Well, the IR Gun is showing it really is getting hot, seems to start first at the radiator, then the condenser and the pressure on the A/C system gets very high after the condenser heats up. They discharged the system but found it wasn't overfilled, infact slightly underfilled and then put the correct amount of freon back in there but didn't help. The heat around that area if heating the frame up to the point of throwing off my IAT's it seems as well.

They're ganna run it with the cap off tomorrow to see if the coolant is really flowing or not. What we were concerned of is for whatever reason the heads may have been removed during the cam install and the wrong head gasket may have been installed in place which may be blocking coolant passages.

J/W is there anything else on the A/C system that could cause the car to run hot even with the A/C is off?

btw new Dyno results are in, it put down 413 to the wheels, it was either 413 or 417 I cant remember but it wasnt much higher than my last pull so I guess it really was maxed out. No longer running lean however and its getting more air through the LID. Atleast I know all the bottle necks are handled.. ..now I just have to find out why its running so hot.

 

A blockage was my only other thought.

 

yeah its mine too. I hate to jump into conclusions but I cant help but wonder if the previous shop pulled the heads and used the wrong head gaskets when reinstalling and if they did so intentionally or not. I could technically contact the builder, he's willing to work with me even though I had a cam installed - and ask if he knows anything about it (doubtful at this point) but there's evidence that the heads have been removed as there are socket marks around the bolts.. I'm really beginning to worry that the old shop who did the install took the heads off and swapped them out with something else while keeping my LS3 heads, which may explain my lower dyno numbers and also why my valve covers wouldn't fit. I should probably try to have the casting numbers verified.

 

It is coming down to that. I just keep trying to think of anything but a blockage.

 

A true LS3 head is an 821 which have hollow stem intake valves and it shouldn't make a difference when it comes to the valve covers.

 

I'll see what I can find out tomorrow. I'm beginning to think it may just be a head gasket installed backward.

 

I like the idea of letting it run with the cap off and seeing if coolant is flowing. At least before yanking the heads.

 

I've been going through the same thing. Cometic gaskets on my 427, turns out after fighting just like you at highway speeds getting hot that it's a seeping head gasket.
get a chemical test kit for engine block testing.
blue fluid in a test tube on top of radiator fill. Burp air into the tube and if stays blue good.
if green you have a seeping gasket and if yellow it's a blown gasket.
green or yellow both mean combustion gas getting into coolant. Creates bubbles while driving which creates hot spots .
im going back to felpro gaskets and copper coat on them.

 

If it is head gaskets, how difficult is it to remove the heads without pulling the motor? I know shops typically have to remove the motor so I was wondering what I should expect if I attempted it myself without pulling it?

 

I've done it several times, including on cars with head studs. It's really not that bad. I know some prefer to yank the motor, but its not required.

 

I was thinking in order, remove coil packs, remove exhaust bolts, remove valve covers, remove head bolts, pull head...

asside from installing the gasket backward, is there any other way to screw up a head gasket install?

Also is it possible to tell if you have a warped head by visually looking at it?

Anything I should do to the heads since they would be out of the car?

 

You can put a straight end on the block and head surface to see if there is a gap (light showing). I usually start with the headers and intake/fuel rails, then pull the coil packs and valvetrain. Drain the coolant from the heads and pull the power steering.

 

What are you running for a water pump and thermostat?

 

Stock Delco Water Pump brand new (literally they just installed a new one on Monday) - the older pump was also a relatively new Stock Delco pump that was less than 6 months old.
160* Autozone 1-Piece Thermostat which I replaced a day before I took it to the shop, before then it was a 185* 2-Piece Thermostat which was maybe 3 years old but both yielded the same results.

 

Glad to know it can be done!

 

100x easier to torque everything correctly if you drop the motor. We did one or two in car and it wasnt worth it IMO.

 

Different strokes for different folks. It's definitely easier to torque the heads when the motor isn't in the car. It's also easier to do a head swap in the car if you don't have a lift or the tools to take the whole front cradle out.

 

I've done it with and without lift. I have a lift but for better torque reasons, I'm dropping mine out.

 

70ftlbs is different if the motor is in the car?

 

you do it your way and I do it mine. Neither are wrong