Head bolt swap to studs
Head bolt swap to studs So I have decided to go to studs, my LS3 heads seem to lift at WOT. So its time to get rid of the ARP bolts and go with ARP studs.
SO being honest, I'd like to pull one bolt at a time and install the stud and tq it down starting in the tq sequence. Yeah I know some may say pull the heads. I'm just trying to save as much $$ as I can. I don't want to replace the gaskets. If it is a MUST then I will.
SO being honest, I'd like to pull one bolt at a time and install the stud and tq it down starting in the tq sequence. Yeah I know some may say pull the heads. I'm just trying to save as much $$ as I can. I don't want to replace the gaskets. If it is a MUST then I will.
I think you'd be asking for more problems. If the heads are truly lifting, then you should probably pull the heads anyway to put new head gaskets on and check for any other abnormalities. I put ARP head studs in my motor when it was out and apart a few years ago, but wouldn't dream of trying to do it one bolt at a time while in the car. Plus as you pull one bolt at a time it would be very tough to tell if any coolant has seeped into the bolt hole. Then you have the hole torque sequence to deal with. If I remember correctly ARP has you sneak up on the final torque number by making a couple of passes. Doing one bolt at time kinds makes this nearly impossible.
Do it right. Pull the heads, check/clean/inspect everything then reassemble.
Do it right. Pull the heads, check/clean/inspect everything then reassemble.
I think you'd be asking for more problems. If the heads are truly lifting, then you should probably pull the heads anyway to put new head gaskets on and check for any other abnormalities. I put ARP head studs in my motor when it was out and apart a few years ago, but wouldn't dream of trying to do it one bolt at a time while in the car. Plus as you pull one bolt at a time it would be very tough to tell if any coolant has seeped into the bolt hole. Then you have the hole torque sequence to deal with. If I remember correctly ARP has you sneak up on the final torque number by making a couple of passes. Doing one bolt at time kinds makes this nearly impossible.
Do it right. Pull the heads, check/clean/inspect everything then reassemble.
Do it right. Pull the heads, check/clean/inspect everything then reassemble.
do yourself a favor and pull the atleast the heads, and have a look. ARP bolts are somthing like 5 times stronger than stock so unless you are running diesel boost levels I seriously don't think they are your problem. Thanks guys, actually after more research I found that my problem isn't rare on LS3s. BUT the heads aren't lifting, the term I heard is pushing coolant. Thats what I have. It forces the coolant out of the Rad. I read that the bolts are leaking. My issue is I'm not under boost, I'm N/A with no power adders. So it looks like the heads will come off and get the heads checked.
I have to drop the K anyway so its a great to to get this over with.
I have to drop the K anyway so its a great to to get this over with.
I've checked the plugs and they all look the same. No water in oil or oil in water.
My problem was at higher rpms the coolant is pushed out into the Res tank. At WOT it would even blow it out of the Res tank and all over the eng bay.
I've decided to pull the heads. I was on the fence about pulling them and I really didn't want to but I must.
My problem was at higher rpms the coolant is pushed out into the Res tank. At WOT it would even blow it out of the Res tank and all over the eng bay.
I've decided to pull the heads. I was on the fence about pulling them and I really didn't want to but I must.
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Well I can gurantee you wont be lifting heads with n/a and no power adders. I'm thinking a blown head gasket. In some cases, you wont have water in oil or oil in the water however your combustion chamber could be blowing into your water jackets causing it to over heat or pressurize your radiator causing it to blow your resevoir fluid everywhere.
When you pull the heads you can look at the head gasket and you can see which one was blown. You will see a rusty looking spot that will be bleeding into one of the water jacket ports. On the head that is blown for sure, I would wave it checked for trueness, matter of fact I would have both of them checked. When you go to get another head gasket make sure you get an MLS gasket, hell of alot better than those cheap *** fel-pro gaskets. You may be able to do a leak down test on each of the cylinders to narrow it down to which head you need to pull but since you are putting studs in you will be pulling them both anyway.
Best of luck to you man. Hope you get her all ironed out.
Stephen
When you pull the heads you can look at the head gasket and you can see which one was blown. You will see a rusty looking spot that will be bleeding into one of the water jacket ports. On the head that is blown for sure, I would wave it checked for trueness, matter of fact I would have both of them checked. When you go to get another head gasket make sure you get an MLS gasket, hell of alot better than those cheap *** fel-pro gaskets. You may be able to do a leak down test on each of the cylinders to narrow it down to which head you need to pull but since you are putting studs in you will be pulling them both anyway.
Best of luck to you man. Hope you get her all ironed out.
Stephen
Last edited by sschoeffler; Apr 25, 2010 at 07:47 PM.
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I had the same thing happen on my LS1 not making nearly the power you are... blown head gasket. You had me worried about LS3 problems because I'm building one soon. Hope you didn't overheat or warp the heads.
Stephen
