This is long, but bear with me
I just put some E7 heads, a HO cam and upper intake on a '87 thunderbird shortblock (basically made a HO engine). Now I'm having some problems. This is the first time I've had heads or a lower intake off (I'm a newbie).
After I got the engine running, it over heated a few times (Air in the system).
Compression is only 105-115 across all 8 cylinders (20 year old compression tester though, I dunno if those go bad or not). The shortblock has 100,000 miles on it. The heads I bought used and ported lightly, and did an old-school valve lap job on them (spin the valves in their seats with grinding compound)
There is coolant in my oil (I think). I took off the valve covers to check to see that I tightened the rockers correctly, and the inside of the valve covers were covered in a milky substance. I wiped it off, and changed the oil. now there is some of this milkyness at the tip of my dipstick, on a fresh oil change.
The torque wrench I used is old and out of calibration, when it should be at zero the needle is pointing at 10, so I just factored that into all my torquings. The needle seems to move smoothly, I'm not sure if this is part of my problem or not.
I put all the head bolts at around 80 pounds (I didnt't use thread sealer or rtv on any of the bolts, should I have?)
I didnt put any rtv around the water passages of the lower intake gaskets, but I did put some blobs at the four corners where the cork end-gaskets meet the intake gaskets.
I installed the lower intake following the correct tightening sequence, but I did it with a small 3/8" ratchet rather than with a torque wrench, I did it by feel. Possibly a problem?
The engine starts right up just fine, but it doesn't seem to have a whole lot of power, in fact it isn't any faster than it used to be with E6 heads and a small camshaft (rated at 150hp)
Can coolant mix into the oil at the timing cover gasket? it doesn't seem to be leaking externally.
I think I'm going to pull off the lower intake and heads, can I get by re-using the gaskets? (I really dont have any money right now). Should I pull the heads right off the block, or just loosen all the ehad-bolts and re-torque them?
I pulled out all the spark plugs and they all still look brand new (Just put them in yesterday when I finished putting the engine back together)
Before I changed the heads and cam the engine never overheated, ever, even in ther blazing summer.
Anyone have any tips/insight/advice? This is driving me crazy!
I just put some E7 heads, a HO cam and upper intake on a '87 thunderbird shortblock (basically made a HO engine). Now I'm having some problems. This is the first time I've had heads or a lower intake off (I'm a newbie).
After I got the engine running, it over heated a few times (Air in the system).
Compression is only 105-115 across all 8 cylinders (20 year old compression tester though, I dunno if those go bad or not). The shortblock has 100,000 miles on it. The heads I bought used and ported lightly, and did an old-school valve lap job on them (spin the valves in their seats with grinding compound)
There is coolant in my oil (I think). I took off the valve covers to check to see that I tightened the rockers correctly, and the inside of the valve covers were covered in a milky substance. I wiped it off, and changed the oil. now there is some of this milkyness at the tip of my dipstick, on a fresh oil change.
The torque wrench I used is old and out of calibration, when it should be at zero the needle is pointing at 10, so I just factored that into all my torquings. The needle seems to move smoothly, I'm not sure if this is part of my problem or not.
I put all the head bolts at around 80 pounds (I didnt't use thread sealer or rtv on any of the bolts, should I have?)
I didnt put any rtv around the water passages of the lower intake gaskets, but I did put some blobs at the four corners where the cork end-gaskets meet the intake gaskets.
I installed the lower intake following the correct tightening sequence, but I did it with a small 3/8" ratchet rather than with a torque wrench, I did it by feel. Possibly a problem?
The engine starts right up just fine, but it doesn't seem to have a whole lot of power, in fact it isn't any faster than it used to be with E6 heads and a small camshaft (rated at 150hp)
Can coolant mix into the oil at the timing cover gasket? it doesn't seem to be leaking externally.
I think I'm going to pull off the lower intake and heads, can I get by re-using the gaskets? (I really dont have any money right now). Should I pull the heads right off the block, or just loosen all the ehad-bolts and re-torque them?
I pulled out all the spark plugs and they all still look brand new (Just put them in yesterday when I finished putting the engine back together)
Before I changed the heads and cam the engine never overheated, ever, even in ther blazing summer.
Anyone have any tips/insight/advice? This is driving me crazy!