changin my head gaskets

[mrwadejunior]

Ok I am sure I blew my head gasket. So I decided to do the job my self. Now that I have both heads off, I can see the block. Should the pistons in the cylinder heads have a certain order. Mines are on left side down up down up and on the right side down down up up. Is that bad news for the bottom end? I was planning on just putting some new heads and gaskets on. Is that a good idea?

[Fightinfire921]

Originally Posted by mrwadejunior

Ok I am sure I blew my head gasket. So I decided to do the job my self. Now that I have both heads off, I can see the block. Should the pistons in the cylinder heads have a certain order. Mines are on left side down up down up and on the right side down down up up. Is that bad news for the bottom end? I was planning on just putting some new heads and gaskets on. Is that a good idea?

[PQ]

If you blew the bottom end out you'd know it. I'm sure it's fine.

How did you know you blew the head gasket?

[POWERFREAK]

Oh this has the makings of an epic thread

[Fightinfire921]

Randy asked how do you know it was head gaskets? You don't seem very mechanically
inclined and you might be better off getting a shop to repair your car.

[mrwadejunior]

When I got the car I did a full tune up and then I started having over heating problems. Change thermo and still had over heating. By this time the car was getting painted and on the drive home from the paint shop car over heated. I had it towed home and after a couple of days I started it up and it seemed to run fine but after warming up I got the smoke out of the tail pipe.

[Fightinfire921]

Originally Posted by POWERFREAK

Oh this has the makings of an epic thread

I was thinking the same, but trying my dam'est to be nice.

[PQ]

Can you upload some pics?

If you had thrown a connecting rod loose (which is what you'd be describing if what you thought happened had happened) you'd DAMN sure know it.

It probably wouldn't be lodged on the cylinder either. haha

Pics would help. But the pistons aren't as opposite of each other quite the way you seem to be thinking.

It should be a succesion and not just up down.

I'm not saying there isn't anything wrong, I'm just saying you may be over thinking this.

But pics would help a lot.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by mrwadejunior

When I got the car I did a full tune up and then I started having over heating problems. Change thermo and still had over heating. By this time the car was getting painted and on the drive home from the paint shop car over heated. I had it towed home and after a couple of days I started it up and it seemed to run fine but after warming up I got the smoke out of the tail pipe.

White smoke = coolant.

Blown head gasket could certainly have been it.

Did you get bubbles in your coolant reservior?



Again, your pistons rods are all intact or you'd have heard an ungodly horrible noise. hahaha

[PQ]

I do see what you are worried about. It can appear that way. But I promise it just seems like that. You are looking at 2 side by side pistons that one is coming up and one is going down. The other that seems up is on it's own cycle.

Look at the animation below and you can see.

Pistons across from one another on the same arm can both appear to be up or both down and even a bit apart.

[mrwadejunior]

I'll upload pics, but your probably right. Just over thinking it.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by mrwadejunior

I'll upload pics, but your probably right. Just over thinking it.

When in doubt, ask about it. MUCH better safe than sorry.

Turn the crank with a ratchet real quick and watch the pistons. That will assure you it's alright.


Disclaimer: Although it's fairly obvious you have a pushrod engine I do want to say that if you're working with overhead cams you may not want to turn the crank. lol

[mrwadejunior]

Awsome thanks.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by mrwadejunior

<snip>
I was planning on just putting some new heads and gaskets on. Is that a good idea?

I'm getting the idea that this really started out as a head swap project . . .


Norm