Another head gasket thread

[Steve Wood]

You MIGHT find a gain once you are in low tens...maybe

TAPerformance sells some nice headers

[Pyro6]

Thanks Mark and Steve for filling in the blanks. Going with the TA headers thru Kirban's.

[SuperSix]

Are these that bad?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/86-87-REGAL-GNX-GRAND-NATIONAL-V6-T-TYPE-EXHAUST-HEADER-/170646194242?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Submodel%3AGrand+National&hash=item27bb4e4842

[daveismissing]

The hotmail address exudes confidence

[SuperSix]

Hehe.

Are these the "Chinese" headers I have heard people buying? There's a few sellers that have them.

[Steve Wood]

those are often terrible in fit...if they fit, plus they are thin and poorly made.  There are no bargains in headers

[Pyro6]

No racing this weekend. ARP sent studs, the wrong ones nonetheless, instead of bolts. The head gaskets won't be here til Friday. The headers won't be here til Tues or Wed. The heads are done at the machine shop, I'll pick em up tomorrow. Ground heads, replaced springs, valve job.... wanna check cam and lifters, chase and clean head bolt holes, clean block surface, and bolt em up over the weekend. One of the "lock myself in the shop and nobody bug me weekends"

[SuperSix]

No racing this weekend. ARP sent studs, the wrong ones nonetheless, instead of bolts. The head gaskets won't be here til Friday. The headers won't be here til Tues or Wed. The heads are done at the machine shop, I'll pick em up tomorrow. Ground heads, replaced springs, valve job.... wanna check cam and lifters, chase and clean head bolt holes, clean block surface, and bolt em up over the weekend. One of the "lock myself in the shop and nobody bug me weekends"

What did the valve job/etc cost?

[Pyro6]

I'll let you know tomorrow after I pick them up. Etc. cost 700 if you mean headers. Now I get to work 26 hours a day to fund this poor choice of hobbies (place icon here)

[Pyro6]

What did the valve job/etc cost?
[/quote] Picked the heads up this AM, still waiting for gaskets and bolts. Head work was 250

[Just a Six?]

Try the RJC. I have used a few sets of Victors & they are good gaskets but the RJC will take a bit more punishment & with all the goop on them they seal up pretty good. Get 2 heat guns & while on the stand you can heat cycle the heads one at a time for the retorque per instal instructions.

How do you heat cycle the heads with a heat gun? Unless it has a BTU rating on par with Godzilla

Ed, I use 2 guns on one head at a time. I place them in the end areas by water passages & in 20 mins-1/2 an hour on Hi setting it's Very Hot. No way you can even touch it. The guns have to be on something so they dont touch the metal either. It may not be 1600* but it's pretty damn hot! I let it cool overnite & then do it 2 more times on each head.

[Pyro6]

as said before, read all the magic tricks to make the cometics not leak water...then be sure the block and the heads are ground, not milled, to a 50 or better ra finish

Since Cometics couldn't seem to get the order to the machine shop, I called Jason at RJC. I feel confident now I'll have stuff for the weekend. After your comments Steve,  I wanted to use a shim gasket anyway, but the machine shop already ordered the Cometics. I would have worked with the Cometics but, no parts, no experiment.

[Pyro6]

After all the BS, I think I'm on the downside. Maple Grove has a long weekend this weekend to end the season, that'll be my test n tune for Cecil and the Buick race. Close to firing it up, I'm running outa steam though so I'm in slow motion. I'll crank up the NASCAR race on the radio and just keep on going, but just real slow. RJC head gaskets, TA performance headers, ARP bolts (wished I would've went w/studs). I gotta say it is one sloppy mess working with these head gaskets and sealant. Hopefully she'll fire right up and purrr, than I'll do the vacuum brake switchover. Hopefully Monday I'll finish up and move on.

[Steve Wood]

You will be energized once you hear it running!

What did you apply the GE sealer with?

[Pyro6]

The roller Jason sends with the gaskets. I hope somethin soon energizes me, I'm gettin too old for this crap.