dapiper

Anyone tried the TotalSeal top gapless ring? They recommend 0.006" endgap per inch of bore. Sounds rather high, but they say ring will hold more heat. What say?

And here's another one for u all....Just finished remote assignment to return to finish rebuild, but encountered leakage along gasget on plug side static, ie not even run....began leaking during coolant addition. Had to pull head and repl POS motorsports gasket with old OEM that was kicking around junkbox, which sealed fine, since it has all that pressure sensitive adhesive. The MSA was the ubiquitous brown teflon, same as NAPA. Finally ordered OEM as spare from dealer at $58...ouch. MSA sent wrong kit, then made me pay for replacement intk/exh manif gasket, since they sent one for round port exh. Then they sent the POS carbon graphite one which will not stand up to any movement through thermal and/or bottoming of exh duiring unscheduled off road excursions. The preferred gasket has the metal flanges available from Victor. This is what to expect from aftermarket on older vehicles. I am also having sticker shock from all sources since this my first rebuild since '94. Oh well.

I have just finished rebuild on my L28 custom turbo (aren't they all) and ready to replace EFI, but needing good crank trigger package. Not much time to custom fab since working out of town. What is best source for this BHJ package, including balancer, trigger wheel and sensor with mount and please advise contact info?

Make sure manifold surface true, not warped. Use Victor replacement which has metal flange liners. This allows for expansion without tearing gasket. Surfaces must be clean, no pits; resurface if necessary. Use metal SS flange locknuts on quality steel studs. If they are cad plated, they are probably junk. Align with studs centered in manifold holes. Use no adjunct coatings, or lockwashers which will be rendered useless at 1000 °F. Torque to spec from middle out. Assure adequate ground clearance for remainder exh sys to prevent misalignment if bottom out.

Coolant was observed dripping along the head to block parting line while filling rad. I never started motor. Now suspect the thermostat hsg, but will have to wait for two weeks until back home. Meanwhile, I just can't believe it's the gasket or the assy, since dowel sleeves and studs aligned.

Imagine the horror and disappointment, when upon filing rad after rebuild, observed coolant weeping out from head gasket. Used felpro, coolant galley holes all matched, used dowel pins to locate head and studs torqued fine. It's not like my first engine rebuild. I am working out of town and this rebuild has consumed my weekends twice a month home for the past two months. I now will have to find someone local to repair, since at my wits end. Will also consider any reasonable offer for the whole thing. E-mail for particulars. Too busy working for any hobbies and I refuse to be a full time mechanic to get this POS running. Make me an offer I can't refuse so I can get this monkey off my back.

These front cover bolts really take a hit with corrosion. Anyone have a SS repl kit?

MSA kit not as beefy as OEM on curved piece and its flange. NA dealer. Source anyone?

Been there; lots of poor quality studs out there. Stay away from the CAD plated, copper colored ones; they will strip easily. Use locktite on head end and alway use antiseize on nut end. I like SS locking flange nuts and never had a stud back out. No need for Grade 8 or 10 on high heat application; too brittle and may snap.

If recent rebuild, may need time to allow rings to seat. Bores need to be perfectly round for rings to seat. Did u use torque plate? Chrome rings less forgiving than moly. Use non-deterg oil for break-in. If just one cyl, then maybe oil seal. Chk to see if seal remains on guide. Sometimes they pop-off and ride the stem. L28ET seals are shorter and will not stay put on N42 head guides.

Thats what I thought, but I'm real anal when it comes to reassy. Tnx.

Compr and leakdown will test OK and repl valve stem seals will not cure either. I endured this problem for years and although still had 2-3 % leakdown and 150 psi compr on 8:1 CR the plug thread remained wet. Machinist said rings had lost all tension.

Engine builder did not mark mounts when removed. How to ID which one goes where?

Your rings are shot. Engine will run for quite a while like this...years, but plug threads will be wet with oil and octane reqmts will rise.

Valve stem seals for the L28 in viton good for 400F available from SB International in Nashville for 1.22 ea. URL is http://www.sbintl.com/home.htm

Anyone have some 0.190" lash pads laying around your shop? Just repl seats and valves now standing shorter and need 190's to center patch on rockers. Source?

Don't have experience with Isky but do search for some interesting history. Gud on Tec3, may want to borrow your map. Just received my slugs with skirts and domes coated. Looks very thin. Will advise but expect little observable difference other than more endurance to lean or over adv condx. Damage to head land may be more prevelant than dome, however; see below. Did notice mild, moderate to severe head land erosion on opposing thrust face side (opposite plugs) of cyl 4, 5, 6, probably resulting from detonation. I had 12 years on that rebuild for 80K mi, which included 88 dyno pulls and some track time. More later.

SBI in Nashville has the elusive viton seals for the L28. Their P/N 122-1263 They also have valve seats and valves, including the P90 exh with Stellite finish

Yeah, Drivetrain Parts has all parts for rebuild and source for gears too. Trani chkd out fine so will reinstall and rebuild boneyard core for spare. Tnx Danny!

Forged slugs good, but prefer Arias. CR 8.5:1. Swaintech coat dome and skirts. O-ring block. Need ECU with more cells...Motec, especially at high boost. If Tec3 then use crank trigger. Add cam trigger for sequential inj. (Anyone on list fabbed?) TIAL wastegate at least 37 mm. 3" exh with Dynomax. I had no luck with that cam....not for street, had 3" Hg vac at idle at soggy below 3500, but have 3.5 cc unshroud from each chamber. Even tried 260° durn and got only 9 " Hg. HP down also. Have data if interested. Got 435 RWHP on my DynoJet at 20 psi boost with Racer Brown 246/226 @ 0.050 grind. Ask Frank at Schneider about that profile as I'm sure he has it from when I had my bumps repair welded.

Where can I get gears for the 82 5 speed trani? Dealer only has bearings and seals.

Valves sunk 0.030 to 0.060" so it's R/R seat time. Have some reservations, tho. Don't want to reinvest all that time to unshroud a replacement head, especially since probably can't find a decent one, so thought I wud reincarnate my N42. There are some fine cracks between the valve seats and we are worried that they may be a problem once we try to replace them, since machinist calls for 0.008" intereference fit, which sounds kind of high to me, even for an aluminum head. This much cud cause cracks to open up more. Apparently they got burned with dropped seats. Already using one set of shims on cam towers and 0.140 lash pad on several exh. This head has only had 4 valve jobs, but even tho I told the machinist to tread lightly, he had to remove about 0.020 to chean up pits. And then to add insult to injury proceeded to grind stem tips to equalize, after I told him not to, since lash pads become recessed into retainers and rockers will bounce around and hog out retainer couterbore collar or worse bottom out in retainer. Hard to find machinist who understands OHC geometry. Also MS doesn't have seats in stock. Anyone have a supply for these seats or experience with replacement?

As soon as I get back home next week, I will comply with request to supply pix and dimensions and/or donars from my parts bin.