head removal/ Install

[98mystic]

I blew a head gasket so I plan on doing gaskets, head studs, injectors, MAF and port the blower while I have it apart. I was wondering if it is easier to pull the motor from the top or drop it out the bottom? Or just do the heads with the motor in the car? And if I do it in the car will the heads go back on over the studs?

 

[Blueline]

Honestly I would pull the motor so you have plenty of room to work, it will be much easier.

 

[hotcobra03]

I vote pull motor..

Out bottom car sits where it is..

Out top you can leave trans in and still roll car around..

Over fender..messy job..

You might have to twist engine..

I did over fender with bolts..I had to leave a couple of bolts in..but this is with mounts still tight..

 

[modular89]

Out the top with motor/trans connected is the easiest. I can get mine out in about 4 hours that way start to finish. It is a nightmare trying to pull the head off in the car.

 

[Notsoslowbowtie]

yup motor pull…. i'm pretty much there now but not pulling heads.

 

[Senkak]

I blew a head gasket so I plan on doing gaskets, head studs, injectors, MAF and port the blower while I have it apart. I was wondering if it is easier to pull the motor from the top or drop it out the bottom? Or just do the heads with the motor in the car? And if I do it in the car will the heads go back on over the studs?

How did you blow a head gasket?

 

[98mystic]

I honestly don't know how it happened. I'm still confused about that part of it. I got the motor out going to tear it down tomorrow. But it had a miss under boost/load. I didn't see anything wrong in the data log. But I pulled plugs and had coolant on the number 4 plug and it only has 120 compression. I think it may have lifted the head. The car has a 2.93 upper, 6lb lower, cai, bassani x pipe, bap, mafia, and was Dyno tuned by Atlanta chassis dyno, the tune was done with a stock lower I put the lower on about 6 months ago and went through and added fuel in the tune. The air/fuel was in the 10.5 range wot.

 

[98mystic]

A buddy of mine said that the boost may have been up with it so cold outside and it could have leaned out.

 

[98mystic]

While I have a few people reading my thread.. what do you all think about my fpdc? In the last log I done it was at .78... While I have the motor out I'm going to do injectors, maf and port the Eaton. Will my stock pumps and bap be enough?

 

[Senkak]

While I have a few people reading my thread.. what do you all think about my fpdc? In the last log I done it was at .78... While I have the motor out I'm going to do injectors, maf and port the Eaton. Will my stock pumps and bap be enough?

You are fine at 78% FPDC.
I would suggest getting on the dyno and having your tuner check and adjust if necessary.
Make sure this doesn't happen again.
I am at 22lbs on a stock motor.

 

[hotcobra03]

I would have head checked..

I had issues on cyl 7..

Coolant..low compression..

Was a crack in head

 

[98mystic]

I will be having the head check. Crossing my fingers that it's not cracked

 

[hotcobra03]

I will be having the head check. Crossing my fingers that it's not cracked

Its a head or melted piston..would be what im thinking

 

[98mystic]

I don't think it would have 120# of compression if it had a melted piston. But I will let you know this afternoon when I take the head off

 

[98mystic]

I got the heads off from what I can tell it looks like it lifted the head I can see where the coolant was passing over the gasket no other damage that I can tell.

 

[hotcobra03]

Any pics

 

[Blueline]

I got the heads off from what I can tell it looks like it lifted the head I can see where the coolant was passing over the gasket no other damage that I can tell.

I do hope you have an easy repair so you can get her back and running, but you have to be running some higher boost to start lifting heads on these cars. The only other thing I can think of is detonation causing extremely high cylinder pressures. Unless, something else gave out. :shrug:

 

[98mystic]

I tired posting pics of the gasket and the intake but I couldn't get them to upload. I think I caught it early. And it may have happened last week. If you go back and look at some of my post I posted one last week about it missing/breaking up and getting kind of lean under boost but as soon as I noticed it wasn't running right I drove it easy and didn't let it get into boost other than one pull to do some data logging but it wasn't long and only turned about 5000rpm before I got out of it. I couldn't ever pin point the miss. So when I get it back together I will probably still be looking for that.