Generation III Internal Engine 1997-2006 LS1 | LS6
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

head swap problem HELP!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 01-08-2011, 04:36 PM
  #1  
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
 
Jake99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Default head swap problem HELP!

Im swaping out a set of heads on my ls1, i cleanded out all the bolt holes took a stray and put to the bottom of the holes and blew in with an air gun, they were clean but when torqueing them down on two of them i heard a pop and it blew o hole thow the block. I dont know what to do.. can i run it this way? Do i need to pull the pan and see what happend? Can i even see what happend by pulling the pan?
Old 01-08-2011, 04:42 PM
  #2  
TECH Addict
iTrader: (2)
 
Darkman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Spring, Texas
Posts: 2,167
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 4 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Jake99
...but when torqueing them down on two of them i heard a pop and it blew o hole thow the block.
I don't understand - do you now have a "hole" in the block. Junk in the head bolt hole usually causes a crack, not a hole.
Old 01-08-2011, 04:45 PM
  #3  
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
 
Jake99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Default

Yes there is a hole thow the block at the bottom of the bolt hole. Ones a 1/4 of the size of the hole and ones the size of the hole bolt hole.
Old 01-08-2011, 04:47 PM
  #4  
Trunion King
iTrader: (16)
 
bene's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Texan in Colorado
Posts: 4,394
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts

Default

Can you confirm it's a hole through the block? I can't fathom that you put a hole through the block by torquing the bolt down. Pics?
Old 01-08-2011, 04:57 PM
  #5  
TECH Addict
iTrader: (14)
 
raven154's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Owasso, OK
Posts: 2,342
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Default

Did you use two long bolts where there should have been short bolts? Are you SURE! there was no oil or water in the bottom of the holes? That can do it very easily.
Old 01-08-2011, 05:09 PM
  #6  
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
 
Jake99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Default

Both holes are middle row ones second from front ones second from back on the other side so the bolts cant have been to long, I cant say i looked inside the hole cause i can get my head in there far enuf but but i blew in there quite a bit and nothing ever came out.
Old 01-08-2011, 05:11 PM
  #7  
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
 
Jake99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by bene
Can you confirm it's a hole through the block? I can't fathom that you put a hole through the block by torquing the bolt down. Pics?
Yes stuck a wire in the hole and it gos clear throw. Motor is still in the truck so i cant do much as far a pics.
Old 01-08-2011, 05:13 PM
  #8  
Trunion King
iTrader: (16)
 
bene's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Texan in Colorado
Posts: 4,394
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by Jake99
Both holes are middle row ones second from front ones second from back on the other side so the bolts cant have been to long, I cant say i looked inside the hole cause i can get my head in there far enuf but but i blew in there quite a bit and nothing ever came out.
You always, always make sure visually check nothing is in the bolt hole.
Old 01-08-2011, 05:18 PM
  #9  
Trunion King
iTrader: (16)
 
bene's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Texan in Colorado
Posts: 4,394
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by Jake99
Yes stuck a wire in the hole and it gos clear throw. Motor is still in the truck so i cant do much as far a pics.
A wire, the wire could just bunch up inside for all you know. Stick something solid, preferably longer than the head bolt and if it goes pass the bolt length w/ the head still on the block then it's safe to say there is a hole. Still I'd shine a light and take a pic.
Old 01-08-2011, 05:20 PM
  #10  
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
 
Jake99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Default

Yeah lesson learned, but what do i do now? I dont think i can pull the pan without pulling the motor. Dont know about running it with a piece of the block in the motor,
Old 01-08-2011, 05:29 PM
  #11  
TECH Addict
iTrader: (2)
 
Darkman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Spring, Texas
Posts: 2,167
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 4 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Jake99
Yeah lesson learned, but what do i do now? I dont think i can pull the pan without pulling the motor. Dont know about running it with a piece of the block in the motor,
i am not convinced that you have a problem. Others have reported that when using compressed air in the head bolt holes that air comes out in other locations on the block. In one case the head bolt hole intercepted another hole drilled in the rear of the block. So I am thinking that sometimes the factory drilled head bolt holes intrude into other passages with no consequence since the head bolt will be sealed by the head bolt.
Old 01-08-2011, 05:46 PM
  #12  
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
 
Jake99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Default

I was doing the first 90 degrees then it poped, i thought the bolt snaped at first cause the bolt got loose again but i took it out and the bolt was fine. didnt have water or oil or anything on it. If i blow in the hole now i can hear the air blowing into the motor and hardly any air comes back out of the hole like the rest.
Old 01-08-2011, 05:49 PM
  #13  
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
 
Jake99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Default

Took another look and i think i can pull the pan, the cross member can be unbolted. Now i need to know if this is going to get me anywere. Does it go to a different passage somewere or will i be able to see the hole?
Old 01-08-2011, 06:30 PM
  #14  
TECH Addict
iTrader: (11)
 
Red99TA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Topeka, KS
Posts: 2,423
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts

Default

If you really have a hole this is another reason to use paper towels rolled up tight and stuck down each hole to ensure there's no water left down there. Not saying that's what happened but always a good idea to blow it out and check with paper towels.
Old 01-08-2011, 06:58 PM
  #15  
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
 
Jake99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Default

yeah this is a problem i shouldnt have, dont know what to do about this.
Old 01-09-2011, 08:28 AM
  #16  
TECH Addict
iTrader: (2)
 
Darkman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Spring, Texas
Posts: 2,167
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 4 Posts
Default

Bump.
Old 01-09-2011, 10:01 AM
  #17  
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
 
Jake99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Default

bump again, shury someone out there can help me out with this. I hope im not the first one this has happend too..

Last edited by Jake99; 01-09-2011 at 10:31 AM.
Old 01-09-2011, 10:49 AM
  #18  
TECH Addict
iTrader: (2)
 
Darkman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Spring, Texas
Posts: 2,167
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 4 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Jake99
bump again, shury someone out there can help me out with this. I hope im not the first one this has happend too..
I bumped this earlier because I still don't think you have a problem. I think that the pop you got was caused by threads that were not as clean as they should have been. I also think that the fact that the hole is opened-ended when there is no bolt in it is not a problem either unless that bolt hole penertrates a water jacket. I was hoping someone else could confirm or destroy my theory.
Old 01-09-2011, 10:41 PM
  #19  
TECH Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
 
Jake99's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Default

You could be right, I just dont think there was anything in the bolt hole, iv done many heads swap and never had anthing like this happen and im a clean freek and spent alot of time cleaning before installing. Im installing gm performance heads and i know they are milled but no one can seem to tell me how far but when i did the pvc check it came out to .030ish. so this means the bolts come down fethter and not helping things, theres some kind of glue on the bolts that i think wouldnt let air out also. I too have a hard time thinking it could pop the block.
Old 01-10-2011, 08:26 AM
  #20  
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (18)
 
LS1MCSS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Dover, Arkansas
Posts: 3,831
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 7 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by Jake99
Yeah lesson learned, but what do i do now? I dont think i can pull the pan without pulling the motor. Dont know about running it with a piece of the block in the motor,
If you have two holes in the block, there is no use to pull the pan. Pull the engine because it has to be replaced.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:29 PM.