Blown head gasket.

[Russ69Runner]

Well as you guys know I had radiator problems. After getting another one and putting it in on a short drive from my house to a friend's blew the upper radiator hose off. Let it cool down for three hours. He only lived two miles away. So put the hose back on and filled it up. Drove it home. A few days later took a drive and stopped at a friend's house and noticed some water on his driveway. Not a big puddle but a spot anyways. Now notice that between 3 and 5 pistons at bottom of the head and block I have a leak. Well long story short going to pull both heads and put on new gaskets and valley pan. This is not something I am looking forward to doing. At my age it is getting harder and harder to do simple task not something like this. Wish me luck guys. Russ.

 

[1968 man]

Good luck Russ. If I was closer, I would not have a problem helping you out.
Then at least we would have 2 old broken up men working on it. Lol

 

[quikbird]

Check the head and deck surfaces for flatness when you get them off

 

[Russ Hood]

Well as you guys know I had radiator problems. After getting another one and putting it in on a short drive from my house to a friend's blew the upper radiator hose off. Let it cool down for three hours. He only lived two miles away. So put the hose back on and filled it up. Drove it home. A few days later took a drive and stopped at a friend's house and noticed some water on his driveway. Not a big puddle but a spot anyways. Now notice that between 3 and 5 pistons at bottom of the head and block I have a leak. Well long story short going to pull both heads and put on new gaskets and valley pan. This is not something I am looking forward to doing. At my age it is getting harder and harder to do simple task not something like this. Wish me luck guys. Russ.

Good luck Russ. I'm with you.

 

[roadrunnerbob]

hay Russ i would check the freeze plugs in the head first and the bolts for the exhaust they are known for leaking

 

[Russ69Runner]

It is between the head and the block. All new freeze plugs. It is going to get new head gaskets on both banks. No need to just do one side with the way my luck runs if fix one side the other will fail. Thanks for the info. Want to repaint my shock tower inner fenders due to paint has started to peel off them from the heat from the exhaust manifolds. With heads off should give me more room to paint them.

 

[Rapid Transit]

You are closest to the situation.
But I'm guessing if the engine is recent, just do the bad side.
The other side has been tested "good".
Leave it alone unless you know more that would incline you to do both sides.

 

[Russ69Runner]

Update on my leak. It is a cracked head between three and five exhaust ports. Just below them is a horizontal fine crack about an inch or more. Now have another head at the shop being ready for the install. Just my luck. So, it holds true don't put your tools away. My shock tower paint started to peel off and painting that while waiting on the head. Keep those runners' rolling buddy's and think of me when driving down the road. Russ.

 

[1968 man]

Hey Russ, you can borrow one of mine if you can’t wait on yours. Lol

 

[Russ69Runner]

Thanks for the offer. I think will just wait and see how long it does take to get the bird back on the road.

 

[Terry Hauck]

Good luck buddy. I had to do the same way back with the 383 and the 906 heads. It was easy with the engine on the stand, but in the car, I used my engine hoist. Hope you have aluminum heads and manifold now or you can use your hoist like I did.

 

[Russ69Runner]

Thanks Terry. I just pulled the head in the car.

 

[Russ69Runner]

So the people doing the head for me just called yesterday and told me they will need another 688 dollars over the 2hundred and 88 dollars I gave them when taking the head to them. The first time I took two head to them and let them pic the one they wanted to use. Then called me and said the head was pitted. So took the head gasket upon request of the shop and the other head. Now this does not make good since and he had called me and woke me up from a nap. So called him back and asked why so much He went through a pitch with me on the phone. Told me he was going to deck the head and I had checked it myself with a straight edge, and it was ok. Told me he would only take thou. off it, he did that with every head. I told him that the engine was set with dome pistons with fly cut for valves. Did not want the piston to hit my spark plugs. So, he also said when was the last time you had machine work done. Told him when the engine was rebuilt. Still think that is way too much money to have a head done when we are using the valves and spring from the other head due to, they are brand new and only 4500 miles on them. Now do you get what the price will be in the end for one head. I will let them get it done but would never ever go back to them. Figure most shops get around 400 or 500 to put a head together with new parts. So has anyone else paid that kind of money to have one head done recently. Could have bought a set of head from 440 source for around 12 hundred dollars.

 

[Russ69Runner]

Ok so got the head back this week. It cost me almost 11 hundred dollars. Ouch. After getting it home yesterday took it out of my truck to look at it. They did not put in brass freeze pugs as requested by me. Well, I figure they will not rot out in my lifetime so will install it and move on. What we all have to put up with and why the machine shop dose not listen to what we request. As I said those plugs should last me the rest of my lifetime. Just want to get the car back on the road.

 

[69hemibeep]

Did they give you a kiss and cuddle with you after they were done Local shop. Degrease, mag, resurface seats and valves, new guides, mill $256. plus the cost of the guides and freeze plugs. Even if they replaced the valves it's to much.

 

[1968 man]

Damn Russ, maybe you should’ve told him the head was for an old farm truck. When you said Roadrunner he cast that Zebco 33 so hard I heard the zzzzzzzzzzzzzz all the way here in South Carolina. Lol. Hope you get the car back up and running soon. Good luck buddy.

 

[Russ69Runner]

So, lesson learned and will just get a new set of stealth heads from 440 source next time and be done with it. Those jerks did not even swap my exhaust studs in the head or put the valve cover studs in it. What a rip off. I would call them but figured it would be a waste of time. Know I would not recommend them to anyone.

 

[Rapid Transit]

 

[Russ69Runner]

The motor is just about reassembled. Down to intake and exhaust manifolds. As most of us touching up things and polishing up my intake. The exhaust manifolds are looking kind of cruddy and going to sand blast them an do a repaint. Have a different product from KBS coatings. Loose the heat riser also. Still have to address the leaking seals in my A833 trans. So much to do but will keep on working to fix little things that have come up since restoring the runner.

 

[Russ Hood]

What kind if head gaskets? I used cosmetic.