Just got the heads off, now I have some q's

Hi:smile:

This is my first post. It's a pleasure to be part of this forum and community! I'm a new aspiring backyard mechanic with not much experience. I have 3 cars, 2 volvo 740 wagons and my chevy malibu. It's been fun learning how to fix up my cars!

Last weekend I finally got the heads out of my 2002 3.1L Chevy Malibu with 207,000 miles. This car is a beast and has taken me cross country and back more than once. Here are the symptoms as to why Im doing work on this car: My car was overheating, and even without a thermostat, radiator fluid would not pass through the engine and would leak down the left side (opposite the water pump), where the lower intake manifold and heads meet. I diagnosed that I need new intake gaskets.

Since I found out it's not much more work to get to the head gasket, I decide to get a FelPro Headgasket up kit. I got the heads out this weekend, and am getting the heads back from the machine shop tomorrow.

I have some question and some pics to help illustrate them. Any and all comments are welcome and much appreciated

Is there a readiator drain plug on the engine block? I drained the system through the radiator drain plug, but it obviously didn't help much
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=43549&stc=1&d=1311206415

As you can see, there a whole bunch of orange crud in the different holes and ports. If flakes and solids go into the holes, how do I get it out??? How/should I clean that stuff out?
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=43548&stc=1&d=1311206415

Here's a closeup of the cloudy orange junk in the block. Is this normal? Should my engine block look like this?
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=43547&stc=1&d=1311206415

Here's the big question. I broke 3 head to exhaust manifold stud bolts. The machine shop is retapping the holes. I've looked online for replacement bolts but have been unsucsefful. Where can I get more of these bolts? Can I just buy bolts a little shorter than the length of the bolt pictured up to the stuck nuts?
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=43550&stc=1&d=1311206415

Thanks everyone for the help! If you have a sec please let me know your general impressions of the condition of the engine.

Hi:smile:

This is my first post. It's a pleasure to be part of this forum and community! I'm a new aspiring backyard mechanic with not much experience. I have 3 cars, 2 volvo 740 wagons and my chevy malibu. It's been fun learning how to fix up my cars!

Last weekend I finally got the heads out of my 2002 3.1L Chevy Malibu with 207,000 miles. This car is a beast and has taken me cross country and back more than once. Here are the symptoms as to why Im doing work on this car: My car was overheating, and even without a thermostat, radiator fluid would not pass through the engine and would leak down the left side (opposite the water pump), where the lower intake manifold and heads meet. I diagnosed that I need new intake gaskets.

Since I found out it's not much more work to get to the head gasket, I decide to get a FelPro Headgasket up kit. I got the heads out this weekend, and am getting the heads back from the machine shop tomorrow.

I have some question and some pics to help illustrate them. Any and all comments are welcome and much appreciated



Here's the big question. I broke 3 head to exhaust manifold stud bolts. The machine shop is retapping the holes. I've looked online for replacement bolts but have been unsucsefful. Where can I get more of these bolts? Can I just buy bolts a little shorter than the length of the bolt pictured up to the stuck nuts?


Thanks everyone for the help! If you have a sec please let me know your general impressions of the condition of the engine.

they are called stress bolts and it is recomended to buy them.

There is a block drain plug on both sides with a V engine, just how accessible is the ?.

Green coolant needs to be changed every 2 years or crud forms, the anti-corrosion package wears out.

There is a block drain plug on both sides with a V engine, just how accessible is the ?.

Green coolant needs to be changed every 2 years or crud forms, the anti-corrosion package wears out.

Hi,

Thanks for the input. I just cleaned the block surface today and I'm ready to put the heads back on.

I'd really like to drain the coolant out of the engine before I put her back together. Could you tell me the location of the coolant plugs? My car is sitting in my backyard (on top of grass), so I can't lift her up. I do not see a drain plug.


Thanks!

your looking for a drain plug bolt hexagon head.should be in the center a few inches down the block.with the heads exhaust out of the way you may be able to see from the top.its about a 14-15mm in size. it looks like the old type/green anti freeze in there but the dexcool is what it had from the factory,maybe they were mixed causing the sludge? make sure you flush the system good when put it back together.the engine does'nt look to bad,but dont let the anti freeze sit in the cylinders. change the oil again in a few hundred miles.

Hi:smile:

This is my first post. It's a pleasure to be part of this forum and community! I'm a new aspiring backyard mechanic with not much experience. I have 3 cars, 2 volvo 740 wagons and my chevy malibu. It's been fun learning how to fix up my cars!




Welcome to AF!

I hope you cleaned all of the coolant out of the cylinders, they will rust very, very quickly once exposed to water and air.
It's best to fill the bore with empty rags soaked in a little oil to protect them, or once you have cleaned them out with a rag, cover the whole block.


The orange stuff is coolant that has solidified.
That's not too bad for an engine with that many miles on it.
I wouldn't worry about it, other than to scrap out what you can.

The front coolant drain plug should be right near the back of the stater. The exhaust manifold bolt in the picture is a stud and nut. A dealership should have them or be able to get them. Or use bolts of the same thread with lock washers if you can't locate any. I have never heard of a stress bolt but the head bolts are "torque to yield" bolts and should be replaced.

You might need all new head bolts, if stretch head bolts are OEM.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e50/twabelljr/oildrive.jpg

While you are here , I highly recommend changing the oil pump drive o-ring. (circled in red) They leak oil quite badly when the seal gets hard.