Evan Purple240zt Posted July 15, 2001 Share Posted July 15, 2001 Well guys, the exxon valdese is still peeing all over the place. Finally found the leak (for those who dont know, between the top of the front cover and the head). Well, just for grins, i tried to stick a feeler gauge in the crack to see how big it was. Man, it slid right in. Scary. WEll time to swap headgaskets to the HKS metal one. Question, using arp studs. What is the torque spec for the HKS headgasket. Surface prep? Spray copper crap? fill me in guys! Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted July 15, 2001 Share Posted July 15, 2001 I'm doing the same thing on my 74 this weekend. Blew the gasket at #6. I can't for the life of me get the cam sprocket bolt loose. Hope you have a big breaker bar ready! Evan were you running a FelPro headgasket before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted July 15, 2001 Author Share Posted July 15, 2001 I think my impact should do the trick on the cam bolt nicely LOL. Fel pro? I used some gasket that came in the gasket kit. Remind me to kick my own ass for not waiting for three days for the HKS one to show up (thought it was gone forever). Anyways, also found that my exhaust manifold was leaking past the gasket. WTF. OH well, need to replace it anyways and nows a good time to find out about it! Stupid cheapass gaskets. I am SOO lookin forward to no more oil leakage (where will it come from next? lol). I was using bolts in the head to hold everything togehter. I have decided, after seeing the leaking gasket, to go buy some studs so i dont have to do this twice!!!! Corky bell says NOT to reuse head studs more than three times (and thats pushing it). Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted July 15, 2001 Author Share Posted July 15, 2001 Rich, use a good ratchet from sears and whack it HARD with a big rubber mallet. Its the impact from the hood! Works everytime, sometimes better than my crappy campbell housefeld impact does!!! (if the ratchet breaks get one new from sears ) Lifetime warranty is cool. Oh and definitely use a 1/2 inch drive on this. Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted July 15, 2001 Author Share Posted July 15, 2001 Got most of the motor apart, removed valve cover and saw that the front of the gasket got pushed back, and was not even CLOSE to sealing. At least I know im fixing the right thing this time. Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted July 15, 2001 Share Posted July 15, 2001 Evan, that bad boy is really on there. I had me and my roomate both cranking on that sucker to the point that we were spinning the engine in reverse and forcing the car up a hill. I think I need to go with a pair of vice grips between cam lobes to keep it from spinning (unless someone else has a friendlier idea?) and get a bigger breaker bar. Unfortunately I am 210km away from my tools or this would be done in an hour. Oh yeah, first thing I tried was the old hammer/impact route, no dice. Its really on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DATTO Posted July 15, 2001 Share Posted July 15, 2001 hey guys i have a 1mm hks gasket on my head at the moment, its been in the car for about 6 months. im planning to switch the head from e31 to p90 cuz of turbo project...i dont really drive the car much only on weekends...do you think i could re-use the headgasket when i put the p90 on? i just dont want to spend so much on another gasket when i barely used this one. thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimZ Posted July 16, 2001 Share Posted July 16, 2001 quote: Originally posted by Drax240z: I think I need to go with a pair of vice grips between cam lobes to keep it from spinning (unless someone else has a friendlier idea?) and get a bigger breaker bar. NOOOOOOOOOOO! If you are dead set on trying to hold the cam steady, there are two square protrusions between two of the lobes somewhere towards the middle of the camshaft - at least there are on mine. You can usually situate a large crescent wrench around the protrusions such that you can hold the cam steady, or turn it if you like. I'm guessing that's what they are there for. I'm with Evan, though. I can't believe that you can't get that thing off there with a good quality high torque impact wrench with about 120psi of air behind it. You are MUCH more likely to screw something up with a large breaker bar and extremely high static torques than you ever will be with an impact wrench. [ July 15, 2001: Message edited by: TimZ ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted July 16, 2001 Share Posted July 16, 2001 At this point in time my resources include -a 79 pc socket set (3/8 & 1/4 drive) -a set of metric wrenches 10mm-18mm -a 1/2lb hammer -a multidriver -a pair of needlenose pliers -a roll of duct tape -a package of bubble gum My tools are 210km away as I said, including my air compressor. Believe me I would've had this done in no time were I there... Looks like a buddy from my car club is going to make a trip into town to give me a hand though, and bring some tools. Hopefully we can get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron240zxt Posted July 16, 2001 Share Posted July 16, 2001 Hey Richard, By any chance have you tried tighting the bolt a little first then lossing it up? Just a idea. I say wrap end of rachet with duct tape. And slap the End of the rachet with the 1/2 hammer while chewing on the gum. LOL Good luck Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-Gad Posted July 16, 2001 Share Posted July 16, 2001 I had a little trouble getting the camshaft bolt off during the teardown of one of my motors and I recall shoving a thick screwdriver through the cam sprocket which wouldn't allow it to turn and then managed to get the bolt free...maybe not the best way, but suited my purposes... good luck, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Shasteen Posted July 16, 2001 Share Posted July 16, 2001 I agree w/the monkey wrench on the cam lobe while someone else pops the cam sprocket bolt w/a 1/2" ratchet & hammer (forget the duct tape; its a manly man tool-no duct tape required). If worse comes to worse; chock the wheels while turning, use the monkey wrench, use the 1/2" ratchet/hammer; & if you must-remove the starter & have another individual put a larger screwdriver on the flywheel tooth to keep the engine from rotating while you're turning. You did say this was a cam-sprocket bolt, didnt you? Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrayZee Posted July 16, 2001 Share Posted July 16, 2001 I have a idea, but I don't know if it'll work on a L series head that well.. (it works awesome taking off stubborn crankshaft bolts) especially on a automatic cuz you can't brace the pulley. 1st figure out which way the crankshaft spins and brace a johnson bar to the frame (or something solid) and give the starter a quick crack. Loosens them up everytime! However there ain't much solid enough on the head for that... in the past I have always used a pair of vise-grips on the cam (right where those square tabs are) with a rag underneath so as not to damage the valve cover gasket surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted July 16, 2001 Share Posted July 16, 2001 Definately the cam sprocket bolt. What a stubborn old bastard. Its coming off one way or another tomorrow. I guarentee it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 16, 2001 Share Posted July 16, 2001 Leverage man. Three feet of pipe on a rachet, either the bolts coming off, or the sockets going to bust. Not unlike the rear spindle nut on a VW bug, its at some ungodly thing like 250 ft/lbs... Used a 6' piece of pipe as a cheater bar with it in gear and the park brake on, add a few goons on the pipe and bingo. Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted July 17, 2001 Share Posted July 17, 2001 Got it. Borrowed a breaker bar and a 2.5lbs hammer from a guy, it didn't have a chance. On the lame side, about half my head bolts were rusted in. SCREECH! As I loosen them. And of course, one of the damn things broke. Gonna have to walk to the store to buy a can of oil and some vice grips, and maybe a propane torch and hope to hell I don't have to drill it and easy out it. On the bright side, I have a head sitting in my living room floor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted July 17, 2001 Share Posted July 17, 2001 Lone, when I worked at the VW dealership, I heard unreal stories about guys using (no kidding) a 6 foot bar and had additional bodies help with the leverage. They are just nasty to deal with, period. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy 77zt Posted July 17, 2001 Share Posted July 17, 2001 as for broken headbolts-if you spray them with liquid wrench and let it sit for a while you can push the bolt around with a hammer and a small chisel or punch.if some of the bolt is sticking out add oil and hit it with hammer.i learned the hard way about pitted head bolts-do not reuse.i usually run a tap through head bolt holes and clean with brake cleaner and compressed air until it is very clean and head bolt screws in easy.everything should be clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 17, 2001 Share Posted July 17, 2001 just wanted to answer some of the questions i read. i have a 81 turbo with a hks 2mm gasket. i also have apr head bolts. -----it is possible to reuse the gasket.---- ---the bolts are torqued at 80 ft pounds--- before you put in the studs clean and retap each hole. I hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrayZee Posted July 17, 2001 Share Posted July 17, 2001 Maybe that tool loaner program that Canadian Tire has would include breaker bars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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