Heads, New Cam, and Intake install on my 4.8
03-17-2009, 08:52 PM
#71
Corey, you might as well do it like I did. take your lifters and lifter trays out. Then stuff paper towels down the areas where the lifters and trays reside so **** doesn't get down in the lifter bores. NEXT spray some 
over your deck surface. MAKE SURE YOU WEAR AT LEAST 2-3 LAYERS OF LATEX GLOVES. The permatex gasket remover is nasty and will burn you. Also it eats paint so be careful when spraying. While waiting a minute or two you'll see your gasket material start dissolving into almost water. Take one of these 
and carefully scrape or redirect the watery gasket goo AWAY from your water jackets. If you get a little in the cylinders, it's fine, just clean it up asap and dilute it with motor oil. I tried to avoid using scotch brite pads since the green dust gets stuck between the pistons and the cyl wall. You'd need a needle tipped airhose attachment to blow it all out. It's a synthetic material and I don't think it's too friendly on the sealing surface of the cylinder wall. After you have all your head gasket material cleaned off on both sides, I take my SHOTGUN cleaning kit and from the front of the engine I go down and back through BOTH lifter oil galleries to ensure no **** or crud is left behind. Remember, keep your razor flat as to not nick the deck surface. Even on cast iron it can happen.
over your deck surface. MAKE SURE YOU WEAR AT LEAST 2-3 LAYERS OF LATEX GLOVES. The permatex gasket remover is nasty and will burn you. Also it eats paint so be careful when spraying. While waiting a minute or two you'll see your gasket material start dissolving into almost water. Take one of these and carefully scrape or redirect the watery gasket goo AWAY from your water jackets. If you get a little in the cylinders, it's fine, just clean it up asap and dilute it with motor oil. I tried to avoid using scotch brite pads since the green dust gets stuck between the pistons and the cyl wall. You'd need a needle tipped airhose attachment to blow it all out. It's a synthetic material and I don't think it's too friendly on the sealing surface of the cylinder wall. After you have all your head gasket material cleaned off on both sides, I take my SHOTGUN cleaning kit and from the front of the engine I go down and back through BOTH lifter oil galleries to ensure no **** or crud is left behind. Remember, keep your razor flat as to not nick the deck surface. Even on cast iron it can happen.
03-17-2009, 09:01 PM
#74
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gasket remover doesn't work, so don't waste your time with it. I would use a razor blade for the big stuff and a scotch brite pad for the rest. Or I have some 3m pads made for cleaning blocks that go on your die grinder, if you have one. Then just blow everything out real good, especially the bolt holes. And change the oil. If you need anything, parts, tools, etc. just let me know.
03-17-2009, 09:05 PM
#75
Those are MLS gaskets on Corey's truck. That's how messy they are. At any rate Corey the gasket remover isn't going to hurt your rings or cylinder walls. Just keep the slime that runs in there oiled up or put the piston at BDC and crumple a rag up and throw it in there. I always keep a little tub of oil next to me and swab it on the wall as I work with the gasket remover just incase. Never had any problems. Just do the area around 1 cylinder at a time instead of the whole deck surface. If you're **** like me, plan on at least a few hours leaning over your truck getting the surface flawless. I don't like doing **** more than once so I made sure my deck surface was absolutely spotless before putting the heads back on.
03-17-2009, 09:07 PM
#76
Uhhmm tell me the gasket remover doesn't work. It'll eat through and liquify pretty much any non metal surface it touches dude. I went through a half a big box of latex gloves since they kepts melting while using the stuff. To each their own I guess, I don't like the green abrasive dust that gets in the motor using the scotch brite pads. Make sure you don't get any in the lifter bores if you do use them. Remember, on a ls engine the lifters get oil first, THEN the main and rod bearings. You don't want any abrasive green **** getting in your bearings.
03-17-2009, 09:09 PM
#77
I thought the 4.8s came with graphite. Or maybe that was just on ls1's? Looking back at the pic now, your right that is a mls still on there. Anyways, mine wasn't bad at all. Took about 5 minutes of scraping on each side with a razor blade and that was it (zip did that). It was nice and clean before the head went on.
03-17-2009, 10:31 PM
#80
gasket remover doesn't work, so don't waste your time with it. I would use a razor blade for the big stuff and a scotch brite pad for the rest. Or I have some 3m pads made for cleaning blocks that go on your die grinder, if you have one. Then just blow everything out real good, especially the bolt holes. And change the oil. If you need anything, parts, tools, etc. just let me know.