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crate engine head gasket questions

MassMan

MassMan

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so, it turns out my K5 has a blow head gasket. it's not too bad (there's just enough sweet white smoke to be noticeable), but the dist/wires should have been replaced years ago and there's clearly some timing issues as well, so i figure i'll do this all in one fell swoop. the catch is, i've never done anything more challenging than an oil change, and i'm very confused as to what i need to buy.

looking at sites like jeggs, there's such a selection of head gaskets for 350's, i don't have a clue as to what i need. same goes for intake gaskets, etc. i've been slowly figuring out what i'm actually working on, and that's making things more difficult for me. it's a GM goodwrench crate 350, holley carb, holley street dominator intake, plus a pile of unidentifiable no-name stuff. other than the carb's "5" year number, i have nothing to go on in terms of age. i was told it had 30k miles, but the dist looks like it's seen at least 150k. :confused:

so far, it seems like the gasket choices are based on engine year, which i don't think applies here, and they specify thicknesses and bore sizes, which i have no clue about. the intake gaskets even have open and closed heat crossover port versions.:dunno: anybody have a clue about what i have and what will work? feel free to give too much info, i'm sure i'll need it sooner or later.:o

also, when i pulled the distributor, a thick rubber gasket fell onto the engine, apparently out of the hole. it was C-shaped and wet with oil. all the pictures, diagrams, videos, and catalogs i've seen only list the little paper gasket, which i have, and not one that goes deeper. anybody know that this is, or was i just hallucinating? hopefully i can get some pics in here over the weekend...
 
Go to your favorite parts store and pick up a FEL-PRO Headset. If you ask for the "head-set" it will come with all the gaskets you need. Make sure you get the "Felpro No-retorque Head gaskets" with the set. It'll be your best way to go money wise and quality wise. Just tell them what engine you have and they can set you up.
 
350 crate engines had lots of problems with blown head gaskets. Mostly the ones with the steel shim type. Like listed above get Fel-Pro head gaskets and go 65lbs. torque and forget em!
 
wow. that's almost too simple. do i have to worry about the intake gasket i get with one of those head-sets, or do they all match my intake?

anybody have a clue about that mystery gasket that appeared with my distributor? i'm kinda afraid to put everything back together if it's from deep inside somewhere. it was about 1/4" thick, and the ID matched the dist shaft pretty well. i can't find it at the moment, but i'll keep looking. the next post will hopefully include pictures, if i can figure out how to post them...
 
Ha, I moved recently from Greenfield. Went to school with a few people from leverett. And of course miss the Hanger for wings.. still haven't found any better...

/hijack

as for the gaskets, another in favor of the Fel pro, perma-torque. should be hs7733pt1 or something along those lines if I remember right.
 
Ah, yes, the Hanger. Being a student at UMass, it's hard to stay away from those wings, but studying comes first when you're a junior engineering major!

I'll see if the parts store has the Fel Pro's in stock on monday. it's nice to talk to someone local online. thanks for the help, everyone! i'll try to keep updates coming (and maybe some pics if i scrape up the cash for a membership this week!).
 
Could the mystery gasket be a broken piece from the original distributor gasket?
Drop the oil pan and find it.
 
i dunno, could be. seemed more circular and "meaty" to me. still, can't hurt to play it safe and have a look. anything i should worry about when pulling the pan? for instance, what kind of gasket/seal does it have?
 
ok, i got the gasket set. after explaining what a crate engine was to the woman at the counter, and convincing her that just because the gasket set says it fits 87 to 96 350/5.7's it would fit the one in my 85, she reluctantly sold it to me. i also had trouble getting her to sell me a th350 pan gasket and filter, because the only engine listed with the th350 is a 305 (what my truck came with), and she wouldn't accept that i could have a 1985 350/th350 combo. jesus. anyway, it's a Fel-Pro head set p/n HS7733pt-15, for anyone who cares. we'll see if it fits.

it came with a few packs of valve stem seals. should i replace them too? and if so, how? i was hoping not to disturb the valves in this job, just to make things easier the first time around.
 
Unless your getting the classic blue puff at startup I wouldnt bother with the valve seals. Also your heads should have an exhaust gas recirc passage but I couldnt tell you if your intake does. The exhaust gas recirc just circulates exhaust gasses through a passage under the intake to warm the engine up faster. Is it needed, no, but with that in mind and since its getting colder you may want to keep it for greater driveability while the engine is cold.
 
ok, i'll hold on to the valve seals until i need them. that's the one thing not broken on this truck, and i'd prefer not to mess with them.
 
ok everyone, so i got a membership just a few minutes ago, so it's time to show off the newest, and largest, money-eating project. the first three pics are from right after i got it home and put the doors on. you might notice the bumper sticker-esque sayings written in magic marker on the tail gate and the free-hand iron crosses on the fenders. my friends had fun painting over those and the more profane (and racist) writings on the inside. some people just can't respect a vehicle. :mad1:

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yeah, i know that the plug wires and the rest of the ignition stuff is just draped across the engine, i just stuck everything back on to keep it all together until i have time for the tear-down. hopefully more pictures (and progress) will come after i go on winter break.

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I noticed the head set you got was for 87-96. Your engine is a pre 87. The head gaskets and intake gaskets may work. The valve cover gskt won't and other misc gaskets may not. Looking at my books at work, a HS7733pt3 may better suit your motor.
 
so, GM crate engines from the 90's are pre-87 style? huh. well, i'll try to return the set and get the correct one, but i might just end up trying this and seeing how it goes. so, anyone care to enlighten me on the differences between the engines? i figure, the more information i get about this thing, the less i'll have to pester you guys about it.
 
one other thing, i need new wires and a distributor, so i've been shopping around. so far, i've heard good things about this pro-comp, but the price is so low it worries me: :confused:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CNT6WK/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A2C7MWD4NXB9Z3

and then, there are plug wires. i have MSD streetfire's right now, but a few are melted on the headers and the contacts feel like they're about to break off. the MSD streetfire web page has a PDF that lists part numbers for every vehicle/year/engine combo out there, and there is a selection of ~1985 blazer wires. my question is, i have found a set of #5554 wires on amazon with free shipping (yes, i'm that cheep), but they are listed for older 350's and 305's of my truck's vintage. the ones recommended for an 85 350 are #5568's, which don't have free shipping. even if money wasn't a concern, i'm curious what the differences are between the wires. there has to be enough of a difference between an 81-82 350 and an 83-85 350 for them to make a separate model. and for that matter, am i even looking at comparable engines to mine? what wires does a crate 350 with unknown year use? :dunno: here's the streetfire guide:
http://www.street-fire.com/street_fire_wire_app_guide.pdf

also, don't think that i'm bent on getting streetfire wires, they just seem to be the cheapest around. thanks for putting up with my questions, i'm just afraid to make a parts purchase when i know so little about what i'm fixing.
 
i seriously doubt the plug wire sets are much different and I bet you could hardly tell them apart.
 
so, GM crate engines from the 90's are pre-87 style?
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You're reading too much into the "year" of your engine. Doesn't matter what year that engine was built. What matters is what is bolted on the block.

Looks like you've got a carbed 350 with perimeter bolt valve covers and standard gm HEI coil in cap distributor.

http://www.summitracing.com/search/...vy-small-block-Gen-I/?keyword=hei+distributor

http://www.summitracing.com/search/Make/CHEVROLET/Part-Type/Spark-Plug-Wire-Sets/Engine-Type/V8/Engine-Size/5-7L-350/?keyword=hei+spark+plug+wires&Ns=Price|Asc

I buy a lot from Summit Racing. Good search function on their website, prices are right, they have a ton of stuff, and it ships quick. Also, ask a lot of question here. I don't know a whole lot, but have learned a bunch of over the last 4 years here. Still an engine noob though.
 
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