an air compressor to blow the bolt holes out and the rest (if it is carb/brake cleaner) will evaporate out pretty quickly. Once everything is clean you are ready to go back together! Let me know if you have any other questions!
There is buffing (cleaning) wheels that are plastic like that are usually green or yellow in color and go on the end of air die grinder and I get mine off of Snap On truck and are made for aluminum I am pretty sure. I have also got them at Napa but I dont know what they are called.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (4)
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 739
Likes: 0
From: Knoxville, TN - Cedar Bluff
I think instead of a "breaker bar" he is thinking of a "break over." A breaker bar is typically used to pry things loose where a breaker bar is like a ratchet that does ratchet. It is just in a fixed position so it is stronger than a regular ratchet.
For getting the material off, you can go to your local parts store or Sears and get a gasket scrapper or a razor will work fine. Use some carb or brake cleaner to help with breaking the old gasket material loose. Be sure to not gouge the deck surface of the block. Minor scratching will happen but take your time and be careful. Be sure to use a clean rag to wipe out the bores of any debris and make sure all the bolt holes are clean and dry. You can use an air compressor to blow the bolt holes out and the rest (if it is carb/brake cleaner) will evaporate out pretty quickly. Once everything is clean you are ready to go back together! Let me know if you have any other questions!
For getting the material off, you can go to your local parts store or Sears and get a gasket scrapper or a razor will work fine. Use some carb or brake cleaner to help with breaking the old gasket material loose. Be sure to not gouge the deck surface of the block. Minor scratching will happen but take your time and be careful. Be sure to use a clean rag to wipe out the bores of any debris and make sure all the bolt holes are clean and dry. You can use an air compressor to blow the bolt holes out and the rest (if it is carb/brake cleaner) will evaporate out pretty quickly. Once everything is clean you are ready to go back together! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Hey thanks for the tips. I will be calling you guys next Friday to order a cam. I'm still not 110% sure on which one would be the right one for my set-up so maybe ya'll could lead me in the right direction. Thanks again for the help!
Jon
if that remmnants of gasket is a bitch, i use a very fine emmory cloth, and string it along a big flat file. ( the flat file is just to support the emmory cloth) after that is done, i use premium gas to clean of the deck and head surface, thats to get all of the oil off of the surfaces. it may look clean, but there is always something on there that you cant see. i might be parinoid but its good to always double check.
Wow. Some of you are taking WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much time getting your gasket material off. Kinda like going around both elbows to get to your ******* 
.
To the OP, if you have access to air tools. Get yourself a 3M sanding disk kit.
Use a lighter grit on the block (at least 220ish), and your block will be clean in 10 minutes or less. Stuff some towels down in your lifter valleys to keep mess out of there. When you're done, bring each cylinder to TDC and clean it off nice & shiny. Will only take an extra 1-2 min per piston, and well worth it to get the carbon build up off of there.
If you don't have access to air, but have a high speed drill, use one of these in a VERY FINE brush..
Go over the block carefully, and keep your hands steady. With a good drill that has a higher speed and decent battery this shouldn't take you any more than 10-15 minutes.
Hell with ice scrapers and razor blades. You guys are crazy
. To the OP, if you have access to air tools. Get yourself a 3M sanding disk kit.
Use a lighter grit on the block (at least 220ish), and your block will be clean in 10 minutes or less. Stuff some towels down in your lifter valleys to keep mess out of there. When you're done, bring each cylinder to TDC and clean it off nice & shiny. Will only take an extra 1-2 min per piston, and well worth it to get the carbon build up off of there.
If you don't have access to air, but have a high speed drill, use one of these in a VERY FINE brush..
Go over the block carefully, and keep your hands steady. With a good drill that has a higher speed and decent battery this shouldn't take you any more than 10-15 minutes.
Hell with ice scrapers and razor blades. You guys are crazy
if that remmnants of gasket is a bitch, i use a very fine emmory cloth, and string it along a big flat file. ( the flat file is just to support the emmory cloth) after that is done, i use premium gas to clean of the deck and head surface, thats to get all of the oil off of the surfaces. it may look clean, but there is always something on there that you cant see. i might be parinoid but its good to always double check.
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,501
Likes: 7
From: Ft. Irwin, California (But Virginia is home)
Just be careful using MEK...it's highly carcinogenic. It will clean well, that is true.
