Builds The Trail Snail Build | Above Average Overlandish (1 Viewer)

[SmokingRocks]

On a completely unrelated not, what brand is that green tool roll you have in the above picture ?

It's a bucket boss tool roll from amazon

 

[bryanb]

Also Ordered;

- Replacement Knock Senser
- Exhaust Stud and Nut Kit
- ARP Supra Stud Kit

You'll probably just need to back the studs out about 3-4 turns from bottom in order to get full purchase of the nut on the top side of the stud.

Great thread! Hope the HG project goes well!

 

[SmokingRocks]

Monstaliner kit ordered

 

[SmokingRocks]

really they are too short? will they not engage the short block fully if I back them out?

 

[bryanb]

really they are too short? will they not engage the short block fully if I back them out?

If you seat the studs completely into the block, the nuts will be about 3-4 threads short of full engagement... at least that was my experience on my '97. Some people freak out at the idea of simply backing the stud out 3-4 turns to compensate for this. The reality is that it is not critical for a stud to bottom out in its bore so much as it needs to have an engagement of at least approximately 150% it's diameter (widely considered to be a safe margin for cast iron). In other words, a 7/16" diameter stud (such as ours) should have an engagement of at least 21/32". On a 1.5 thread pitch stud (such as ours), there are approx 17 threads per inch. Therefore, we need to have a minimum of about 11 turns/threads of engagement. I found that it was about 19 turns to seat the stud completely into my block. I then backed it out about 3-4, leaving 15-16 turns of engagement, easily exceeding the 11 needed.

By the way, the ARP nuts probably only have around 8 threads if I recall. It's likely that the metalurgy of those high end nuts exceeds that of our blocks, but I was very comfortable having the stud engage the block about 2x the engagement of the ARP supplied nuts.

Just my humble opinion. If my motor blows up, I'll let you know.

 

[SmokingRocks]

great info thanks @bryanb

 

[SmokingRocks]

Failure was at cyl #1. Near the PAIR system hole... Can I still pass emissions without the Pair system? Seems like it put a lot of heat in that area.

Dash coming out.

more of the po's great wiring

the bolt behind the drivers side vent drove me nuts till I found it.

This one behind the coin tray holding the passenger vent on also got me.

Anyway I took way more bolts and screws out than the FSM called for. Its a good guide but just take your time.

Also you need to unbolt your ECu. Can anyone tell my why my ECu has been man handled by JET???????

RIP my trusty old Petzel headlamp... She's served me well and will be missed.

Done for the night.

 

[bryson]

You mention the HG failure was near the PAIR system hole on cylinder 1... I'm confused because the PAIR system does not tie into the head at any point (except for maybe mounting holes?) No PAIR air is introduced into the head - air is pulled from the air cleaner housing, then is injected into the exhaust stream at the outlets of the exhaust manifolds. No way that PAIR system can be a cause of excess heat in or around the head. Interestingly enough, that's near the same spot my 96 (no PAIR) head gasket failed.

As far as passing emissions without it, it depends on your local county and state laws. Here in Salt Lake County UT, we aren't allowed to modify emissions systems at all, let alone remove them.

 

[SmokingRocks]

OK well there is an exhaust pass through right in this area. Is this more EGR??

In the second picture directly to the left of the failure point is the hole in question.

 

[half k cruiser]

Failure at #1 and or #6 seems to be the most common two areas from what I've seen and heard on the earlier 93 94 trucks. The wife's 94 failed at #6 and had underscored the fire ring with pitting. How's the blocks mating surface look ?

 

[SmokingRocks]

Harness out

polished the short block

is this clean enough?

 

[SmokingRocks]

Removed the ABS system

 

[bryson]

OK well there is an exhaust pass through right in this area. Is this more EGR??

In the second picture directly to the left of the failure point is the hole in question.

The hole (or more appropriately the spot on the HG that blocks off the hole) is a coolant passage/water jacket. No exhaust gas runs between the block and head at any point.

The EGR runs behind cylinder #6 through the back of the head. The rest of the EGR circuit is externally piped until it enters the intake manifold.

As far as the block surface, it looks clean, but pitted from the pictures. Is that the case? I am certainly not one to say whether or not it looks OK, but if it is pitted as badly as it looks I'd seriously consider having the block decked. Or, at least having a machine shop give their opinion on it.

 

[SmokingRocks]

I stopped by the machine shop today and shared the photos with them. They highly susgested that I have the block decked.

So I've decided to have the block decked and bored. Also they will swap the new piston heads on, new rings and at a minimum polish the crank.

this just keeps getting more and more expensive.

 

[bryson]

I stopped by the machine shop today and shared the photos with them. They highly susgested that I have the block decked.

So I've decided to have the block decked and bored. Also they will swap the new piston heads on, new rings and at a minimum polish the crank.

this just keeps getting more and more expensive.

But just think how nice it will be when it's all done!

 

[scottryana]

I think if you wanted to check the deck for straightness you could have done so with a good solid straight edge and determined if you needed to deck it. I a not saying the machine shop can't tell, but from photos there really isn't any way to know. If the block was flat, straight and true, you likely could have just tossed a new OEM gasket on there.

Checked the bearing clearances with plastigauge and I know others have rolled new bearings into the bottom end while it is in the truck.

I am not saying this is the right way to do it, but in stock unstressed form, I think this would be good for a long time.

 

[SmokingRocks]

Thanks @scottryana I've never taken a whole engine down before so this would be a serious undertaking for me. Im not as worried about the flatness as I am the extreme pitting. I will take some high quality pictures tonight of each cylinder and post them up.

But from what I noticed there is pitting in the fire ring mating surface on the exhaust valve side of all the cylinders. When you run your fingers over the block you can certainly feel the pitting.

I'm sure I could just have the block decked and leave the bores alone but if its already down that far IDK why I wouldn't just go all out.

 

[scottryana]

Yeah I agree, it is only money!

 

[SmokingRocks]

I spent almost all of the 4th of july cleaning up the auxiliary wiring and pulling in the new harness.

All od the switch and stereo wiring now runs in a single loom behind the steering column. A common positive and negative will be brought into a comon busses under the center gear shift area for switch power. These are the busses on order:

 

[bryanb]

I stopped by the machine shop today and shared the photos with them. They highly susgested that I have the block decked.

So I've decided to have the block decked and bored. Also they will swap the new piston heads on, new rings and at a minimum polish the crank.

this just keeps getting more and more expensive.

Don't forget the Cometic MLS head gasket (assuming you also milled the head) You can order it in whatever thickness it takes to restore the factory combustion chamber dimensions. That, with your ARP studs, and you're set. Never need to retorque. Never another head gasket failure. Ready for 20lbs of boost!