Head Gasket Disaster

[bmiszuk]

I've been doing the longest head gasket job in history. As painful as it is, I'll give all the gory details.

I pulled the heads because the left gasket was seeping antifreeze out near the back of the head and it was dripping down the back of the engine. The oil was clear and exhaust wasn't white smoke. It was just an external leak.

I couple years ago (yes you heard that right) I pulled the heads off, then... got busy. They sat in the garage since that time. Maybe a month or so ago we cleaned them up and put a new set of Fel-Pro gaskets in. We just got the truck back together today and I filled up the radiator with water. Then, disaster strikes.

I have water leaking down the left side exhaust manifold. It's not coming from inside the manifold but dripping down outside it. We started the truck and it seems to run fine, but the water leak is huge.

Before I panic, start pulling hair out, and generally disassembling the entire thing again, I need some cooler heads to think about this. Could I have missed anything obvious?

The GP controller is not leaking, I checked that.

Help.

[john8662]

How about the blockoff plate that holds the glow plug controller on your 83? This is just a plate with 2-holes in it that bolts to the head that has a gasket of it's own. These lead very often leading to an external leak.

[bmiszuk]

John, you were right that was it.

I can't begin to describe the sinking feeling in my stomach yesterday when water started pouring out. I THAT close to tear the left head off again. I am glad I waited a day before doing anything else.

Thanks again for the help. It runs and idles fine. I'm gonna finish putting it back together, run it for a while, then dump the water and put antifreeze in it.

Anyone got a dipstick they want to sell me? Somewhere along the way mine got lost. I've looked everywhere and it's nowhere to be found.

Can't wait to get it back on the road again.

[john8662]

Excellent, glad I could help. You did a real job there, wouldn't want to do it again!

[Gunfreak25]

How much do the 6.2 heads weigh anyway? More than a big block gasser? I remember taking the heads off a 455 Olds and they were some heavy mother fudgers.

[Robyn]

The Olds heads are IIRC a tad lighter than the diesel heads.

BBC heads are the heavy ones.

Biggy though is that any of them are real heavy when your trying to handle them under the hood and not mess up a gasket.

Any time I am going to do heads on the 6.2/6.5 I will always yank the engine.

This allows far easier access to things and the ability to clean the decks up very well.

Trying to torque the heads properly while the engine is in the rig is also a PITA

Its all doable, just not as handy is all.

I did a head swap on a BBC Corvette once In the rig :eek:

All that fiberglass and fancy paint had to be covered well.
Yessss those heads are heavy.

[Gunfreak25]

Man with all this talk about difficult head work and hard to replace glow plugs makes me glad I have as much room as I do to work with. LOL!

I have a girdle coming in the mail and can literally sit underneath the crank case crossed legged with a straight back too.

[stormtrooper]

I did a head swap on a BBC Corvette once In the rig :eek:

All that fiberglass and fancy paint had to be covered well.
Yessss those heads are heavy.You are a lady of many many talents.

I had a 1977 Bandit Trans Am (it was the genuine deal to) and did the heads in that in the car. That engine bay was so big you could sit in it. The heads were heavy but nothing like a BBC. The manifold was a killer though, heavy and awkward. Wish I kept that car now.

[Robyn]

Had one of the "Bandit Cars" two days after O'l Burt drove across the silver screen and grinned at the world from the drivers seat of that 77 TA

I went to see the flick and just had to have one of those cars.

Mine was just like the one in the Movie too, with a couple exceptions.
Mine was a real 4 speed car with the 400 Poncho engine (not the 403 Old with the auto)
Mine did not have T tops either. (it rains here, A LOT) :eek:

Had the Snow flake wheels, Black on Black with the gold Bird on the hood and the other pin striping.

I wish I had kept it too.

Yesss, I am a girl of many talents.

Could tell ya some stories that would curl your hair too. :D

Missy

[stormtrooper]

Mine was just like the one in the Movie too, with a couple exceptions.
Mine was a real 4 speed car with the 400 Poncho engine (not the 403 Old with the auto)
Mine did not have T tops either. (it rains here, A LOT) :eek:

Had the Snow flake wheels, Black on Black with the gold Bird on the hood and the other pin striping.Mine was the 6.6 (I prefer 400) T/A engine with the 4 speed as well. I didn't have the Targa roof either although I did price a roof and how much to get it fitted. My Snowflakes were 15x8 and I ran 245/60 15 tyres.

I didn't have the Eagle or pin stripes but my car was 13 years old and on its 2nd owner in Australia when I bought it. The RHD conversion wasn't a good one unfortunately and I was considering converting her to rack and pinion just before I traded her in on my current troopie. The clutch was heavy as, my left leg was half the size of my right again due to muscle development ;). I look in the classified occasionally for her, so does my sister, if she comes up for sale again I'd seriously consider buying her back.

All of that has very little to do with a blown head gasket on a 6.2, sorry to the OP.

[More Power]

How much do the 6.2 heads weigh anyway? More than a big block gasser? I remember taking the heads off a 455 Olds and they were some heavy mother fudgers.

A dressed (valves/springs/etc) 6.2/6.5 cylinder head has a shipping weight of about 65-lbs. Two people are recommended to get one in/out of an engine bay. Going in is the most critical because of the possibity of damaging the new head gasket. I've R&R'ed both heads in a truck with a good helper before. Like Robyn suggested, it's easier with the engine out, but it's doable with it in. I bolt the rockerless rocker arm shafts onto the head to use as hand-holds. Jim

[bmiszuk]

If I did it again, I'd pull the engine. It's certainly possible with the engine in there, but as you all mentioned it was difficult to get the heads on without damaging the head gasket and torquing the bolts up against the firewall was a big big problem.

[tomtaylor]

I would agree that doing the heads on an engine stand is easier and I considered doing that at first but then I did mine on my 86 GMC, 4x4 with AC box, in frame and it was not a problem. Yes I had to be very careful to not damage the gasket but with a little assistance I had no problem.

I installed my heads with GP/injectors/Ex manifolds bolted on already, it was just easier that way. I had a tall hoist with a centering bar to reach over the engine. I didn't have a problem cleaning the deck and of course I did the heads on the bench. I had no trouble torqing the heads, the issue that was a challenge was getting the injector lines to proper torque to stop fuel from seeping.

If it is only head gaskets I will do it that way again next time but if I had to do all gaskets, rear seal etc. I would want to pull the engine then.

I also read a post online from a guy that re-installed heads in frame with new studs. I guess he rigged the studs to hang in the head holes and after the heads were in place he dropped them into the block and did everything up, no clearance issues that way. Mind you getting it apart again would likely mean pulling his engine!