I can make GM systems work without DTC's, but Ryan.hess has a great system. I have not tried to recalibrate a 2000 - 2004 yet. We had a lot attendant that had been in college I think 7 years with no hope to graduate. He is a great guy and loves to party. They fired him last year and his father died shortly after. He is now retired "inheritance" and must be 27 or 28. He has a DHS that will not go 140MPH. I am going to reprogram it with a NY and MASS emission calibration for Mexico. We are in an I/M240 area and the emissions station just plug in check for DTC's and readiness codes. I found a Korean calibration that is listed as California emissions and export emissions and federal emission delete. The hard part to find the calibrations is that I am looking for VIN Y. If it was a VIN 9 it would be easy. Some limo's do not use federal car emissions it is more like a trucks over 8000 lbs. I can get a German delivered or Saudi STS VIN 9 and reprogram.

[This message has been edited by AJxtcman (edited 01-25-2007).]

quote Originally posted by AJxtcman: OK for all you non believers. Last night they gave me a head gasket job. I pulled it in my stall and heard the horn going off all the way in the shop. It was the radiator cap blowing the exhaust out. I raised the hood to find coolant in the valley. Needs an engine. last night I pulled the intake and pressurised the cooling system. This morning coolant was leaking from the head gasket into the valley. Needs an engine. I pulled the engine out and pulled the heads off for my manager. The rear head had 1 tight head bolt the three on the top towards the bell housing felt like the threads were gone. Needs an engine. I have lots of pics.

I don't get what is being shown here/said about non-believers. Was this engine timeserted? I think
everyone here believes that the N* blows gaskets.
We take our caddy to one place and talking with them they use only timeserts. There policy is to
redo all of them if the engine can be saved. They stated that there is NO certain hole/bolt that is always out.
I myself would think that doing all of them is the proper way to go. Only repairing the ones that are obvious is
a band aid repair.
In my opinion Visual inspection would not be adequate on the other holes as they could come loose right after
installation.
Even though you have said they there are failures on them you do not mention is the ones that were
timeserted were the cause of the failure or if it was the holes that weren't that may have caused them to be over
excerted.
I would like to see data on this. Like Installed 5 on 5-10-2005 came back on 7-5-05 removed head 2 serts failed
but 4 head bolts also that were not repaired
In a case like that I would say that because of the ones that weren't repaired that there was added force on the ones that were.

Hope that makes sense as you can see I myself would've come to the conclusion that it wasn't the serts fault, but only real
data would concur with that.

I also read where you say the 95-99 blocks are junk but read this on timesert.com
Northstar 4.0/4.6 V8
First Repair
General Motors
also
Oldsmobile Aurora
1995 -1999
2000 and up use different kit.

I forgot to add that between the 2 kits I think it would end up being preference like anything else.
Also forgot to ask I picked up a kent-moore timesert kit, does anyone know what that kit uses.
I got everything in the kit but the 11.5 mm serts

[This message has been edited by carolinajoe (edited 01-25-2007).]

Head gaskets are very low on the list of engine repairs as a percentage. The engines need to have the case halves resealed way more often. Timesert inserts just make the bolt slightly larger. On 99 and prior the aluminum around the bolts becomes detiriorated. If you drill it out and the material turned to dust the timesert will not hold. When you tap the hole and the material is not shiny or is powdery a Timesert insert will not hold. We are not talking about a come back. They pull out when torquing. I would never remove good theads to install a Timesert. The threads are broken off usaully not stripped. If it was cast iron would you drill out every good hole and install timeserts? If a hole had stripped threads I would repair it with a timesert. Why wouldn't you timesert ever spark plug hole in every head aluminum head?

quote Originally posted by carolinajoe: I would like to see data on this. Like Installed 5 on 5-10-2005 came back on 7-5-05 removed head 2 serts failed but 4 head bolts also that were not repaired

Agreed.

I am always the one to think in different ways.
This is my thought on doing all of them.
Say just 2 needed to be done.
I would think that the others have had to suffer some sort of stress without
the help of those 2.
Therefore causing some possible damage not seen to the naked eye.
Is this a possibility?

What I am really wondering is does it hurt to do all of them, I guess that is the
bottom line??
I am not trying to be an A$$ just agreeing to dis-agree.
And, I have only done research so I am by no means an expert on the
subject. This is the first subject like this and is very interesting, so just looking for clarification.
Once I put the N* in the Fiero I don't want to be dropping it for any reason.

One other ???
Do you ever do a leak-down test on them. Reason I ask is I am wondering what the
values should be. I am going to borrow one from my friend and check mine before I
go pulling the heads.

------------------
"If you want your car to be cheap and fast it won't be reliable...
If you want your car to be reliable and cheap it won't be fast...
If you want your car to be fast and reliable it won't be cheap...

Timesert insert



Ok this is the good stuff Norms insterts

[This message has been edited by AJxtcman (edited 01-26-2007).]

quote Originally posted by carolinajoe: Do you ever do a leak-down test on them. Reason I ask is I am wondering what the values should be. I am going to borrow one from my friend and check mine before I go pulling the heads.

The definitive head gasket test is to pressurize the cylinders with 100-120psi or so (at TDC, valves closed, somebody with a wrench on the engine to prevent it from turning...) and check for bubbles in the cooling system. Don't need anything other than a spark plug air adapter.

I have some more pictures of Timesert inserts VS NS300L
OK the good one


Now the thin one.

This is a shot from the top so you see the lip and it looks thicker than it is.

This is the bottom side.

quote Originally posted by AJxtcman: I have some more pictures of Timesert inserts VS NS300L

DUDE! Chill already. Have you ever used one of these inserts?

Yes, we get the idea that the metal can be so deteriorated that the corrosion is deeper than the threads of conventional timeserts. Thanks for sharing. You've obviously done a lot of these things. From what I've read I don't think you've done any with the big inserts you keep going on about. If you had, I would think you'd have better pictures of them.

BTW, does your camera have a "close up" mode? It's usually indicated by a flower symbol on the button that activates it. This thread has picture taking advice: http://www.realfierotech.co...viewtopic.php?t=2927

bump.

quote Originally posted by ryan.hess: So.......... what's the outer thread on a northstar head bolt timesert?

Ryan - After revisiting this thread, I noticed that nobody answered your question. The NS300L insert external threads are 5/8-11 (not metric). They are very robust inserts. I installed all twenty in my block for the head bolts. I sent Norm Huhn an e-mail asking if he has considered making something similar for the main bolts since I stripped the threads out of one of mine.

So, no one ever followed up on the use of studs in the 1996-1999 Northstar block.

After reading this thread, I understand that AJ doesn't recommend studs but chrfab uses them on high performance blocks.

Is anyone currently using studs in a 96-99 N*?

I have the heads off and all the headbolts came out without taking any aluminum threads with the bolts. Two snapping sounds per headbolt. One when you first move it a hair and the second "snap" when the head bolt finally turned.

Any suggestions?

quote Originally posted by IXSLR8: I have the heads off and all the headbolts came out without taking any aluminum threads with the bolts. Two snapping sounds per headbolt. One when you first move it a hair and the second "snap" when the head bolt finally turned. Any suggestions?

My '94 was the same on removal...However 1 let go on my second 60 degree reinstalling..I did them all with the NL300

quote Originally posted by IXSLR8: So, no one ever followed up on the use of studs in the 1996-1999 Northstar block. After reading this thread, I understand that AJ doesn't recommend studs but chrfab uses them on high performance blocks.

I installed my heads using the NSL300 inserts. I manufactured my own inserts for the crankshaft mains because I'm not overly impressed with the Timeserts, let alone being put off by their cost. I contacted CHRFab about using studs. While they may be a very high quality product, and are astronomically priced, one must consider their purpose. Head & main studs serve to allow repeated disassembly & assembly of the engine because they do not "work" the threads in the block. Being that I do not intend to disassemble my engine until it has another 150K miles on it, using studs would be a big waste of $$$. Yes, they are for "high performance" engines ... but remember that "high performance" engines get rebuilt often. For them, studs make a lot of sense. For street use? Naw!

[This message has been edited by WAWUZAT (edited 03-07-2008).]

I think that if you have Norm's inserts in the block you can stud it and the threads will not tear out when the heads grow with heat. Yes I have changed my mind on that. I had an enlightenment

can a 2000 up block be used with the earlier heads and engine management? I am thinking not because of the different reluctor wheel and crank sensors.