84 fieor-- 94 N* swap (Page 8/24) Will JAN 13, 09:44 PM quote Originally posted by mcfrandon: Is there any place to buy this stuff or should i just go to the yard? i hear you cant get the oil pans off on a caddy with the engine in the car :/ CarQuest has Victor Reinz aftermarket oil plates for ~$100... the windage tray, bolts and pickup tube are going to be either dealership or used. mcfrandon JAN 16, 07:49 PM got the heads off today and both gaskets were smoked. rusted thru just like the one you had posted. that is one weird design. none off the bolts had anything on the threads, but one of the twenty was a little corroded. most of the bolts snapped pretty loudly when I broke them loose. Also the crank pulley bolt was a nightmare to get off. wow. Even tho the bolts look to be free of aluminum is it still recommended to install inserts? Will JAN 16, 09:04 PM quote Originally posted by mcfrandon: most of the bolts snapped pretty loudly when I broke them loose. That's a really good sign regarding the condition of the threads in your block. quote Originally posted by mcfrandon: Even tho the bolts look to be free of aluminum is it still recommended to install inserts? Yes, absolutely. Whenever the heads come off the first time, drop the inserts in. That way you're guaranteed never to have that problem again (unless your block was REALLY corroded) IXSLR8 JAN 17, 03:27 AM If I remember right, Alan at CHRF said that if your threads were good in the block, you could stud it without inserts. Though that may be true, I think it is significantly better to install inserts for the GM stretch bolts or ARP studs (unless of course you use CCC's studs or Jake's studs with the coarser threads). Inserts are future insurance create more strength if you decide to use a turbo or blower or just want long-term reliability. Glad you got to see what gaskets look like before they fail completely. Go with the Cometics. mcfrandon JAN 17, 03:26 PM ok i have been pretty well inspecting the block as far as i can without removing the crank and pistons and i found what looks like it could be a small crack on the outside of the block near the lower crankcase. im going to try and clean it up a bit better and get pictures of anything that looks like trouble. Will JAN 17, 10:38 PM Before you clean it up, evaluate the dirt, grime and sign of wetness/drainage around it to see if it gives clues about whether it has been leaking in the past and if so what... mcfrandon JAN 18, 11:52 PM ok i couldn't find any cracks. just casting marks. Im trying to figure out a way to get the last dowel pin out that broke off pretty much flush with the block. seems like the only options are drill it or tap it. Also what are the reasons for replacing the oil manifold if you can reseal it on both sides? Will JAN 19, 11:27 AM quote Originally posted by mcfrandon: ok i couldn't find any cracks. just casting marks. Im trying to figure out a way to get the last dowel pin out that broke off pretty much flush with the block. seems like the only options are drill it or tap it. Also what are the reasons for replacing the oil manifold if you can reseal it on both sides? Cylinder head dowel? Not sure what you mean regarding the oil manifold mcfrandon JAN 19, 12:18 PM yeah the alignment dowel/collars in the block that align the cylinder head to the block. 2 on each side. IXSLR8 JAN 19, 03:07 PM With the alignment pins, I take them out with a drill bit and vice grips. I put the drill bit in the dowel and snap the vice grips around it and rock them out. Works good. If yours have the top ripped off, then you may be able to get an awl in between the dwell and the head bolt aluminum edge. Tap it down until you can get a larger punch in the same position. Keep going larger until you can get pair of quality needle nose pliers in there and twist. It should come out. Just be careful with the aluminum. Drilling it out should also work after sizing your bit to one of your other alignment pins that have been removed. Because the metal is pretty soft, you can probably get it out starting with the awl. Just get a new oil manifold instead of trying to seal it on both sides with GM's special sealant. GM's sealant is expensive too. If you really don't want to spend the money on new N* parts, then you should probably be working on a different engine. No offense intended. Its just an expensive motor.