My Flat Tappet Cam Wiped Out So I Decided To Go Roller

[Supercharged111]

I got my headers wrapped, maybe this will help reduce engine compartment heat, save the plug wires, and boots.

I watched a recent Engine Masters episode where they compared painted, ceramic coated, and wrapped LT headers. The wrapped headers ran so much cooler on the outside than the others. As far as Torque and Horse Power, no advantage from either of them, the power curves where almost identical.

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Next get you some of these, I want a set for my dually bad.

RunCool Hood Louvers - Hood Vents For Your Vehicle - Cool Your Engine

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Also, are you running the wimpy 28" radiator or the real man's 34" unit?

 

[Schurkey]

I've got wrapped headers on my boat.

Remember that header wrap may cool the engine compartment, but it's REALLY hard on the headers themselves.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Next get you some of these, I want a set for my dually bad.

Yeah, I was looking at something similar, that's a good deal, then get a cowl induction setup too

Also, are you running the wimpy 28" radiator or the real man's 34" unit?

I've been running a 3 row all aluminum rad since I started getting overheating issues ~4 years ago. It's the same overall dimensions but a little thicker. I haven't had any issues with it. I'm just thinking about IATs.

Remember that header wrap may cool the engine compartment, but it's REALLY hard on the headers themselves.

Yeah, I've heard that, I just wonder if it will be so bad out here in the desert.

 

[98 Nitro]

My A.I.R. (AKA Smog) pump's bearing is feeling a little rough so, I looked around for a replacement, no joy! They're NLA plus, I no longer live in CA, my truck is exempt, all the pipes and pump are ugly, and always get in the way! I posted earlier about the M22X1.5 plugs and ordered a serpentine belt which will (hopefully) bypass the pump. In the past I've always tried to order Gates belts and hoses. Here's what I found online at OReillyAuto.com - it has "Made in China" all over it plus here's how it was packaged

The belt and a return order sticker,

Shipping a lot of A.I.R. there huh?

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Bought a Gates belt recently too for my 98 350, mine says made in Mexico. I am curious if anyone makes a USA made belt anymore.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Bought a Gates belt recently too for my 98 350, mine says made in Mexico. I am curious if anyone makes a USA made belt anymore.

Honestly I do not know that made in the USA is any better. In the case of my Jegs "Made in the USA" head bolts they failed miserably. Total garbage.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

I also threw away a ~ 4 year old mower with a USA made engine.. The cam sprocket was made of plastic and disentegrated. They wanted more for the replacement camshaft than the mower was worth. My 30 year old tiller with a flat head Briggs I/C runs great. I think a Honda powered mower would have been better than a current day Briggs.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Honestly I do not know that made in the USA is any better. In the case of my Jegs "Made in the USA" head bolts they failed miserably. Total garbage.

Yeah, I've been following your thread on that. I used Summit Racing head bolts on mine, lubed the bottom of the bolt heads and sealant on the threads, torqued at 70 (3 steps). So far so good but, my heads are "as cast". Maybe that gave me enough friction to reduce torque on the bolts?

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Yeah, I've been following your thread on that. I used Summit Racing head bolts on mine, lubed the bottom of the bolt heads and sealant on the threads, torqued at 70 (3 steps). So far so good but, my heads are "as cast". Maybe that gave me enough friction to reduce torque on the bolts?

I just put the driverside head on this afternoon. ARP studs torque per their instructions from 10-15 years ago. 65 ft/lbs rather than the 80 ft/lbs that they now call for using the same material and stud set. I questioned the 80 ft/lbs when I read it. Did some google searching and far too many people are yanking studs out of OEM blocks at 80 ft/lbs. The late Joe Sherman even said 65 ft/lbs. Good enough for a pro engine builder and who I would say the father of the cheap 383, good enough for me. He was so against 80 ft/lbs from personal experience he posted it twice in the same thread. Even with broken bolts the head gasket seal was intact. I was not blowing coolant out of the radiator from combustion gases. Just a little coolant on top of the head from the comprimised bolts.

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[L31MaxExpress]

I 60 grit sanded the bottom of the washers, used ARP lube and torqued in 3 steps to 65. 25, 45, 65. I will re-torque 65 in the morning after I make sure the gasket is compressed over night. Unfortunately a retorque once it runs is out of the question. I re-torqued the Jegs bolts after I ran it on the stand. Now that it is in the van, too much of a PITA to tear the headers and valve covers back off. The Felpro 1003s should not really compress much if any; anyway with a pre-flatened steel ring in them.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Yeah, I've been following your thread on that. I used Summit Racing head bolts on mine, lubed the bottom of the bolt heads and sealant on the threads, torqued at 70 (3 steps). So far so good but, my heads are "as cast". Maybe that gave me enough friction to reduce torque on the bolts?

I have looked at alot of info new and old. One thing I noticed is ARP and others recomeended a 5 ft/lbs reduction with aluminum heads, 10-15 years ago. All of a sudden 70 ft/lbs is what they want to use. ARP, Jegs and apparantly your Summit bolts are showing 70 ft/lbs. The old ARP instructions show 65 ft/lbs for both bolts and studs with aluminum heads and 70 ft/lbs with iron heads. I know aluminum expands more than cast-iron when it gets to operating temperature. Perhaps my bolts breaking were a combination of being overstressed from a washer spinning like a bearing as well as the aluminum expansion further fatiguing the already over-yeilded fastner. That high strength material is both strong however brittle at the same time. I did not know about the washer potentially spinning and those remaining bolts were TIGHT, the threads creaked and crunched as they released. I am not a hardware engineer. At the end of the day I would rather replace a head gasket if it fails in the furture than pull the threads out of my block. For me that means 65 ft/lbs and say a prayer to the Chevy Gods that it holds up. Since yours is torqued to 70 ft/lbs, might as well leave it. The gasket is already compressed to match 70 ft/lbs worth of crush. Reducing to 65 would require pulling heads and replacing said gaskets, IMO not worth it. Hopefully you have better luck with those Summit bolts than I did with the Jegs. Truth be known I think ARP makes both of the house brands.