96LT1TX

OK sorry for caps but I am very pissed off. I just drove 300 miles yesterday from Lubbock, TX to Dallas, TX. I noticed an oil leak on the way home, due to the low oil light that came on. I put another quart in there, and kept going smelling oil burning off my exhaust. I just took it into a shop and they think that I have a blown head gasket and a leaking intake manifold. Sure I did do the work myself, and this time w/out help while re-installing them. But I do know that I did it exactly the way I was told w/ the head and it is really hard to mess up on the intake manifold (unless the head is installed wrong). I put the gasket down, then torqued each bolt to the first tq spec in order. Then I went to the second tq spec, and then it was done. I do not see How I could have messed up doing this... the shop tells me I was supposed to mill the head before putting it back on. Wouldn't this have to be done to both heads? and wouldnt that change the lift #s and such of the valves and you would have to watch for the piston-valve clearance? I really am ****ing pisssed after being told it could cost me 1200$ or so if they have to take off the head and regasket them both. I did all this ****ing work myself so I wouldn't have to pay the mechanics, or I would have had them do it in the first ufcking place. Any advice is helpful, they are starting on it now, and will tell me when they get the intake manifold off and can see where the leak is.

thanks,
Eddy

NAZTLT1

From what I understand it is a good idea to have a machine shop check the heads for true flatness and yes, if necessary, have them milled. There could be warpage that is not visible to the human eye that could cause things not to seal up correctly.

shoebox

If it is running ok and just leaking oil, I would say your head gaskets are probably ok. Pinpoint the leak and go from there.

96LT1TX

thats the thing, I took it to a MACHINE SHOP had them check install heights of the springs and I told them "Check EVERYTHING so that I do NOT have to do this again" 4 times and then this **** happens? I spent 100$ cleaning the head, checking install heights, and had them install a new valve that was bent.

yes shoebox, you are always helpful; I watched the people "check" for leaks and they put a mirror back behind the block and we know it was coming from the top of the block, either heads or the intake manifold. I am hoping to death that it was just that manifold since even though they will rip me off on the install charges it will come nowhere near the head install charges.

The ****ty part is today is my mom's birthday and tomorrow is Easter and I have a physics test on tuesday, these are the reasons I am not doing the work myself... I am starting to think I should have though.

shoebox

The thing about it, as far as oil leaks go, there is no oil that is under pressure in the head. Only oil that is draining back toward the pan.

RicocheT

Like shoebox said if its running ok its probably not the heads.
I'm wondering if you did not put enough silicon on the front and back of the intake? They give you those pieces to put back there but I usually put a generous amount on the top of it. (stick it down, put a good bead on top of the gasket and make sure you get the corners). I've put a couple of intakes on and hadn't had a leak yet (well lately ). Anyway if you put some around the ports it just needs a very light coat there.

96LT1TX

that is surely a great thing to hear. They were saying that since I put on the head that it would probably be leaking (made me real mad right off the bat) then he went on to brag about his 625rwhp LS1 and how his mechanic (who is working on my car) did all the work. I am not doubting their skills, but they should not doubt mine only because I am not a certified mechanic. I will hope that it is not the head so I can save a few hundred bucks. Thanks again shoebox, really appreciate it
will post when they call me!

Zack

if you removed the oil dipstick tube(and put it back ), is it back in all the way? mine wasnt, and when trying to get it to run, i noticed fresh oil around the block where the tube goes in

96LT1TX

actually, ever since my headers that dipstick tube has given me troubles. It doesnt fit right around my headers and I really need a new one since I have bent this one to hell and back. Does anyone know a good aftermarket dipstick tube? I want a very flexible one that i can bend to what I need it to look like... That would be a great thing to get done while someone else is doing it Zack, I have done the intake manifold like 3-4 times in the last 6 months and this is the first time I have had a problem, but I am thinking the same thing as you. The reason being this is the first time i did it by myself and I was in quite a hurry to get the car running, and I did do the intake manifold in the dark. I was thinking that if this was hte problem though, wouldn't it have cracked a leak like 400 miles ago? I had driven for 400 miles after the re-install of the heads, then yesterday i drove another 300 and that is when the problem happened...

thanks again,