GS WS6

I just got through doing a rebuild on my car (new rings and bearings).....

I went ahead and upgraded to the 3 piece Cometic head gaskets and ARP head bolts. Well I got the car together today and while bleeding the coolant system I noticed that it was puking coolant from the driver side head. I know that the gasket was put on correctly and that the head bolts were torqued to 75 ft/lbs. Just curious if anyone has any ideas to anything stupid that it might be. I am going to pull the car back apart on Monday regardless and clean everything up and re-torque the head down.

GS WS6

Also I already pulled the intake to confirm that the coolant was not coming for the the coolant crossover tubes.........

TrahnZam WS6

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by GS WS6:
<strong>I just got through doing a rebuild on my car (new rings and bearings).....

I went ahead and upgraded to the 3 piece Cometic head gaskets and ARP head bolts. Well I got the car together today and while bleeding the coolant system I noticed that it was puking coolant from the driver side head. I know that the gasket was put on correctly and that the head bolts were torqued to 75 ft/lbs. Just curious if anyone has any ideas to anything stupid that it might be. I am going to pull the car back apart on Monday regardless and clean everything up and re-torque the head down.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hey Matt, sorry to hear that. One of my friends is having the same problem with his ARPs. Hope all goes well!

MelloYellow

That sounds pretty low on the TQ spec, u sure that's right?

We went 110-120 ft/lbs on my Cometic's with stock head bolts. Screw the GM angle technique.

1dirtyZ

iTrader: (1)

hey mellow , can you keep up updated on the torque procedure you used (steps , sequence).
is it as accurate?? and the most important one: does it seal???
( you do have a blower , right??)

cablebandit

iTrader: (37)

did you have the heads surfaced? My engine builder says they have to be damn near perfect to seal with these type gaskets. My heads were off a 4700 mile vehicle and were still off enuff to leak. had them do a clean up pass and all is well. Sucks but I had the same problem. make sure you have the gaskets installed properly as well...big coolant holes to the back. You can reuse the black steel gaskets...clean..lightly dust with copper gasket spray from any autoparts place and reinstall. This is straight from Cometic...it works too....on 13 psi of boost <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

MelloYellow

1dirtyZ:
Will ask my mech again re: sequence and order, but he just hits 'em with this impact gun around 110-120. I've had him do 4 engines for me and he's done 100's of LS1's this way.

No blower yet. No $$. But things are looking good. 30-45 days I think. Gonna wait for a V-2 SQ. Will def post if I ever have a gasket issue.

GS WS6

The gaskets were for sure installed correctly. I have installed the gaskets on prolly 10 different LS1's......

One thing I did not do on my car however was use the copper gasket spray, but I have not used it on other cars and did not have a problem.

The heads were sent to MTI during the rebuild to have them freshened up and they were cleaned up before being sent back.

Tim98TA

iTrader: (7)

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by MelloYellow:
<strong>1dirtyZ:
Will ask my mech again re: sequence and order, but he just hits 'em with this impact gun around 110-120. I've had him do 4 engines for me and he's done 100's of LS1's this way.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Are you shittin me? 110-120ft lbs? Isn't this the same guy who uses an impact gun to tq heads down? There is no way he is a full time mechanic at a dealership. If he is, then the dealership must not give a rats *** about their customers. Please post the name of the dealership/shop he works at.

As far as the head gasket issue, I have the ARE cometic gaskets with custom ARE head bolts tq'ed (with a tq wrench) to 70ftlbs.

Tim

CRASH 02

iTrader: (3)

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by GS WS6:
<strong>Yes the heads are 99 style heads and they do have the notch.

Does cometic make a old style and new style gasket?

However if that is the case I wonder why just the driver's side was leaking coolant......</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I am not sure what cometic makes.

Not sure on why only one side had the problem. Maybe that side had a little air in it. So when you saw the fluid leaking you just shut it off and it never had a chance to leak. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" />

GS WS6

Well,

I am gonna yank both heads tomorrow and throw some stock head gaskets in the car and hopefully that will solve the problem.

I will let yall know how the car is running tomorrow night.

MelloYellow

FWIW, you don't need any sealant or copper gasket spray on the Cometic gaskets.

re: The rest, I'm not the one blowing gaskets here. We've never blown a gasket. Unlike half the others replying to this thread. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Either way, I'd try something different than last time. I know ARP Studs use a Moly Lube or Motor Oil into the block or such, right? Any lube or sealant or loc-tite on the ARP Bolts? Do the ARP TQ specs vary per lube/sealant like they do on the studs?

FWIW, my TQ specs used were on stock head bolts.

<small>[ July 14, 2002, 11:31 PM: Message edited by: MelloYellow ]</small>

steve

check the coolant temp sending unit and the little allen head plug.. if it loose, it will leak.
just an idea.

steve frank

CRASH 02

iTrader: (3)

Do your heads have a "notch" on the bottom side of the. What year heads do you have. 98-99 heads had a notch on the bottom side of them and will leak coolant with the new heads you won't even get the car started before they stat leaking coolant. If you aren't sure what I am talking about. Do you have your heads off? If so look at the bottom of one. Look at the edge of the head on the side with the valves on it if it has a notch about a 1"X1/2" notch in it then you will need to use the older style gasket with those heads.

GS WS6

Yes the heads are 99 style heads and they do have the notch.

Does cometic make a old style and new style gasket?

However if that is the case I wonder why just the driver's side was leaking coolant......

H82BBad

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by MelloYellow:
<strong>1dirtyZ:
Will ask my mech again re: sequence and order, but he just hits 'em with this impact gun around 110-120. I've had him do 4 engines for me and he's done 100's of LS1's this way.
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">HAHA sounds like 2 fools met! one for using and impact gun on head bolts and one for paying him to do it.!

Pro Stock John

iTrader: (34)

*LS1Tech commentary*

We do not agree with MelloYello's suggestion on torquing the head bolts that much since they are torque to yield and in my opinion they are just stretching at his torque spec.

LS1Tech Staff

Scalpel

iTrader: (4)

Mellow, how does your mech know if each bolt is torqued to the same degree by using an impact gun?

cablebandit

iTrader: (37)

you don't need the copper spray the first time you use the gaskets. I helped a friend who had the same issue as you, We put some stop leak in his and it stopped leaking and has never leaked again.....under 9 psi

GS WS6

Update:

Well today I swapped both the head gaskets on the car and all is well now <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

I tryed running some stop leak through the cooling system, but it didn't even slow the leak.