NEW HEADS and think the Head Gaskets just blew!!

Skankin · 04-04-2001, 01:47 PM

Been there... not fun.

Check around the lower head bolts, if they're leaking, you'll see some anti-freeze residue.

Check the oil fill cap for condensation (to see if there's water in the oil).

You can pull the drain plug too, and any water will be the first to come out (oil floats on water).

You can get a $25 code scanner from walmart, and do a cylinder balance test. If one of them is leaking, it'll show up.

If you locate a problem, you might find that the head bolt has backed off a bit too...

The felpro-2's are better, but probably not necessary. Put them on dry.

I agree with ditching the bolts. Get some ARP studs, and use teflon tape on the threads into the water jacker. This was the only way I could get mine to seal (changed the head gaskets 3 times!).

Also, I've found that the felpro rubber gaskets & some RTV at the ends, work great on the china wall (between the heads and lower intake). THe cork gaskets suck.

I found that the form-a-gasket aircraft grade thread sealant really sucks (the brown stuff)... it just never set properly for a good seal. Form-a-gasket also has some white teflon sealer that works better.

04-04-2001, 01:47 PM	#12
Skankin Registered Member Join Date: Dec 1998 Location: London, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,349	Been there... not fun. Check around the lower head bolts, if they're leaking, you'll see some anti-freeze residue. Check the oil fill cap for condensation (to see if there's water in the oil). You can pull the drain plug too, and any water will be the first to come out (oil floats on water). You can get a $25 code scanner from walmart, and do a cylinder balance test. If one of them is leaking, it'll show up. If you locate a problem, you might find that the head bolt has backed off a bit too... The felpro-2's are better, but probably not necessary. Put them on dry. I agree with ditching the bolts. Get some ARP studs, and use teflon tape on the threads into the water jacker. This was the only way I could get mine to seal (changed the head gaskets 3 times!). Also, I've found that the felpro rubber gaskets & some RTV at the ends, work great on the china wall (between the heads and lower intake). THe cork gaskets suck. I found that the form-a-gasket aircraft grade thread sealant really sucks (the brown stuff)... it just never set properly for a good seal. Form-a-gasket also has some white teflon sealer that works better.