DOD FAILED. CAM THOUGHTS

[decembersend]

You can probably fix your DOD for under $500, and never have it happen again.

Oh I know I could but while I’m in there why not add power?

 

[decembersend]

Everything is now ordered and I’m just playing the waiting game now. Thank you to everyone that helped.

I will start a build thread once all parts are on. I plan to get video too and will post links to YouTube

 

[hagar]

Everything is now ordered and I’m just playing the waiting game now. Thank you to everyone that helped.

I will start a build thread once all parts are on. I plan to get video too and will post links to YouTube

Yeah buddy!! The most paramount things about doing the job are to get all of the coolant out of the head bolt holes after head removal.. blow them out until nothing comes out, then clean the deck surface of both the head and block with hand power 1000 grit wet/dry sand paper lubed with wd40. Then when everything is spotless, blow the holes out again with compressed air, then clean the head and deck surface up with brake Clean on a non shedding rag. When it comes to the cam install, it is Mega Common to miss on the vvt phasers to camshaft dowel. I will even admit to doing it once because failure is part of life. Try try and try again to make sure the cam phaser is for sure located on the cam dowel while being timed via the indicators like a traditional engine. If you have any questions, just ask!

 

[hagar]

Yeah buddy!! The most paramount things about doing the job are to get all of the coolant out of the head bolt holes after head removal.. blow them out until nothing comes out, then clean the deck surface of both the head and block with hand power 1000 grit wet/dry sand paper lubed with wd40. Then when everything is spotless, blow the holes out again with compressed air, then clean the head and deck surface up with brake Clean on a non shedding rag. When it comes to the cam install, it is Mega Common to miss on the vvt phasers to camshaft dowel. I will even admit to doing it once because failure is part of life. Try try and try again to make sure the cam phaser is for sure located on the cam dowel while being timed via the indicators like a traditional engine. If you have any questions, just ask!

Don't use any traditional scraping tools or razors or scroch bright pads on LS blocks or heads, especially the aluminum blocks. The metal head gaskets are a machine gasket finish that requires under 18 micro inches of cylinder surface flaw to seal perfectly. I believe technically 800 grit sand paper is right at 18 micro inches of surface finish, but I always use 1000 grit to be safe. You will find yourself spending an honest 1.5 hours per side between the block and head.. but it is honest work that can only be matched by machining that 70 percent of machine shops can't finish at. Labor of love and such. Lol

 

[hagar]

I would just do the CHE trunnion upgrade on your stock rockers. It is super easy to install with no press or vice needed and then you KNOW it won't fail. It's only $220.

Everyone used to do the comp trunion upgrades as well, and I have heard of so many more comp trunion upgrade failures than stock gm failures. The problem with factory parts failures is that they have millions of examples on the market.. do you think if Che or comp or anyone else had a million sets of ls rocker trunions on the market, they would have less failures than gm?

I think GM has their drag pack car up to like 8200 rpms now, and they still run stock rockers. 7 thousand rpm zr1s running stock rockers. The guy is running a .600 lift cam... I have never in my entire life of like 200 ls3/l92 headed combos with stock rockers, ever seen one come apart.

 

[hagar]

Everyone used to do the comp trunion upgrades as well, and I have heard of so many more comp trunion upgrade failures than stock gm failures. The problem with factory parts failures is that they have millions of examples on the market.. do you think if Che or comp or anyone else had a million sets of ls rocker trunions on the market, they would have less failures than gm?

I think GM has their drag pack car up to like 8200 rpms now, and they still run stock rockers. 7 thousand rpm zr1s running stock rockers. The guy is running a .600 lift cam... I have never in my entire life of like 200 ls3/l92 headed combos with stock rockers, ever seen one come apart.

I have never actually in my entire life, since starting my career building ls based cars 20 years ago, once ever!! Seen any ls rocker come apart. Not Once!! All the way from back in the days of the magic stick, the crazy .680 lift cam motions that would kiss the pistons.. nothing . Not one. So when I build stuff for my customers, I tell them to go with what has never ever failed me once... not what someone read somewhere will fail them.

 

[91RS]

Everyone used to do the comp trunion upgrades as well, and I have heard of so many more comp trunion upgrade failures than stock gm failures. The problem with factory parts failures is that they have millions of examples on the market.. do you think if Che or comp or anyone else had a million sets of ls rocker trunions on the market, they would have less failures than gm?

I think GM has their drag pack car up to like 8200 rpms now, and they still run stock rockers. 7 thousand rpm zr1s running stock rockers. The guy is running a .600 lift cam... I have never in my entire life of like 200 ls3/l92 headed combos with stock rockers, ever seen one come apart.

The Comp trunnion kit is crappy and still uses needle bearings. That's why I didn't recommend it and no reputable builder does that I've seen. The Smith Brothers and CHE kits are what is recommended because they use brass bushings which are serviceable. I've never heard of a Smith Bros or CHE failure.

 

[decembersend]

Yeah buddy!! The most paramount things about doing the job are to get all of the coolant out of the head bolt holes after head removal.. blow them out until nothing comes out, then clean the deck surface of both the head and block with hand power 1000 grit wet/dry sand paper lubed with wd40. Then when everything is spotless, blow the holes out again with compressed air, then clean the head and deck surface up with brake Clean on a non shedding rag. When it comes to the cam install, it is Mega Common to miss on the vvt phasers to camshaft dowel. I will even admit to doing it once because failure is part of life. Try try and try again to make sure the cam phaser is for sure located on the cam dowel while being timed via the indicators like a traditional engine. If you have any questions, just ask!

I've been reading on various ways to clean the heads and block and some have suggest using purple power. What are your thoughts on that?

I will def make sure all holes are cleared, it appears that any little spec can mess up the way the heads sit.

I've been watching several videos from a bunch of different youtubers to learn the best way to do this. Everyone so far has talked about how you want to make sure the dowel is in the 3:00 position and put the sprocket on the dowel as well with the dot in 6 position . I'm just hoping I remember hahahaha. A

 

[decembersend]

Don't use any traditional scraping tools or razors or scroch bright pads on LS blocks or heads, especially the aluminum blocks. The metal head gaskets are a machine gasket finish that requires under 18 micro inches of cylinder surface flaw to seal perfectly. I believe technically 800 grit sand paper is right at 18 micro inches of surface finish, but I always use 1000 grit to be safe. You will find yourself spending an honest 1.5 hours per side between the block and head.. but it is honest work that can only be matched by machining that 70 percent of machine shops can't finish at. Labor of love and such. Lol

I hope people on the LS1tech forum were joking but some on there stated they use scotch brite pads "I use simple green and my pressure washer, for the surface, i use a scotch bright sponge and simple green, keeping it lubricated while cleaning".

They also say they use 400 grit sandpaper..

I will take my time and do it right the first time. I rely on this truck as my daily so I don't want to mess as thing up.

 

[91RS]

I use razor blades and then if I’m still not happy with it I’ll use a red scotch brite and brake clean lightly by HAND. Not one of the discs on a die grinder. I feel like sand paper of any grit would leave way more fine dust behind. I brake clean the crap out of the heads and blow them off/out and shake them to make sure nothing falls out of the coolant passages. The head bolt holes I blow out, then fill with brake clean and blow them out multiple times, then run a thread chaser through all of them, and then fill with brake clean again and blow them out repeatedly until nothing comes out.