BBR's 83GT - 552 BBF version 3.0 (at least)

[STINEY]

Can be....especially if done under the observation of the significant other when she has other plans for your time!

[SuperBuickGuy]

They are regular Fel-pro's which should be fine. I didn't check the torque, but the head bolts didn't seem as tight as I thought they should have been (140 ftlb). May be a result of it sitting outside in the minus-freeze-your-ass-off weather we had right after I put this engine together.

I'm still sticking to the sucking water theory. Each cylinder failed in the same general area. If it was a warped deck or head, I think the failure pattern would be different. I am also going to check to make sure the ARP head bolts are not bottoming in their holes. Ford's have blind head bolt holes so that could be a possibility. Of course, I will be checking the head and deck with a machinist's straight edge too.

As for the efi, it was super freaking cool, I just had tinkeritis and could not leave it alone. Decided to run a carb so I wouldn't be temped to fart with it all the time. lol

I've read that retorquing should be done on all heads, and never done it... looks like I've gotten pretty lucky - sorry for it being you

[BBR]

I've read the same thing, but I've never done it either! haha

[TheSilverBuick]

I've done it, even after a heat cycle, and blew TWO head gaskets a couple months later.

[squirrel]

I did not do it, and my head gaskets looked great after 10 years.

[Brian Lohnes]

Jim, no one like a braggart.

[squirrel]

Can I help it if BBCs have enough head bolts?

[BBR]

Following the recommendation of the 460 guys, I'm going to switch to a Felpro 1018 gasket instead of the standard blue Felpro.

I'm going to check:

• to make sure the top row of head bolts are not bottoming in their holes. (Ford's, unlike a Chevrolet, use blind head bolt holes that do not open to the water jacket.)
• to make sure I did not do something stupid, like putting the long head bolts inboard and the short ones outboard
• the head bolt bosses on the head to make sure they were not spot faced as some point (which would not surprise me one bit).

Hopefully these checks and changes will correct the problem.

[BBR]

Bolt locations were not bogarted. lol I had to check! Driver's side head gasket looks about the same. Not quite as thrashed though. It wasn't *too* bad to get out once I pulled the brake booster. (which definitely was a pain in the ass)

Short bolt protrudes through the head 1.35" which seems sorta long. I did not measure the long bolt but it looked to be ~1" or so. A couple of bolts had crud on the tip when I pulled them out so maybe the bolt holes do have crap in them. I did not have time to check them at lunch.

All pistons tdc right where they did when it was first built. A couple of the head bolts were definitely not as tight as the others. I don't know if that is a cause or a result though.

[Beagle]

hmm ... kinda sounds like the ones with crap on them might have bottomed out?

[milner351]

hope you can borrow a bottoming tap to clean out those holes and confirm the thread engagement length is as it should be.... shortening arp head bolts does not sound like a fun job!

[BBR]

Randy Malik actually recommended cutting the bolts off if the heads had been spot faced. Chop saw FTW!

I am going to check the bolt holes for gunk later.

[milner351]

hmmmm chop saw to $$$$ arp bolts... that's sick and wrong on so many levels - and will probably work like a charm, as long as you thread a die onto the bolts before you cut em off!

[Russell]

would the heat caused by a chop saw hurt the bolts? I really dont think I would want to have to use a sawsall.

[DanStokes]

As hard as ARP bolts are I think you would have to grind 'em one way or the other. I doubt they would cut with any mortal equipment (maybe a diamond saw or some such). Seems like the right tool would be an oil cooled grinder of some sort (think of an oiled valve face grinder - that technology). No clue where to get that done.

All that aside, I'll bet a chop saw will work just fine as long as everything is well secured so the bolt can't move. A little grinding on the end of the bolt to finish it off and, as John said, a die to fix the threads and everything should be OK. I'd do it.

Dan