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Topswap gaskets etc?

Sheepdog

Sheepdog

New member
So a friend might hook me up real soon with an 02 gtp with 97k miles for next to nothing for a topswap and parts. I was wondering if I'd need to get new gaskets and everything (my car has about 57k miles on it now) and should I just buy a kit with new gaskets/orings/bolts etc. like the one they sell from zzp? (ZZ Performance)

It's $250 and I know zzp have always been a little high, but if you guys think it would be a good idea i'll go for it... I just know some of the bolts are a one time use thing, so I dunno. Just wanting to know what I'm up against.
 


wasn't there a recall on some of the gasket's you would be replacing with this? i can't remember which one, i really want to say the front valve cover gasket had been leaking and causing fires. the price is high, but it's probably something you really should do. at least look around for a cheaper kit.
 
You need to replace all the gaskets when you do the top swap.. why go through all that work to only find a leak afterwards?
 
Okay. So is there any other kits around that are still good quality but cheaper than zzp? I'll look around in the meantime.
 


All the gasket kits now come with the aluminum intake gaskets. You need to get a head gasket kit for a top swap. I would recommend head studs over just new bolts, they can be reused and make putting the heads on a lot easier.
 
Whoa, zzp is selling head studs for $80. they're just bolts.... argh. I'm thinking this might be a little more than I want to spend. I mean, it's not like I'd be stripping it down to the block every other weekend.
 


I'd go with factory TTY bolts. You know they'll work as they work in EVERY car they are in. All my LSx stuff gets TTY hardware.

Just my .02...
 
i liked having the studs because it was way easier to line up the gaskets and the heads. you can also tighten them down more than the stock TTY bolts if you want.
 
Sheepdog said:
Whoa, zzp is selling head studs for $80. they're just bolts.... argh. I'm thinking this might be a little more than I want to spend. I mean, it's not like I'd be stripping it down to the block every other weekend.
Click to expand...

If you do it one more time it would have been worth it to get head studs, trust me been there done that. Wasted $30 on bolts the first time then got smart and dropped the $80 for head studs.
 
head studs are the way to go specially if the head needs to come off for any reason better to spend a little extra now then a lot more later
 
So would these make the install a lot easier then? Ugh, didn't factor in all these extra costs when I was planning the swap...
 


ARP Head studs
L67 Head gaskets (Felpro? not sure which are best)
L67 TB gasket (ZZP or wherever)
Supercharger gasket (garlock? felpro?)
Supercharger coolant o-rings (ZZP)
L67 LIM metal gaskets (ZZP is cheapest)
L67 Valve cover gaskets (felpro)
Valve cover grommets (felpro)
Coolant elbows
Supercharger oil (wouldnt hurt)
 
So if I just got the head studs and the zzp topswap kit, I'd be good? The only thing from warbeaver's list that I didn't see in it were the valve cover grommets... would I be able to reuse them from the donor l67? I kinda looked them up and they sorta look reusable, but then again I have no idea what I'm talking about... ha
 
go to the local parts store and get the gaskets, i think everytime i put my top end together i had less than 150 in gaskets, of course i just reused the VC gaskets.

as far as the grommets go, i reused mine and was fine. hell paypal me 30 bucks and ill send you a set of vc gaskets and grommets only 4 hours old haha
 
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