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Blown Head Gasket?

Corvette1974

Corvette1974

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Hello,

So I am pretty sure that the head gaskets are toast in my M35A2. When I got the truck there was plenty of oil seepage surrounding the head area, even after I wipe it off, it always came back. The truck is turned up pretty well, only peaking at 11 PSI boost and will only peg the pyro on extended high load/long load pulls (1100*).

Truck always ran very well no weird sounds, no fluid mixing, etc.

I took it to the Pocono NASCAR race over the spring and on the way there it started running rough, had trouble building boost and would peg the pyro very quickly! I had to go up the hill on the way to the track in 2nd gear balancing the high temps and throttle. I didn't know this but my buddies also said the truck was smoking way more than usual. I limped the truck home (gotta love a deuce :mrgreen: ) and it has been sitting since.

The truck had a slight "tick" on the way back, and it sounds as if there is a slight compression leak when you stick you head in the engine bay. There is still no amount of fluid mixing (no coolant/oil mix)

Any thoughts on further diagnostic or is this pretty typical head gasket failure? Engine was rebuild in 1991, so those head gaskets don't owe me anything haha

Let me know.

Thanks!
-Will

Edit - Truck fires right up as if it has no issues, gauges indicate no changes either. Air cleaner is clean. No obvious issues
 
Last edited:
gimpyrobb

gimpyrobb

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The tic indicates a hg blown but seepage is designed into the old by. If you look bathe the intake side between the head and the block, and you see tabs sticking out. That's the old style.

I have some new gaskets if you decide you need them, send a pm.
 
Corvette1974

Corvette1974

Member
493
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Upper Black Eddy, PA
gimpyrobb said:
The tic indicates a hg blown but seepage is designed into the old by. If you look bathe the intake side between the head and the block, and you see tabs sticking out. That's the old style.

I have some new gaskets if you decide you need them, send a pm.
Click to expand...
It sounds like it is coming from the back of the block, which seems to be a weak spot in the engine. There is *a lot* of seepage haha ever since I got the truck. It is so much I can wipe off the data plate and within one drive it is covered up again. Designed or not I think that is too much...

Do you have the full gasket sets available to do the job? I will hopefully be pulling the heads soon to get them machined...

-Will
 
K

Karl kostman

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Will it sure sounds like a head gasket, have you ever changed a head gasket on your vette? Well a Deuce is NOTHING like that at all, OK OK sorry about that. You have all the service manuals for the truck, grab the appropriate TMs figure out your parts list and get it done, remember all new head bolts when you reassemble, its not a bad job at all Will!
Karl
 
Corvette1974

Corvette1974

Member
493
1
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Location
Upper Black Eddy, PA
Karl kostman said:
Will it sure sounds like a head gasket, have you ever changed a head gasket on your vette? Well a Deuce is NOTHING like that at all, OK OK sorry about that. You have all the service manuals for the truck, grab the appropriate TMs figure out your parts list and get it done, remember all new head bolts when you reassemble, its not a bad job at all Will!
Karl
Click to expand...
Never done the heads on my vette but I have on other vehicles... What are the differences I should be aware of? The deuce uses head studs...do they need to be replaced/are there ARP head studs available ;)

-Will
 
J

jamboly

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Before you attempt pulling the heads, you need to find the "special" wrench the army designed to remove the stud nuts on the left hand side of the head. They are pretty much impossible to get off without the wrench. Fortunately I found someone locally I could borrow one from.
 
Corvette1974

Corvette1974

Member
493
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Location
Upper Black Eddy, PA
jamboly said:
Before you attempt pulling the heads, you need to find the "special" wrench the army designed to remove the stud nuts on the left hand side of the head. They are pretty much impossible to get off without the wrench. Fortunately I found someone locally I could borrow one from.
Click to expand...
The wrench came with the truck when I bought it....it is almost as if they knew the gaskets were bad ;)
gimpyrobb said:
NAh, just bend one up with a O/A torch. I've also heard of some folks using oxy sensor sockets.
Click to expand...
The wrench I have is....custom...to say the least haha
 
Corvette1974

Corvette1974

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493
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Upper Black Eddy, PA
rustystud said:
Yes there are "ARP" head studs available. I posted the numbers a while back.
Click to expand...
I will look into those numbers....I am certainly not opposed to using better fasteners!
gimpyrobb said:
Dunno about that. I've not heard too many swap out their studs(none have bolts) for new. I've never done it.
Click to expand...
I haven't either in this case, but if the ARPs are available, then I will get them
 
Corvette1974

Corvette1974

Member
493
1
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Location
Upper Black Eddy, PA
jamboly said:
Whatever you use, make sure it can handle the torque requirements.
Click to expand...
gimpyrobb said:
I ended up having to add some 3/4 stock to stiffen mine up.
Click to expand...
The wrench I have is a custom made one, and they guy before me used it to change heads on another truck he had. So it has been proven to work before...

I started to disassemble the truck yesterday, got a bunch of the little stuff off. The turbo shaft bearings are shot, so I'm going to rebuild that as well.

-Will
 
M

mt4x4

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Springfield, Oregon
Make sure your heads are flat. My head gasket blew right at the edge of the head on the back of the front head and after closer inspection the head was miss machineed when the motor was rebuilt in 89. You could see the machine marks. It looked like there was slop in the mill or something where as the mill end came off the head it took more metal. It was like this on both ends on both heads.
 
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