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Last year, I took the heads off my 05 gto to replace the lifters. It was warranted, 6 lifters were collapsed from what I could tell. I put it all back together with felpro bolts and head gaskets. Seemed fine, but I don't have an angle wrench adapter, just eye balled it with a breaker bar as best I could.
After a few drives, I had residual smoke in the tail pipes after a drive. Every time, it was never excessive, but a little wisp as I walk around the car. I put around 2k miles on it, pretty easy miles with no hard pulls. Finally, I decided it's time to address this. I bought ARP head bolts and some acdelco head gaskets.
I pulled the heads off yesterday. On the way down, I took the valve covers off and nearly fell over. The pushrods all had rust. The spring retainers all had rust. What in the world? That's all new stuff, new pushrods and new springs/retainers when installed a year ago.
my question is, can running with bad head gaskets cause this kind of rust? I don't plan to use that stuff again, and the cylinder walls look unmarred. I know moisture can cause rust in an engine, but to this extent?
In hind sight, I would have just bought the ARP bolts to begin with, had I known the torque sequence was a set of angles rather than values. That led me to ARP hardware for this round.
so let's say the torque sequence/angle was the issue. Is this much rust to be expected from head gasket failure and continuing to run for a while?
IF it’s a headgasket leak, you’d have to be running straight water for that to happen. Coolant contains corrosion inhibitors that won’t allow rust to occur with years of direct contact to metals that will rust.
Maybe this was flash rust from the build, and you waited a little while before first start-up?
IF it’s a headgasket leak, you’d have to be running straight water for that to happen. Coolant contains corrosion inhibitors that won’t allow rust to occur with years of direct contact to metals that will rust.
Maybe this was flash rust from the build, and you waited a little while before first start-up?
The first time through WAS outside in South ms. And it happened over about a month after work on weekdays. It was a 50/50 mix of dexcool and distilled water.
Originally Posted by Che70velle
I like the organization tray, by the way.
Thanks! A Christmas gift from my lovely, understanding wife...
Originally Posted by CattleAc
This...or. I've also taken apart engines from high humidity regions (condensation) that sat a while look like that....
it has been sitting a while from COVID, but nothing more than a week at a time. It was doing the tailpipe smoke well before the COVID issue. It was my fault for putting it off, but life gets in the way. New job, new location, new house, etc. I'm just worried about the extent of rust. I mean, every retainer and all those pushrods, all so young...
If it's just discoloration, the rust can be washed off with weak chemicals that would do no harm to the parts. Or just leave it if looks aren't a big deal. Oil splashing on it will get rid of it eventually.
Did you put your sweaty hands on them and leave them out without wiping them down with oil? I know that's what happens to them when you do something like that because I've done it!
Did you put your sweaty hands on them and leave them out without wiping them down with oil? I know that's what happens to them when you do something like that because I've done it!
You can almost make out thumb prints on #4 exhaust pushrod. I’d say it’s flash rust from exactly what your saying.
Man, I hope yall are right, I'd be tickled if those parts were only rusty because I did the work outside and touched them with sweaty hands. As for the head gaskets, they didn't look awful or strongly suspect, but several places on the blue lining around each opening looked to be missing little chips. I found them on the underside of the head for the most part.
Also, this round is all happening in a garage and I'm using a good bit of liquid wrench on cs surfaces in between work. Awaiting the heads now, new parts are in the house until ready for install.
rust somewhere where there is lots of oil...is pretty weird.
Nothing looks wrong with that gasket though. Why are you saying they were blown ?
Massive coolant loss, some residual tailpipe smoke when I get to my destination. No apparent coolant leaks in the engine bay, new water pump, not wet under the car except at the back (rear main seal). I kind of thought the same about the head gaskets, didn't want to believe it...
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Blown Head Gaskets Cause Rust? 
