[steve25]

It’s not really so bad as long as the cylinder did not get scratched in the area where the rings ride.
Once the head is in the hands of the shop it’s not even a hours worth of labor to freshen up the face of the intake valve and the seat in the head.

Your time wise it’s part of an after noon each to get it apart and then put it back together, so that’s really not bad.

A 1016 gasket works fine, heck I have used the lowly 8518 gasket in a pinch on a blown motor up to 6 psi of boost.

Re-using your head bolts is also fine, just make sure that each threads into the hole with just normal finger force.
If need be use a clean out tap .
I thin film of oil on the threads is all you need, no dripping oil should be seen, so no dipping the bolts in oil.

I like to wet a rag with oil to rub the threads with.

If you’re running at least a 1/2” spacer then do what a whole lot of racers do.
Sandwich aluminum window screen between two gaskets and this whole terrible issue will never happen again.

[RocktimusPryme]

None of the head or intake bolts need to be sealed do they?

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by steve25

I would bring 7 to TDC and pour some engine oil at room temp down that intake runner and see if it leaks into the chamber .
If it does then it’s time to pull that head.

I'd have said "gasoline". Thinner, will leak past a poor valve seal easier/quicker.

Better yet...do a cylinder leakdown test on that cylinder BEFORE installing the intake manifold, and potentially wasting a gasket set.

[johnta1]

None of the head or intake bolts need to be sealed do they?

No.

[RocktimusPryme]

Originally Posted by Schurkey

I'd have said "gasoline". Thinner, will leak past a poor valve seal easier/quicker.

Better yet...do a cylinder leakdown test on that cylinder BEFORE installing the intake manifold, and potentially wasting a gasket set.

That would have been my move if I owned a leak down test kit. But I pressurized the cylinder by different means and confirmed it leaks unfortunately. So the head is coming off. One more thing I might do is ask the machine shop to put helicoils into the header bolt holes for me.

I just worry this is like LS Cam bearings. They are fine if you dont look at them. Im concerned that I pull the head off and find the damage to the piston is worse than I thought, and then this just spirals out of control.

[RocktimusPryme]

I took some pictures but I gotta take them off my camera tomorrow.

Finally a bit of good news. Removed the head. There is the small spot on the piston we knew was there. And there is a larger spot on the head in the combustion chamber that I’ll talk to the machine shop about any repair options. Obviously we likely have some damage to the valve seat. But that appears to be the extent of it.

No damage to the bore. All the other ones look fine too. I’ll take the head to the shop on Monday and probably reinstall it all next weekend.

The head gasket came off super clean too which is nice. I taped it all off with aircraft flash breaker tape to keep it clean and put a little wd40 in the bores

[chuckies76ta]

Sorry to hear this happened to your engine. I've never used any threaded rod on any carb. I use right stuff on the washer and seal it to the air cleaner cover so it never falls off, then I use a bolt down through the cover to the carb. I've have to custom length some of the bolts with different filters. I believe on my 76 T/A I used a ARP chrome valley pan bolt fit perfect with my cone style filter.
I've used a jigsaw to cut water cross-overs off. One thing is not to get the blade hot as the aluminum will clog up the blade.

[JSchmitz]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I've had my share over the years. I always run a jam nut down on the air horn to prevent this.

Cutting the crossover loose is easy. Best to do on a bandsaw. But a Sawzall will work too. Use some light oil on the blade so it doesn't clog up with AL. Scribe a line and take your time. Clean up with a 36 grit flap-wheel on a 4-1/2" grinder. It's a cake walk.

[steve25]

A nick in the chamber is a non issue as long as there’s no sharp edge to it.
But that can be just lightly rolled over .

[pontiacs-r-us]

Glad your damage was minimal… I saw this on a YouTube video about 6months ago… guys stud made it to piston top,& broke top right off piston….cracked block… he lost his 455 …Golds Garage is the channel…was hard to watch

[track73]

You were lucky. My carb stud came loose and destroyed my last 455. It windowed the block, broke the lifter valley, the cam was in three pieces, the rod snapped in half. destroyed the oil pump and windage tray and put a big hole in the pan. The head was not hurt at all.

[Formulas]

Originally Posted by RocktimusPryme

I took some pictures but I gotta take them off my camera tomorrow.

Finally a bit of good news. Removed the head. There is the small spot on the piston we knew was there. And there is a larger spot on the head in the combustion chamber that I’ll talk to the machine shop about any repair options. Obviously we likely have some damage to the valve seat. But that appears to be the extent of it.

No damage to the bore. All the other ones look fine too. I’ll take the head to the shop on Monday and probably reinstall it all next weekend.

The head gasket came off super clean too which is nice. I taped it all off with aircraft flash breaker tape to keep it clean and put a little wd40 in the bores

Was that the dark amber Kapton tape or the blue Mylar tape ? ... Sometimes we had the thinner green Mylar tape, didnt like that as much

[RocktimusPryme]

It’s blue. I think it’s Mylar but it’s thick. Only problem with it is it likes to tape to itself if you aren’t careful when you break a piece off. This is my last role that I liberated from an army UAV site that I helped close down.

The unit had left on a 12 month deployment.

The base Fire Marshal came in. Looks in all the Flam Cabinets and stuff. Says “This stuff can’t all stay here until the unit gets back. I’m not telling anyone to steal…….but I’m coming back tomorrow and any of this stuff here goes in the trash….”

Myself and a couple of greensuiters who didn’t deploy got the message and reaped the rewards.

[67Fbird]

haah...similar to the "EXPIRED" yellow tape I seem to keep being told to remove Hoefully a little freshen up is all yours needs.

[Verdoro 68]

This thread prompted me to go make sure the air cleaner stud was loctited in on my car. As bad as it probably feels, I’ve seen much worse damage from much smaller parts. Good luck on the repairs.

[jamaca85]

I would use a bolt on the air cleaner instead of the stud. this way if it comes loose it stays on top instead of being sucked into the engine..

[BMFH]

Hello Fellow Veteran track73

I was at Nha Trang in Vietnam, Helicopter Mechanic on 20th SOS Huey Helicopter Gunships 68-69

I was also at NKP Thailand, 21st SOS CH-53C Helicopters, Flight Engineer and Gunner on the Mini Guns,
I Flew Into LAOS for the CIA's Secret War 72-73 Got Shot at, but Never Wounded.

Those were The Days of our Youth, I was 26 and 29

Hope you Made it Home OK

Take Care

Dusty

[RocktimusPryme]

Dropped the head off with the machine shop. Hoping to be able to pick it back up before the weekend.

I separated my RPM. It wasn’t too bad. Drilling holes in a line was a great tip. The jigsaw was very slow, especially through the thick flanges. Cleaned it up with a 36 grit sanding disc. Could spend some more time on it but I’m pretty happy with it as is. Now if. Decide to go to a victor or northwind later it will be a breeze.

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by RocktimusPryme

That would have been my move if I owned a leak down test kit.

You work on cars, you need a leakdown tester.

This is my suggestion. Includes "master orifice" for verifying the tester.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catal...rs_orifice.php

Tell 'em you want the 14mm adapter instead of (or in addition to) the 18mm it normally ships with.

[steve25]

That lip around the valves is horrendous!