zkummer

My '96 has a very bad head gasket...I hope anyway, the way it pushes coolant I hope it isn't a crack. Anyway, I know I need a whole set of gaskets (head, manifold, exhaust, etc) for this and I might as well rebuild and maybe resurface the heads while I have them off (valve seals at least). I've done this on older SBC's but never on an LT1. As far as the procedure I'm guessing it is pretty similar, but I've read that the head gaskets are different. I've searched for gasket sets but I keep finding ones clearly intended for the old SBC...and I'm pretty sure at least the head gaskets are different?

Does anyone know where I can get a complete kit for the job? Also, would normal SBC head bolts/studs work or would that also be a different part?

Thanks!

timnfxr

Rockauto is a good source.

Complete Set:
More Information for FEL-PRO HS9966PT

Injuneer

You have to use LT1-specific head gaskets (different water passage routing), exhaust gaskets (D-port), and head bolts. Some years use TTY head bolts. Pretty sure that includes 1996.

bw_hunter

I guess you can buy a complete set from Fel-pro or someone but I mixed suppliers to get what I wanted. I went with head gaskets from GM for the Impala. They have a thinner compressed thickness yielding a slightly higher compression ratio. I used Fel-pro intake gaskets and Percy's exhaust gaskets. I went with ARP head bolts usings the non torque to yield torque specs. I also used GM seals for the coolant bypass lines on the back of the heads.

There are plenty of suppliers out there to research and get you what you want/need. There is no requirement to use the same supplier for all gaskets...

You might want to research using head studs in an f-body application...you may not be able to install/remove the heads with them in place. Plenty of folks use them so you can certainly find the answers on here somewhere...

zkummer

Thanks for the tips everyone. After spending most of the week fighting with rusted and over-torqued bolts I finally got the heads off. The gaskets appear fine, and at the heads look fine from what I can see...but I did find this issue with one of the cylinder walls...looks like the grain pattern of cast iron and I can even feel it if I drag my finger over it, not sure what to make of it. I attached pictures. It's only on one cylinder...the others look good other than a couple of very small scratches. Anyone seen this before?

jeremyferguson

Do you have access to a decent bore gauge? I think autozone might even "rent" them for free on the tool loaner program. I've never seen that before but I've only opened-up a handful of sbc's....

zkummer

I've never seen it before either but it does somewhat remind me of what british engines do if you run them insanely rich for too long. I obviously need to pull it either for machining or replacement so that's been my burden this week...I am amazed that GM "Engineers" manage to keep breathing with so few brain cells. Hopefully it won't cost too much to fix...because I don't have much to spend and it's sitting in my friend's driveway right now. I say it every time I buy a GM but this time I mean it...I'm never buying another GM. I actually felt envious of someone in a 1990 Corolla today just because the thing was running. At least it should be easy to sell...what with the new transmission, new engine, and new interior all in the last 3 months!

bw_hunter

I guess I'm not sure what you're seeing/feeling.id the circular looking stuff? If so, that's sometimes possible with a bad head gasket...you have coolant attacking the bore surface. Most times that will hone out easily without having to replace the engine. You can even do it in place if you pull the pan and pop th pistons out.

I know I don't agree with your assesment of GM engineers...you have a twenty yer old engine with an unknown maintenance history and a failed head gasket. That doesn't sound like a design problem to me and I think I might know a little about that as I have a couple of Jaguars (which are engineering nightmares). If you think you'd be happier with something else you should move in that direction as soon as you can....

zkummer

Thanks for the advise, I guess it's the same deal in the old brit stuff...gasoline washing the oil away so it can't lubricate...except gasoline is more slippery than coolant I guess.

As for the engineers, I wasn't only talking about the optispark strapped to a slightly modified 1955 engine in a 1996 car (it should be said, if a Toyota engineer put a distributor cap behind a water pump they would make him do Seppuku). It is also where the driver side cat is, how the EGR tube is on the top of the engine but the bolt is on the bottom side of the tube, how you have to remove all the plastic below the battery plus the air dam to get a wrench on the bottom transmission line going into the radiator, and a whole list of other things.

For the record, I'm a couple of classes away from a degree in mechanical engineering. I don't mock engineers lightly and I know stuff can be hard to predict in 3 dimensions even with solid modeling software and simulation...that's why we still make prototypes. Mistakes are easy and perfection is impossible. That said, the most credit I can give to the engineers that designed this engine bay is to assume they were very lazy...that's slightly better than incompetent from a certain angle.

Sorry for the rant...like I said, very close to an engineering degree and while I'm no veteran of the field, I know that a dedicated 2nd year (maybe even 2nd semester) student could have done better and that really bugs me.

Injuneer

Might be time to buy a Toyota.

bw_hunter

I still disagree with your assesment even though I am no engineer. You're looking at the 25 year old design from the purity of today's classroom and not involving the practically of manufacturing. That EGR tube you speak of...the bolts are easy enough to get to even if you can't see them...is super easy to assemble before the powertrain is married to the body. The location of the second cat...the drivers side one..wasn't thought of (or needed) in the original design and packaging is what led the engineers to place it where they did. The trans coolant line is another example...ease of manufacture is king and the plastic isn't really much of a deterrent to repair.

I'm not trying to change your mind, just suggesting that there is more to the story.

If you still find the engineering in these, and other GM cars, detestable, you really should buy something else. Preferably new and keep buying new so you can stay exactly current with the latest engineering.

Congrats, in advance, on the engineering degree...

zkummer

Thanks, and yes I understand all that...priorities are what they are. I'm not judging by modern standards...I'm judging by late 80's/early 90's standards. If I was judging by modern standards, I'd complain that they had a distributor at all. I'm not saying all GM is like this, I had an '84 El Camino that, while not perfect, really was a lot better about these kinds of things. The car I drive when the firebird is dead and the hands are too dirty for the camaro is an '06 Trailblazer...that 4.2L is downright wonderful and really my only complaint is that I had to replace the radio to get the key buzzer to work...if I could find a cheap, low mile 06+ LL8 (the year the power went up) I'd seriously consider putting it in my Camaro, maybe the firebird as well. BTW...are you serious about the cat? Not being sarcastic here...but if there is a story about how they thought a car released after 1975 wouldn't need cats (or only on one side?), I'd love to hear it.

bw_hunter

I wasn't being sarcastic at all. The f/body v8 came with a single cat in the original design. That was packaged under the passengers feet. When they had to go to two cats they had to fit it under the existing car. That's the packaging issue I mean...

zkummer

Ah...thanks for that. Sure...aftermarket does the same thing a lot better, but that was probably the cheapest solution so I guess it makes sense from that angle.