problems after head gasket install please help

94blksc

Registered User
I did this project over 3 days and after i finished i have been experiancing some problems.... first under boost, it bucks like a bronco (misses like crazy) and second it's starting to overheat. Now the overheating i think i got, i put the radiator cap on after puting about 2 gallons of coolant in it without running it and getting the air out of it. I have some theory's on the boost problem.... i'm pretty sure it's a fuel flow problem but i have some question's to figure it out. Is there an electrical connection to the FPR or near there and could i have hooked the vaccum wrong. i'm sure i'll have more questions thanks in advance
 
There is a vacuum line that goes to the FPR. If you weren't experiencing this problem before the HG's though that probably isn't your issue. What did you use to seal the IC tubes?
 
Did you put on new plug wires or reuse the ones that were on there?

A lot of times when you get "bucking" under boost it is due to bad plug wires.
 
Did you make certian to install both headgaskets with the tab marked "front" towards the front of motor. Doing it correctly would result in one side having the blue stripes printed on the gasket facing up on one side and down on the other side. Should look like this when installed correctly.

http://www.sccoa.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=24388&d=1168627314

Backfiring/bucking under boost is usually caused by a bad plug or wire. If they were old wires they were probably damaged just removing and reinstalling them. Also check that they were put back on in the correct order. Some of the repair manuals have the cylinders incorrectly identified on the coil pack drawing. This drawing is correct.

PlugandWireLayout.jpg



David
 
i didn't use anything to seal the ic tubes.... the plug wires were on the car about a week before the head gasket job.... and i'm 99% sure that the gaskets were put on correct... here's a question.... the gasket set i got (bought it from car quest) stated that it was for 3.8L exc. SC however when we looked through the books it had the same part # the only difference that i saw was the intake gasket (had one for upper intake manifold instead of SC) is this a problem are the gaskets thicker or something
 
feel pro or something like that, i'm at work right now so i couldn't tell ya off the top of my head
 
dude, you need to make sure that the FEL-PRO headset you bought matches the part number on the link to my picture mentioned above by DAVID, If it doesnt than your screwed! Guess what! your going to have to do it all over again, take off the heads, re-surface the engine deck, take the heads to get a re-surface and spend the the money on the SC FEL-PRO headset....
 
Hey David if the tranny does'nt kick into over drive right the boost would be off right

Richard,

Sorry...I don't really understand what your asking.

AOD transmission shift points are more a function of the shift govenor and TV cable position relative to transmission input and output rpms. Doesn't really matter if you have boost or not, but having boost would get you to those rpms quicker than without it.

David

PS: I thought you were banned....did George decide to let you back in ?
 
Get some IC gaskets.....

They insure a good IC seal and they are re-usable over and over again.....:D

I have them on all my SCs.....
 
ok they were carquest brand but they matched up to the old set in everyway... why would the brand of gaskets mattered if they were the same.... just a question not being condensending after all this is the first SC i've ever owned
 
welp...3 times you been told you need to seal those IC tubes with gaskets...believe it or not this is huge!!..and will make a world of difference. there are no short cuts with these cars as you will learn if you stay with them. Also you need to replace the plug wires because that will also cause the problem your having. especially under WOT (wide open throttle). My advice would have been to find someone close by knowlegeable about these before you did something as in depth as a HG job especially if you are new to these cars. I've been into this for 7 years now and I still have to ask question after question.....Uh...Right Eddie..:D
 
ok they were carquest brand but they matched up to the old set in everyway... why would the brand of gaskets mattered if they were the same.... just a question not being condensending after all this is the first SC i've ever owned

I don't think the brand of gasket makes much difference, but installing them correctly does. If either side was not installed with the tab marked front towards the front of the motor, the cooling passages will be blocked and the motor will overheat.

Were new head bolts or studs used or were the old head bolts re-used ?

David
 
sorry for my short reply's i'm at work and i have limited time on the computer... I will be getting IC gaskets, where would the best place to get these be and does anyone have a part number.... it looked like the tubes were sealed last time with teflon tape (plumbers tape). I'm sure that the HG's were installed right... man i didn't know that a car could be so finiky... also there is a 2 prong connector tward the back of the car on the driver side it's got a firewall mount "thingy" (plastic push clip) i cannot seem to find the mate its maybe an inch to 1.5" long by maybe 1/4" wide. Does anyone have a clue what it goes to. It is sitting right behind the driverside head gasket cover. And yes i used new head bolts. Especially sense the prior ones were WAY over torqued... talking breaker bar with cheater wrench to loosen these. who ever worked on it last seemed to half @$$ the job the rockers were finger tight, along with the lower intake manifold... it was in sore shape.
 
manifold bolts seem loose when you always unbolt them, i dont know why but they always do.... anywho, if you dont get the ic gaskets use some silicone and wait for it to dry up real good..
 
sorry for my short reply's i'm at work and i have limited time on the computer... I will be getting IC gaskets, where would the best place to get these be and does anyone have a part number.... it looked like the tubes were sealed last time with teflon tape (plumbers tape). I'm sure that the HG's were installed right... man i didn't know that a car could be so finiky... also there is a 2 prong connector tward the back of the car on the driver side it's got a firewall mount "thingy" (plastic push clip) i cannot seem to find the mate its maybe an inch to 1.5" long by maybe 1/4" wide. Does anyone have a clue what it goes to. It is sitting right behind the driverside head gasket cover. And yes i used new head bolts. Especially sense the prior ones were WAY over torqued... talking breaker bar with cheater wrench to loosen these. who ever worked on it last seemed to half @$$ the job the rockers were finger tight, along with the lower intake manifold... it was in sore shape.

Suggest using Permatex Copper RTV "orange" to seal the IC tubes. The electrical connector your describing sounds like the one that goes to the driver's side o2 sensor.

David
 
driverside o2 sensor if i'm correct was a white connector and i did get that one it's higher up.... right behind the fuel rail and valve covers i'll try to get a pic soon i know they can be worth a 1000 words
 
There's a couple of guys on here that make a reusable set of IC gaskets one is Tin-Knocker105 (Tony) he still has a couple of sets and they work fantastic. You can use them over and over numerous times. I have had a set for several months now and had my tubes off no less than 6 times and resealed them with no leaks. Best thing since sliced bread if you ask me...no mess no goo no fuss....;) Plus they are really inexpensive I cannot speak highly enough of these things...so I do every chance I get..:D
 
found the sensor connecton

hey y'all sorry it's been a while but i found where the connector goes... it hooks up to the egr monitor :rolleyes: ... anyway i now have another problem... i'm getting compression into the cooling system :mad: i also noticed that the gaskets it had on prior were identiacal to the new ones but the new gaskets were not fel-pro... anyway more to the point i didn't gasket match the cooling ports i believe that is one of my problems now but i'm still worried that there's a problem of why there's compression getting into the cooling system... i noticed this because i started the car with the radiator cap off and coolant spewed out like old faithful :rolleyes: . Now this was not a problem prior to me changing out the head gaskets so i do not believe that there would be a crack in the cylinder wall, there was however some water in the pcv :mad: , so looks like the heads are going to get the complete rebuild they need. But anyway i'm going to completely tare into it and figure out where i went wrong... and this time probably try to upgrade a few items as well :cool: .
 
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