Dumb is as Dumb does (exaust valve / head gasket replacement)

Your ownership experience sounds AWESOME!!!!!!!!

Don't be too worried about the engine out. In the long run it will save you time. On a carb car it is super easy and plan on one day out and one day in. While out you will have such incredible access that you'll get those two days back quite quickly. The biggest thing is to be disciplined and not to get carried away with creating a concours car. Regardless with the engine out you can clean in ways that are otherwise impossible and take care of a lot of hoses and bits that are otherwise near impossible to do.

 

If you still have the plastic cam pulleys I would check to make sure they aren’t cracked at the fences or de- laminated from the steel hub. I just ran out of adjustable square tooth pulleys but still have a few sets of modern HTD/GT2 pulleys that let you push belt changes to 9 years or 60k km.

 

I understand your concern and you're right, pulling the engine is absolutely going to lead to mission creep and all of the "while I'm in here" scenarios that you can dream of. My issue was a leaking head gasket and it was #4 cylinder so I could have gone the route you are considering but ultimately decided against it and it took me 18 months to finally get it all done but I enjoyed doing it,learned a lot and have no regrets with my decision.

Still, everyone's situation is different and it's your decision to make. You could start by trying to pull the 1-4 head off in-situ and see how it goes. There will be no harm if you decide to change course and pull the whole lump out after all.

 

So sometimes, not very often, I get lucky. This morning I removed the cams, water manifold and misc hoses. Then the head stud nuts, boy were they tight. I was concerned one of them might break, however, all was fine. Tried nudging it with a dead blow hammer, didn't budge. Used a couple of wood hammer handles under the corners and it popped off with no problem.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

No corrosion on studs at all.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

All four exhaust valves bent. You can see feeler gunge under and tick marks. Pistons and liners look great, no other apparent damage. So I'll be ordering parts this weekend.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Guess I won't be saving heat shield. Bottom part is actually melted.

 

Oops clicked on wrong button. Probably due to miles and miles at full throttle on obscure highways in Utah and Montana.
Melted heat shield Image Unavailable, Please Login .

 

Here's what all the fuss is about. Looks better than it is but after all 40 + years and 70K miles.
Derek how do I get in touch with you about some exhaust valves and seals.

Barry



Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Considering the ... circumstances, you did get lucky with the head. Buy some lottery tickets yet?

 

Yeehaw! Like I said my heads came off with no problem too and I went through the same anxiety convinced that it was going to be hell.

But it wasn’t.

 

The melted shields are the result of rich running or whatever caused your valve problems...

Kind of s shoulder shrug thing really, I have melted them and blown them to bits.

Its asbestos leaking out so watch that detail..

 

It wasn't running rich. The valve problem, 4 bent exhaust valves, was caused yours truly and it never ran with the bent valves. i think the melted shield is a combination of it coming loose at the collector end and laying on the header plus long stretches of running at full song.

I will be cutting the hear shield off, I will be careful of the asbestos, and if they look ok walnut shell blasting and coating the header with header paint. Actually VHT makes a "ceramic" header coating for DYI but the curing cycle is pretty ugly. If I notice a significant temp problem, like it sun burns your face or melts my wife Sonia's cosmetics, when I open the deck lid I'll probably use header wrap.

Anyway it is a relief that the head came off so easily.

Barry

 

The insulation is really to keep the heat IN the header, not so much to protect the under hood environment.
It combined with the air injectors to "continue oxidizing" unburned HC in the exhaust paipe.

Euro cars never used it.
You won't be transporting chocolates in the trunk either way....

 

Glad to hear you got lucky! I might too when I tell my wife I might be selling more parts from the boxes cluttering up my office My email is derekrwhite at yahoo-com

I love that colour— surprised I do but I think my taste is changing (hope it’s not Covid19)

 

... tell me your valve shim sizes. I can send them a few thou longer or shorter to allow for future wear. The seats wear faster than the tips, tappets, shims, and cams.

 

Thanks so much Derek
I've got "honey do" thinks this morning. I'll check in via e-mail after a bit.

Barry

 

Decided to clean up the engine compartment this morning. As far as I know all is original.
Taped plastic sheet over exposed cylinders, plugged various openings with paper towels and tape.
Used Walmart engine degreaser, purple power in both spray bottle and power washer with purple power and lots of elbow grease with brushes, scotch bite and of course the old standby rags.

Getting started.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

After

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

While removing the remains of the water manifold gasket I discovered that the two studs that are wet have O rings on top of the gasket with a relief in the manifold. I assume they are to prevent coolant migrating up the studs? Number 26. While removing the water manifold the connecting large water hoses literately crumbled in my hands even though they never leaked. Based on that I plan to replace all the water hoses even the miserable long heater hose. I've read a couple of detailed threads on the heater hose and it seems to be a real pita. Any suggestions or advice would be welcome.

Thanks

Barry

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

One suggestion: remove the gas tank.
The other suggestion you did not do was ... remove the engine.

 

See what he said.

 

I have changed that long heater hose that runs through the driver side rocker on my 82 GTS. I removed the driver side fuel tank as Mitchell suggested above, attached the new hose to the existing hose , Applied Dawn dishwashing soap with a paper towel and it slid completely through with ease. Pulled it from the back forward. I certainly wouldn’t want to try it with the tank in place. 2cts

 

Thanks Guys.