camarokid24

1. I think they are 1/2 or 9/16 cannot remember for sure it has been a long time sense I have messed with them.
2. If they stay together well without the tabs I wouldn't worrie but if they don't you can allways zip tie them together.

mvnatedog

I almost got the intake manifold off today, it's completely disconnected from everything and all of the bolts are out, but I can't pull it off. I tried prying it, and the thing won't even budge. There isn't anywhere where I can get a screwdriver between the intake and the block to pry it apart, and I've tried prying up on the intake on an overhanging area, but I'll I've done is almost bend my screwdriver. Any suggestions for getting it off?

SS RRR

You need to buy yourself a set of prybars. On the very outer edge, perhaps where you were typing about you can wedge a small prybar between the intake and head and tap it in using a rubber mallet. I don't like using screw drivers for machined surfaces as soft as aluminum.
Others have claimed to get a long prybar, stick it into one of the throttle body ports and pull up. I don't like that method either because you have to stuff a rag into the plenum to protect the manifold from being gouged by the sharp end of the prybar. Besides it takes more energy to pry the intake off rather than using a more energy efficient leverage technique as described above.

mvnatedog

Thanks for the advice on prying the intake manifold, I'm now all the way down to the head bolts. I've now cracked two sockets trying to get the head bolts off, are they supposed to be this difficult? My guess is that I'm doing something wrong. I'm using a 1/2" socket, it's not metric correct? Some of the bolts are starting to strip, so I want to make sure I don't mess them up before I get them out.

SS RRR

I would only use Craftsman or Snap on six-point sockets when it comes to head bolts. Remember you always feel more resistance loosening a torqued bolt than tightening.
I don't remember what the correct head bolt size is if it's stock. Perhaps someone will chime in...

mvnatedog

Thanks, we managed to get them off finally.

So when I pulled the #7 plug, coolant POURED out of the spark plug hole. Guess that was the source of the smoke

Question is, since the problem seems to have been with the driver's side gasket, should I even bother with pulling the passenger side head? We've pulled two of the plugs from that side, and they were clean and dry; we're going to pull the other two tomorrow. If they are also dry, should we just leave that head alone? Reason I ask is that we are having a lot of difficulty with the exhaust manifold on that side. Thanks for all the help so far, I'm almost there...

Denny McLain

I'm running the thinner .015 gasket frankly due to the fact I didn't have my block zero decked as it would have taken at least a month to get my block back. My wife didn't know I was redoing my combo and wanted to keep it that way.

In the past I've been super **** about the little stuff and replacing things exactly like the mfg said. Starting thinking watching hardcore racers at the track basically tear their engines apart at the track, throw them back together and haul butt using a ton of nitrious.

The last time I reused my head bolts. Don't think reusing them another time makes as big of a difference as the mfg wants ya to believe. Better safe than sorry?? If you got the budget.... why not, but a lot of guys with a lot of years experience seem to not mind reusing them.

mdacton

Denny what gasket are you running? I would like to find a thinner gasket than the 1074 fel-pros the 1094 gasket is for a SBC.....can you use that and put the right holes in it or does someone make a .015 LTx gasket?

mdenz3

I'm geussing the racers you saw were using the ARP bolts which are designed diferent and don't strech.

CANTONRACER

The Felpro 1094 can be used on an LT1. The water passage holes are blocked partially and can be opened up.

mdacton

o.k. thanks......thats what I was wondering, just open up the holes a bit? From what I could see in pics it looks like only the ones by the valley need a little works

Denny McLain

It was the Felpro 1094. Took a dremel with a cut saw blade and opened up the water passage putting some silicone around the area just to be safe. Also sprayed a thin coat of copper sealant just to be sure as the gasket is pretty thin and Felpro says you need special machining of the surfaces or they won’t seal properly.

I will say one thing, stretch bolts or whatever……those ARP bolts some tuff MFs. For some reason one bolt would not come out regardless of what I did and even ended up trying to use my torque wrench as a breaker bar as it was the longest I had. Tried a standard impact wrench and it had no effect so I got pissed and bought the biggest and badest impact wrench I could find. After dicking with it for a whole day it didn’t work either and the head finally stripped so I ended up drilling it out. Two days later and $40.00 in drill bits, finally got the head off. It was the one in front that's sunk down and you couldn’t get to it. Damn, talk about a simple job made hard!!

Man, I got to fire that mechanic.

Godly96_SS_Here

Just to jump on this one, i have my own question. Is it easier to r&r head gaskets in car? or drop the engine out the bottom? I'm just wonder cause i have to do this same thing here in the near future and i'm dreading it. anything to make it smoother would be best. what do you guys think?

Godly96_SS_Here

I have another question actually, i am on an extreme budget. So i believe i am going to get the ARP head bolts, but i will not be able to take the Heads in for surfacing or valve job. will this be a problem? also this car has 197,000 miles on it and if it goes then o well. i just want to get it running.