Blown Gasket Deck Cleaning

[@Holmes]

Dang Dang Dang blew the head gasket and started to lose radiator fluid. You know white smoke. Babyed it for 8 months. I have been wipping the deck down for hours and can't seem to get the black carbon off. The deck is smoth but discolored. Any one have a suggestion as to how to clean the deck with out pulling the motor and machining it?

As a side note I had opened it up several months back and it flat lined at 4000 rpm???? Told the machine shop that installed the roating asymbly to put a stock cam in. Found out they put a 1400-4000 rpm cam in it. Going to change it while its open. Looking at a C9OZ-C with rollers, duel point and shaving springs .020.

 

[rvrtrash]

As long as you have all the old gasket material off, you don't need to worry about "discoloration". I usually scrape the surface gently with a putty knife to get all the chunks off and then wipe down with acetone. I suppose you could run over the surface with a ScotchBrite pad but as long as the metal is smooth for a good seal, you'll be OK.

Steve

 

[robert campbell]

As Steve said, the discoloration is normal. I am more worried about why the gasket blew. I would definitely have the heads checked for flatness. Was a retork performed on the heads after a couple full warm ups? They tell you most head gaskets these days do not require a retork, but I always do and normally find a bolt or two that are a bit lose. It is critical to perform the torking in the proper sequence and at 30%, 60% full tork intervals. Looks like you had FelPro blue line head gaskets. Follow their tork sequence we installing.

Of note, over the years the heads bolts can stretch and become less than effective when torked fully. New bolts are not a bad idea, but at the same time in a stock build I have seen little problems.

Engine would not rev past 4,000? What gear? Even with a stock cam it should rev to 5,500. Even a 1,400 to 4,000 should rev to 5,000. Might not make any power in those last 1,000 rpm’s

You say a C90Z-C cam with rollers. To my knowledge this is a 69 cam and would not be proper for roller lifters?? Flat hydraulic cams are ground to make the lifter “spin” in the bore. A hydraulic roller lifter uses a totally different grinding profile.

Or I misunderstood what you said in the thread…..

Rob

 

[miller511]

I'm not an expert, but... do you see that piston 3 is very non-carbonated compared to the other three? (Hard to tell if it's just the flash on the camera). I wonder if the non-roller cam had something to do with number three running really hot and burning through the head gasket? Something's up with number 3.

My two cents ;-)

-Jeff

 

[joedls]

I'm not an expert, but... do you see that piston 3 is very non-carbonated compared to the other three? (Hard to tell if it's just the flash on the camera). I wonder if the non-roller cam had something to do with number three running really hot and burning through the head gasket? Something's up with number 3.

My two cents ;-)

-Jeff

If coolant got into #3 cylinder from the blown head gasket, it would clean the piston. Ask me how I know?

 

[robert campbell]

I put water injection on a motor. The pistons were all shiny brand new lookin when the head came off. Number 3was buning water!!!

Rob

 

[miller511]

Wow!!! Good Knowledge! Now I know, too!!

 

[@Holmes]

Number 3 sure was burning the water/colant - nice and clean. As for the rollers I was thinking about the rockers not the lifters. Something simple.

 

[robert campbell]

Ah, I knew I misunderstood....

 

[@Holmes]

Robert I just looked at it again, takin the timing cover off can't seem to drop the pan and noticed the paint on the lower passenger side of the timing cover - a scorch spray like discoleration. Looks lile the seal around this area failed and was the initial cause of the overheating and in progesive steps to the failure of the gasket. Yep yep.

 

[@Holmes]

Now if Rob will just share his water injection methoed I could get the deck cleaned quick fast an in a hurry!

 

[@Holmes]

I thought the C90Z-C was the 69 302 cam. I read somewhere that it was the cam of choice back in the day when rebuilding a 289/302. I have looked for hours to find the specs on the original 68 302 cam but nada. Even my ford books are vague. The only other cam I like is the Edelbrock 2122 and the Compcam 1431-16 rail type roller rocker which you guys have discussed before.

Cam is @ http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=EDL-2122&autoview=sku

Rocker is @ http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=CCA-1431-16&autoview=sku