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We started today by installing the heater thermostat (2 bolts), and wanted to move the bolt that have the vent clips into the right holes (4 bolts). A few had mentioned to keep going and pull the head. So we did. What we found was alot of soot even to the point of scales falling off. We thought it odd that 3 valves were open and 3 appear shut but this is a case of piston position. Any suggestions on how to clean the head? Was thinking a soft wire rotary brush. I have to go to NAPA and get a head gasket and someone had mentioned a copper based sealer for the bolts/gasket. Many of the bolts are rusty so I was going to soak them in remover. I also need to read up on draining the anti freeze out of the block.

Hello Knatrtass, I would brush the bolts using my bench grinder with soft brush attachment wearing gloves and eye protection. I would hand wire the head surfaces. And nof course torque the head bolts using correct pattern and torque values using the 4 pass method...Peter Mark

knattrass wrote:We started today by installing the heater thermostat (2 bolts), and wanted to move the bolt that have the vent clips into the right holes (4 bolts). A few had mentioned to keep going and pull the head. So we did. What we found was alot of soot even to the point of scales falling off. We thought it odd that 3 valves were open and 3 appear shut but this is a case of piston position. Any suggestions on how to clean the head? Was thinking a soft wire rotary brush. I have to go to NAPA and get a head gasket and someone had mentioned a copper based sealer for the bolts/gasket. Many of the bolts are rusty so I was going to soak them in remover. I also need to read up on draining the anti freeze out of the block.

Since you have the head off, the wise decision would be to send it out for cleaning & surfacing. Any local engine machine facility can perform this service, many NAPA stores offer this service as well.

Thoroughly clean the block deck. Use aerosol Copper-Coat on the new gasket & Permatex HIGH TEMP thread sealer on the bolt threads. Torque in sequence per the manual, recheck torque after the engine has been run a few hours.

Draining the block can be a pain. There is a pet cock on the drivers side of the block behind the generator. If its not stuck open it and watch the antifreeze drip all over the place. When I first drained my block I had to clean some crud from inside the petcock to get it to drain....
Rick

Charles - what can I say? Thanks. Larry here aimed me to a local machine shop who will surface correct and clean for $40. I'll drop over to NAPA for the copper spray and gasket. I have the hi temp thread sealant you prescribed from my earlier work. The bolts have varied degrees of rust which I planned on soaking off in a phosophoric wash and will plan on a good application of thread sealant. I opened the stop cock on the driver side of the engine and no coolant came out. I figured I would remove it and see what happens - maybe a pipe cleaner? Sounds like after I get the head back on a good power flush of the coolant system might be in order?

Iv'e always invisioned the cleaning of the cooling passages of an engine by circulating an acid of sorts; this coming from my refrigeration water cooled condenser / heat exchanger cleaning background. Knattrass, How do you clean the insides of these engine cooling passages and all? Peter M

knattrass wrote:Charles - what can I say? Thanks. Larry here aimed me to a local machine shop who will surface correct and clean for $40. I'll drop over to NAPA for the copper spray and gasket. I have the hi temp thread sealant you prescribed from my earlier work. The bolts have varied degrees of rust which I planned on soaking off in a phosophoric wash and will plan on a good application of thread sealant. I opened the stop cock on the driver side of the engine and no coolant came out. I figured I would remove it and see what happens - maybe a pipe cleaner? Sounds like after I get the head back on a good power flush of the coolant system might be in order?

Usually when the drain passage is plugged, someone has induced healthy portions of stop leak at some point. Makes me uneasy every time I find this because you know a leak has been a problem at some time. Who knows, was it the radiator, a freeze plug, a cracked block, etc. You will likely have to prodd it out, we've had a few that were so hard it took running a drill bit into the crud to break it loose. A thorough steaming of all passages along with some good steam cleaning compound while the head is off would be wise. Removing the water pump & distribution tube would be a very wise move also since you have found the crud factor. Steam out everything very well with all drains open. We remove the drain cock from the block, place the steam wand over the hole & blast till all passages run freely & vise versa.

Charles - a quick check shows the area between the 1 and 2 cylinders about .003" off, enough to see a slight carbon trail between the 2. Could be the cause of smoke. Should be cleaned and surfaced by Friday. Thanks.

knattrass wrote:Charles - a quick check shows the area between the 1 and 2 cylinders about .003" off, enough to see a slight carbon trail between the 2. Could be the cause of smoke. Should be cleaned and surfaced by Friday. Thanks.

This is typical with the 230 engine, a blown head gasket would have been a problem in the near future. Good you caught it now & are solving the problem before being let down on the road.

yes, you saved yourself some fun. I'll have to post the pictures of my former headgasket. Previous owner said he heard a bang, and diagnosed the problem with a slipped timing chain. we pulled the front end off, corrected some problems, timing chain was fine. We did a compression check, and pulled the head. There was 1 inch of headgasket missing completely between the 1&2 cylinders. It was leaking in almost every other cylinder. That would explain why it wasn't working right.

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Lots of cleaning to do. Bought the Felpro kit of gaskets

While you have your head off (scuse me, your truck's head), you might want to go ahead and get your valves ground and all of that stuff. Or find a friend that knows how to do that and have him do it.

Here's the head gasket I replaced.

What's with the "food service" gloves? I'm fumble-fingered enough, already. If I put those on my hands I wouldn't be able to hold a wrench, let alone pull on it! Oh! One other thing -- gasoline and carb cleaner will dissolve those mittens, so I'd suggest taking them off before doing any work on the fuel system.

I understand that the copper head gasket needs the spray, but do the int/exh manifolds need the spray or do they install "dry" with no gasket adhesive/spray?

knattrass wrote:I understand that the copper head gasket needs the spray, but do the int/exh manifolds need the spray or do they install "dry" with no gasket adhesive/spray?

The intake & exhaust gaskets get a generous coat of Copper-Coat aerosol as well.