If the head gasket is blown, will it be visible after pulling the head?

[4gfun]

Thanks so much for helping me out. I'll report back once I get the dowels out. Hopefully I can achieve .003 or less at the block.

I must say that your 90 degree trick worked out great. The pistons are all in the same spot more or less.

I pulled your pics up on your PB account, and zoomed in.

Yes where the fire ring distorted is where the gasket failed.

Like a head the flatter the better, so you want .003 or less warp in the block. If you find .003 of warp in the block, it should come out and be decked.

This link shows how to remove the head alignment dowels.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/new...r-how-clean-block-deck-pistons-installed.html

If you use this procedure, one thing I left out was plugging the oil feed hole.

Well I have some tough decisions to make. I got one of these:

16" x 24" Steel Square

and one of these:

Feeler Gauge - 32 Piece, SAE/Metric

I am getting .006 in some places on the block if I put the T-Square on it's edge.

When I tip the t square edge on it's side, I can't get more than .003....not sure if that is cheating.

I would try the extension, but I don't have a piece of glass handy. Maybe I could put it against a mirror to be sure.

One of the review on the feeler gauge says that it is not accurate. You did say to get a decent set of feeler gauges.

It might be worth going to NAPA to get this figured out. If I need to get this block decked it is part out time. My GVR4 needs parts.

***Well I used my glass front door to my house against the t- square and noticed that the t square easily allowed .003 at the same point where my block is "warped".

Let this be a warning to anyone who tries to use that particular T-Square for this purpose.

****Got myself a piece of glass and at no point on the block did it exceed .003....YAAAAY!

 

[91-GS]

That square is for carpenters, they usually don't need to be very precise. Thus the tool is not made to be "perfect". What you need is more like this: Heavy duty combination square. They are usually used in machining and metalworking and therefore are made straighter.

Also when you go to get one, take to of them and put them against each other. Hold the two to a light so you can see if there is a gap between them. Mix-and-match as many as you can like that until you find the straightest one. Found one that way that was within 0.002 from "perfect"

 

[4gfun]

Awww man, I wish I would have gotten that. Oh well, I lost $10 bucks on a cheap T square that I used a die grinder to cut in half. Thanks for the pointer!

I am just beside myself that at least the block isn't warped. Next stop, check the cylinder head out. I can live with whatever happens to the head as compared to having to have the block decked right now.

That square is for carpenters, they usually don't need to be very precise. Thus the tool is not made to be "perfect". What you need is more like this: Heavy duty combination square. They are usually used in machining and metalworking and therefore are made straighter.

Also when you go to get one, take to of them and put them against each other. Hold the two to a light so you can see if there is a gap between them. Mix-and-match as many as you can like that until you find the straightest one. Found one that way that was within 0.002 from "perfect"

 

[91-GS]

I lost $10 bucks on a cheap T square that I used a die grinder to cut in half.

Surely you'll find some uses for a good size ruler like that. Don't think of it as a complete loss.

BogusSVO, isn't it possible to use sandpaper on a long sanding block and sand the gasket surfaces to look for imperfections? If so, what would be best grit 'paper to use?

 

[4gfun]

Well it is Harbor Freight stuff so I'll be ok.

I guess that will serve as a reminder to be careful in that area and I am thankful that you showed me an alternate just in case. Although I think I will be using that piece of glass I found for life until I crack it accidentally.

You are right, he does have a link on preparing it but not sure if it was intended to show imperfections but that may very well be a side benefit.

Surely you'll find some uses for a good size ruler like that. Don't think of it as a complete loss.

BogusSVO, isn't it possible to use sandpaper on a long sanding block and sand the gasket surfaces to look for imperfections? If so, what would be best grit 'paper to use?