Northstar Head gaskets

[xjfish]

Anybody have any tips for doing these? Doing my first 4.6 jobber on a '98 SLS. So far major PITA . I did not want to take this job but it seems my boss thinks otherwise.. I have the engine/trans (wiring harness is going to be a blast to put back in i'm sure), ABS, AC crap, valve covers, starter, alt, waterpump/crossover passage, shitload of brackets mounted to the heads, ect. pulled and will probably be removing timing chains/heads and whatnot tomorrow.

Any tips or comments? Not something i really want to screw up and redo at ~20hrs book time...

[5.0stang85]

do you have the thread repair tool? when you pull the heads off it takes the threads with it, its a $400 tool. better have a good machine shop look at the heads to...

[SmithEvo]

Talk to 95whitestang... he just did some of these for KrisR

[xjfish]

do you have the thread repair tool? when you pull the heads off it takes the threads with it, its a $400 tool. better have a good machine shop look at the heads to...

No, I do not. I was under the impression that this doesn't always happen? Usually? I'm not personally buying the tool, i suppose I'll end up borrowing or renting one... I am going to have the heads sent in for sure.

Edit: F*ck it. I'm going to push for sending the block in also for timeserts.

[xjfish]

Talk to 95whitestang... he just did some of these for KrisR

Ah thanks, thought i remembered him posting something a while back.. I just might have enough work tom so i can hold of till next week while i gather some info.

[KrisR]

Talk to 95whitestang... he just did some of these for KrisR

Yep. Nick did it for me, and did a great job at an excellent price!

[95 whitestang]

You really need to get that thread insert tool if you are going to do the job correctly. Most likely you will have at least 1 thread pull on an engine that old. The inserts are pretty easy to do as well, just a little time consuming. Once you repair a couple of those northstars, they really arent that bad to work on.

[5.0stang85]

you bet my friend (merkerguitars on here) did it on his dads deville the tool works great and had woodville pro machine go through the heads..

[xjfish]

Pulled the heads yesterday and sent them to a the local Napa machine shop to be gone through. I don't think any of the threads "pulled out". If they do is it pretty obvious? There was a few chunks of aluminum that came out on a couple of the head bolts that concerns me a little but nothing that looked too scary. Cleaned them all out with a tap and they all have threads...

[95 whitestang]

REPLACE ALL HEAD BOLT THREADS NOW OR YOU WILL REGRET IT LATER!! And im serious. I promise you if you dont do it, it will come back eventually. I usually just go borrow the tool from the dealership and buy the thread inserts from them.

[purple_50]

REPLACE ALL HEAD BOLT THREADS NOW OR YOU WILL REGRET IT LATER!! And im serious. I promise you if you dont do it, it will come back eventually. I usually just go borrow the tool from the dealership and buy the thread inserts from them.

Agreed!! I have done many of these at the dealer i work at. They may look ok, but once you start tightening the headbolts down they start pulling out. So i would highly highly recommend doing the thread inserts!! It's worth the extra time in the long run!

[xjfish]

Agreed!! I have done many of these at the dealer i work at. They may look ok, but once you start tightening the headbolts down they start pulling out. So i would highly highly recommend doing the thread inserts!! It's worth the extra time in the long run!

PM replied

[kineda]

goddamn those motors are the biggest piles of shit ever.

[95 whitestang]

I would like to build one and install it in a Fiero.

[SmithEvo]

I would like to build one and install it in a Fiero.

F that.