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1997 Black GTP - Soon To Be Thumping.

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Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

Well I can't really check. My whole engine is put back together. I don't want to take the valve covers off again. Lol I'm lazy.
 


Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

Dan, If you read up on HS, you'll find they are good rockers...but if you didn't assemble them properly the issues over time aren't pretty.

As for being LOL too lazy. It's your motor that you are risking. Be lazy about pulling a valve cover or be lazy about a motor swap, because you were lazy.
 
Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

BillBoost37 said:
Dan, If you read up on HS, you'll find they are good rockers...but if you didn't assemble them properly the issues over time aren't pretty.

As for being LOL too lazy. It's your motor that you are risking. Be lazy about pulling a valve cover or be lazy about a motor swap, because you were lazy.
Click to expand...

This.....quit being lazy or run at your own risk. Great rockers though....with revised pedestals I ran a set for over 100k with zero issues.
 
Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

How about this.

I reassembled the whole car, primed it and on the first start, both head gaskets are leaking. Car barely runs.

Sucks, a lot.

Did something wrong on my first head gasket job ever.

For now it is sitting in my garage and I don't want to work on this moment.

It's getting towed to a shop over the weekend to get fixed by Andrew. (I'm sure a lot of you have heard his name, master 3800 mechanic in the Grand Rapids area).

Since I have a kid on the way, Andrew is redoing it all for me for $300. I'll she'll out the money now, and not have to worry about it in the long run. I'll even mention the dots to him as well.

Now get off my back... There's a reason I'm not pulling the valve covers, cause it a getting all redone, professionally.
 
Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

You're no fun.

Brandon can take jokes.

I told him specifically to double and triple check the head stud nuts because there was a torque sequence AND order to the studs. When I heard you just snugged them down and the car was chugging and spewing white smoke, I knew no one listened. We tell you these things for a reason. But nope, my azzhole~ish advice, apparently goes in one ear and out the other. Use PTFE paste to seal the studs. Then there is a three/four step process that you MUST follow to correctly seal them. Sucks that it happened, but this will just show you that if you'd pay attention, you wouldn't have had to tow it to Andrew's to fix a SIMPLE issue that could have been easily avoided and saved you $300.00+.
 


Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

I didn't know it was messed up. Sorry to hear that. Glad to hear you'll have it addressed though. Last thing I like seeing is a guy that has a motor grenade on him.
 
Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

blueguy said:
You're no fun.

Brandon can take jokes.

I told him specifically to double and triple check the head stud nuts because there was a torque sequence AND order to the studs. When I heard you just snugged them down and the car was chugging and spewing white smoke, I knew no one listened. We tell you these things for a reason. But nope, my azzhole~ish advice, apparently goes in one ear and out the other. Use PTFE paste to seal the studs. Then there is a three/four step process that you MUST follow to correctly seal them. Sucks that it happened, but this will just show you that if you'd pay attention, you wouldn't have had to tow it to Andrew's to fix a SIMPLE issue that could have been easily avoided and saved you $300.00+.
Click to expand...

Nobody ever told me about the head studs. Three/four step process, sequence and order to them, nothing. All I did was listen to the directions, and it said hand thread into block. Which I did. Well later down the road, when trying to installing the headers, it kept hitting the head stud and that's where the issues came. Simple mistake, that cause a big issue? Absolutely. Do I take full responsibility for it? Indeed. But you know what, I'm honestly glad I attempted doing the head gaskets. Never done it before, and it all it came down to a small flaw that ruined it all. The experience I personally gained was great. Come from not changing my own oil a year ago, to doing a head gasket all alone in my garage. I've come along way. I'm no BillBoost or blueguy by any means, but I've made progress, and a lot of it.
 
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Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

Kudos to you Dan. That's more than I can say I've ever attempted.

Good luck with everything going on in your life right now. It'll all work out in the end.
 


Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

I appreciate it Danielle!

Just have to try and keep my head high. One way or another, it will all workout.
 
Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

This is 3800land where nobody ever ever makes a mistake.........

Hate to tell you but now that youve posted it people will be saying dont be like that guy......

Sorry dude me personally id fix the fvcker myself out of spite and be pissed at myself until it was right.
 
Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

DanPrixGTP said:
Nobody ever told me about the head studs. Three/four step process, sequence and order to them, nothing. All I did was listen to the directions, and it said hand thread into block. Which I did. Well later down the road, when trying to installing the headers, it kept hitting the head stud and that's where the issues came. Simple mistake, that cause a big issue? Absolutely. Do I take full responsibility for it? Indeed. But you know what, I'm honestly glad I attempted doing the head gaskets. Never done it before, and it all it came down to a small flaw that ruined it all. The experience I personally gained was great. Come from not changing my own oil a year ago, to doing a head gasket all alone in my garage. I've come along way. I'm no BillBoost, Daniel Smuts, or blueguy by any means, but I've made progress, and a lot of it.
Click to expand...
Fixed :D
 
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Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

I fixed my car until it was right BC I was pissed like you said. Then I sold it
 
Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

TEK310 said:
I fixed my car until it was right BC I was pissed like you said. Then I sold it
Click to expand...

Damn I felt like that lol but then I said f*** it im not giving up "eye of the tiger" lol

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
 


Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

Theaceofspades said:
Like!
And Dan I wouldn't worry about it. Your getting a good deal. It's getting out of the way. The car will be finished done right and hopefully reliable when your kid comes
Click to expand...

At least someone understands.

Whether redoing it myself or having a professional do it, all came down to the price. $300 to have it done, is worth it to have it done right and reliable for many for miles to come when my baby arrives.

And yes, I am beyond upset that the car didnt work right, I've contemplated redoing it myself, but for how much of a deal I'm getting, I'm just going to stick with that.
 
Re: 1997 Black GTP, The Final Project.

Now, since I did take some pictures along the way, I'll still post them.

Starting the tear down:




Front head off. That was the easy part, it was the rear head and headers that gave me nothing but issues:


No chipped pistons:


Completely disassembled:




My work space and pile of parts:


Stock heads and valves. Looks to be the cause of my issues. One of the valves wasn't fully seated either:


Doing some painting. If the car doesn't run, at least it will look good doing so:


ARP Head studs in. Or so I thought... This is what caused me the most issues since the front studs werent driven in far enough and kept hitting the headers on the front and rear, which ultimately ruined my head gaskets. Since I was getting sick of working on the car, and one stud on each head kept hitting the headers, and the heads were fully assembled, instead of pulling the head, I just removed the one nut and drove the stud in farther, which ended up ruining my gaskets:


Old head gaskets:


My block is actually painted black. Didn't think they came black from the factory, so made me think, sometime in the past someone has changed the block or worked on this before:


Coming together with new parts:










And this is how it sits in my garage as of now:
 
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