RanchWelder
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2023
- Posts
- 810
- Reaction score
- 1,169
- Location
- Earth
- First Name
- --------
- Truck Year
- 87
- Truck Model
- Blazer
- Engine Size
- 355ci
If you are pulling coolant into the compression chamber, when you get it running on 7 cylinders, and you try to adjust the distributor timing, the slightest move in either direction will stall the engine.
If you keep trying to get it running, and you keep finding that sweet spot it will fire, you might have white smoke puffing out the breather vent in your valve covers, when the top ring breaks and your engine pushes exhaust through the valve seals.
My Bendix broke at the starter nose, when this happened to me.
I had an admirer drain my engine oil out for me, without permission, making diagnosis "Interesting".
...so I found the slight coolant leak AFTER the white smoke appeared out the valve cover vent, during tear down.
My Top Piston ring and ring lands were wiped.
Exhaust/coolant was pushing out may valve seals and through the case vents.
Cam wiped on 3 lobes.
Three lifters were destroyed, like a worn out pensile erasure.
LS engine often block these water ports in the engine block with machined plugs and rout the coolant through the heads separately and back into the side of the block via the expansion ports, using welded bungs and hoses.
LS has known engine gasket failure from exactly the same issues, regardless of rusted water ports on the deck the Gen 1 suffers from.
Any one of us could buy a used truck with a rebuilt engine that has excessive water port rust/wear or excessive compression in the chambers. 64cc heads and flat tops, with .020" from top of deck is NFG without a very flat machined deck and/or fire ring seals around every cylinder and a near-zero quench gasket.
Copper gaskets work well ONLY with a fire ring and a near perfect flat surface.
My .015 stainless gasket was no match for a poor deck surface, even with 3 coats of copper gasket paint on them.
**** Head compression should not exceed 160 PSI in a properly build engine for the street, Gen 1 SBC.
(Thanks for the lesson Head Machine Shop GURU).
If the stalker had not drained my engine oil, my issue could have gone un-noticed for several thousand miles.
Your starter is telling you something.
The comments on electrical issues and starter shimming are all valid. Great advice.
Sometimes something else is going on.
Let's see those spark plugs?
Love those sexie eyes AuroraGirl !
If you keep trying to get it running, and you keep finding that sweet spot it will fire, you might have white smoke puffing out the breather vent in your valve covers, when the top ring breaks and your engine pushes exhaust through the valve seals.
My Bendix broke at the starter nose, when this happened to me.
I had an admirer drain my engine oil out for me, without permission, making diagnosis "Interesting".
...so I found the slight coolant leak AFTER the white smoke appeared out the valve cover vent, during tear down.
My Top Piston ring and ring lands were wiped.
Exhaust/coolant was pushing out may valve seals and through the case vents.
Cam wiped on 3 lobes.
Three lifters were destroyed, like a worn out pensile erasure.
LS engine often block these water ports in the engine block with machined plugs and rout the coolant through the heads separately and back into the side of the block via the expansion ports, using welded bungs and hoses.
LS has known engine gasket failure from exactly the same issues, regardless of rusted water ports on the deck the Gen 1 suffers from.
Any one of us could buy a used truck with a rebuilt engine that has excessive water port rust/wear or excessive compression in the chambers. 64cc heads and flat tops, with .020" from top of deck is NFG without a very flat machined deck and/or fire ring seals around every cylinder and a near-zero quench gasket.
Copper gaskets work well ONLY with a fire ring and a near perfect flat surface.
My .015 stainless gasket was no match for a poor deck surface, even with 3 coats of copper gasket paint on them.
**** Head compression should not exceed 160 PSI in a properly build engine for the street, Gen 1 SBC.
(Thanks for the lesson Head Machine Shop GURU).
If the stalker had not drained my engine oil, my issue could have gone un-noticed for several thousand miles.
Your starter is telling you something.
The comments on electrical issues and starter shimming are all valid. Great advice.
Sometimes something else is going on.
Let's see those spark plugs?
Love those sexie eyes AuroraGirl !
Last edited:
