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Blue Devil Head Gasket Sealer WORKED in 99 Northstar


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....I have never done a head gasket, but I recall members saying that they found bolts loose, wouldnt that tend to go against the thread wiped by removing them theory?, or could it be a little of both causes?

To paraphrase part of the point that you-know-who was making way back when; 'if the gasket fails in such a was as to allow coolant to come in contact with the bolt(s), eventually the coolant will wash away the protective coating on the threads and galvanic corrision will cause the thread damange that is sometimes reported.' Soooo the corrosion and thread damage is a result of gasket failure, NOT the cause of gasket failure.

Of course the gasket can fail in such a way that coolant does not contact the bolt(s) and is simply breached into the combustion chamber. There is an active thread on the other forum where the writer took the time to say that all 20 bolts came out "clean".

Jim

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Three causes of heated combustion gases entering coolant passages:

1) Warped heads (Although it was mentioned N*'s heads don't typically warp or need to be machined when performing a HG job.)

2) Pulled Head bolt

3) Compromised head gasket - and by that I mean rusted/corroded

Any others?

Over time, can cold carbon rap stress the head bolts?

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....I have never done a head gasket, but I recall members saying that they found bolts loose, wouldnt that tend to go against the thread wiped by removing them theory?, or could it be a little of both causes?

To paraphrase part of the point that you-know-who was making way back when; 'if the gasket fails in such a was as to allow coolant to come in contact with the bolt(s), eventually the coolant will wash away the protective coating on the threads and galvanic corrision will cause the thread damange that is sometimes reported.' Soooo the corrosion and thread damage is a result of gasket failure, NOT the cause of gasket failure.

Of course the gasket can fail in such a way that coolant does not contact the bolt(s) and is simply breached into the combustion chamber. There is an active thread on the other forum where the writer took the time to say that all 20 bolts came out "clean".

Your point is well taken as far as "the corrosion and thread damage is a result of gasket failure, NOT the cause of gasket failure." If Northstar head bolts were actually pulling because of block threads failing all by themselves, I would think this problem would not be limited to Northstar engines unless someone can show that GM did something wrong when it came to block casting, thread pitch, bolt length, or something else. The Guru made it clear that Northstar head bolt length is well over necessary tolerances in order to prevent separation. As far as claims that head bolts were actually loose in the head, I have yet to see any evidence of same. I have also read a post where someone claimed a GM mechanic told him that bolts were pulling because of thermocycling. REALLY?! I remember some time back some attorney was trying to assess the possibility of suing GM in a class action lawsuit over alleged head bolt failure but apparently nothing was filed.

My point is that there seems to be a lot of speculation but no proof concerning head bolts allegedly pulling out of the head. I owned a '94 Eldorado up until 230,000 miles and there was not one sign of head gasket problems. I didn't neglect the antifreeze and did plenty of WOT with the engine well over 200K miles.

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With regard to that recall for 99, that was ONLY applicable to a specific VIN number run

See this link

http://caddyinfo.ipb...&hl=recall&st=0

With regard to Dexcool eating the head gaskets. The Northstar has an open deck wet sleeve design, I posted a photo. Recently I have seen someone suggest that a closed deck would have been better, but stating that without the benefit of the designer's ideas / reasoning is Monday morning quarterbacking. In the open deck wet sleeve design the coolant contacts the head gasket, I can only imagine that over time acidic or non acidic the heated coolant (and this is located at the hottest area of the sleeve) will eventually deteriorate the head gasket above the open coolant passage. Personally, I am not surprised to see deterioration in that location. However, while that portion of the head gasket can be deteriorated there is still a section sealing the sleeve between the combustion chamber and coolant passage. The question in my mind is, if the portion of head gasket above the coolant passage gets deteriorated, can that negatively impact the head gaskets sealing capability or even allow coolant to seep or be wicked into the head gasket eventually causing the block aluminum to corrode/soften/deteriorate.

Why had a gasket not been designed that will better resist coolant deterioration above the open coolant passage for this engine? Is an aftermaket head gasket like this a better alternative > http://www.cometic.com/est.aspx

1569_3mg.jpg

WOW, i never knew the northstar had the sleeve design too. Just like my 4100 had (2nd worst motor ever developed). That motor I cracked a sleeve. Also everyone is talking about loose bolts and such maybe from the use of different materials. I know tearing down my broke 4100 the intake bolts were finger tight and the head bolts I didnt even need a helper bar on the socket wrench. That motor was aluminum block and intake which was probably was the cause of alot of its problems too. I just never knew manufacturers kept using that sleeve design.

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1) Warped heads (Although it was mentioned N*'s heads don't typically warp or need to be machined when performing a HG job.)

2) Pulled Head bolt

3) Compromised head gasket - and by that I mean rusted/corroded

Any others?

Over time, can cold carbon rap stress the head bolts?

Yes, plain old combustion gas erosion/heat cycling.

As to the Cold carbon rap, I went over this a few years ago with the Guru, and he specifically stated that this failure mode was NOT a factor in the design of the Northstar.

I kept up the WOTS anyway, and do to this day.

Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed.

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About a year ago, I decided the engine is too old to perform (WOT's) anymore.

I honestly don't think WOT's have anything to do with it or would hurt your car. Just my opinion and not trying to change yours.

I have one question: Has anyone actually proved that Northstar head bolts pull or separate from the block?

It seems to me that claiming Northstar head bolts pull and therefore cause head gasket failure is an unsupported theory. I have yet to see anyone post any proof.

I seem to recall several people who have done the repair mention that one or more bolts never "cracked" loose when removing them and once removed there was aluminum in the threads. That said, the question of which went first, the gasket or the threads is like the chicken or the egg question. No one knows or seems to be able to prove one way or the other.

WOW, i never knew the northstar had the sleeve design too. Just like my 4100 had (2nd worst motor ever developed).

The difference is that the 4100 cylinder sleeves where set in rubber gaskets (for lack of a better definition) and the Northstars are cast in place.

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WOW, i never knew the northstar had the sleeve design too. Just like my 4100 had

The Northstar is not a wet sleeve design like the HT-4100, 4.5 and 4.9 engine. The sleeves in the 4.x engines are removable and there are o-rings top and bottom to seal the combustion chamber. The individual cylinders are not removable on the Northstar block - two completely different block designs.

The bugs were worked out of the 4.5 and 4.9 engines - both are pretty much bulletproof.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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attention,...i have a 1996 cadillac eldorado,...i am about to give this blue devil stuff a shot, i have read many mixed reviews,...and when it comes down to it, ill slap this $70 band-aid on my axe wound that would otherwise cost me about $400 in parts alone, not to mention endless hours of wrenching in a driveway (no garage) in the not so warm fall weather of northern michigan,...the way i see it, if this cure in a can will get me through the winter, it will have my vote along with my recomendation,...im a shade tree mechanic, with a little schooling in auto mechanics,...i will post my results for you when i go through the attempted repair

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Its much more than $400 in parts alone, we estimate $800, timeserts or studs will cost $500 alone.

How did you confirm that you have a bad head gasket?

The problem I have with these types of fixes is that you contaminate the block and heads with this stuff if you ever attempt to do this job correct. What happens if this stuff gets into the combustion chamber can it damage the cylinder walls, can it be abrasive when hardened? I do not believe that these types of repairs will ever be successful given how the head gasket is breached.

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Take a match and burn your $70. The end result will be the same.... I would not waste the time or money with a repair in a bottle. None have proven to work long term. As Mike said - if you decide to fix the car properly at some point, who knows what that crud will do to the engine.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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hate to say it but miracles in bottles are just bandaids at best. It will not fix heads that move and expand. it will not magically create secure threads for the headbolts to hold. But I will say that having the engine job done the right way the first time is much more worthwhile in the long run. I have no regrets getting my Seville done. At least I can take trips state hopping and not worry that something is going to fail and leave me stranded.

GM FAN FOREVER

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I wonder what happened to the original poster?, would love to know how it went for him. I will send him a PM and see what his results were..

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

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When my head gasket went in 2006, there was visible coolant seepage between the head and the block, indicating that a head bolt was pulled. This was on the firewall side of no. 8 nearest the driver's side. It was very slight but I could see it. The mechanic that pulled the engine called and told me about it and I came by and took a (bad) picture. The engine was only there a day and I didn't get back in time to take better photos. It was in the shop only a little over a day.

Has anyone ever tried to contact GM about data on HG failures? If they get a part back on a warranty repair, the policy is to tear down the parts, including motors, and determine what caused the failures. I recall GM bulletins on oil consumption that said that teardowns on returned engines revealed no abnormalities on some of these returns, and this work led to the stuck-ring treatment involving using a special solvent in the spark plug holes for 30 minutes to an hour to free stuck rings. We all have our theories but over the last decade or so GM has obviously improved the Northstar and its successor, the High-Value V6. In the event that some of the highlights of this process could be divulged here, it might help us make better decisions regarding maintenance and repair of our older Northstars.

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-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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Unfortunately, this failure has destroyed the engine's reputation. I belong to a performance engine site on facebook and they asked their members "what is the worst engine ever produced", I only viewed about 20 responses out of hundreds and the Cadillac Northstar showed up multiple times. I did not waste my time to respond in defense of the Northstar because it was their opinion.

The weird thing however is, I think the Northstar in 1993 was revolutionary. I think its a work of art. Unfortunately, for whatever reason they gained a bad reputation and that is a shame. You have got to give it to GM however, they knew what they had, and they continued to improve it.

Wards put the Northstar in their top ten engines in 95, 96 and 97, so its amazing how this problem has sullied its reputation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward%27s_10_Best_Engines

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

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How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

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I think a lot of it comes from the Japanese car dealer FUD, which started hard in the 1970's and, albeit somewhat abated, continues today. Originally mostly from Toyota dealers through well-sold owners, by the mid 1980's the general belief among everyone was that American cars were shoddy and designed so that everything failed at 80,000 miles. Around the time that my car hit 100,000 miles in 2004, I had a friend (who has had nothing but Toyotas for 30 years) ask expectantly if "all that stuff" on my Cadillac was still working. And, my niece in Idaho is convinced that her Honda soccer-ute outperforms my Cadillac because it's a Honda. I've already mentioned that most people who don't know me well think my old car is a money pit.

Then, there's J.D. Power & Associates. I got a questionnaire from them right after I bought my 1997 ETC new. I had three problems at the dealer: loose windshield flashing on the passenger side, a broken A/C grille in the center of the dash (marked with a red X with a Sharpie!), and loose weatherstripping on part of the door frame on the driver's side, all fixed by the dealer in a few minutes the first time that I bought it in. This made three "defects" so my car was reported as worse-than-average by J.D. Power & Associates. Imports, who do detail rework at the overseas factory and just bump the price because it is more practical than depending on training dealer staff to do it (the Cadillac dealer preparation should have picked up my car's cosmetic details before they sold the car, IMHO), have a lot less of that, so the J.D. Power new-car ratings were inherently skewed toward the imports. J.D. Power & Associates have changed a lot and I don't know how they do things now, though, but they are basically part of an infrastructure that has dumped on American automobile manufacturing since WW II.

Not that GM wasn't partly to blame, and perhaps still is in some ways. The original Northstar was produced with no parts availability for oversize pistons or bearings, and, with no explanation that these weren't needed with the steel sleeves and crank, gave many, including myself, the impression that it was created as a throw-away engine, something that I have seen in a post by a new user here in the last few years. And, they didn't catch on and have their dealer prep pick up the rework details at the end of production - which would have been as simple as passing the list of inspection issues along with the car and requiring a rework work order along with the dealer prep work order - and, they have now have had 40 years to "get it."

I've had a long succession of American cars, with the exception of a VW car that bridged a couple of months between "real" cars, and I've helped out a lot of friends with foreign cars. When I was in my 20's I had friends with MGs and Triumphs that would insist that I balance their carbs and time their ignitions because they knew that I had the touch - but my Big Iron American car would outperform them all except in really tight cornering as in parking-lot agility exercises. I remember blowing away a few Porsche 911's with my tricked-out 1964 Impala station wagon, for example, even though it had no torque below about 35 mph. Even now I have young yuppie women try to kick sand in my face while I'm out cruising in my 1997 ETC, and the young yahoos just see a big old American car with a tired V6. I know what's up. But a large segment of Americans are as brand-loyal to Toyota, Honda and Nissan as I am to GM, and for reasons that are as valid to them as my reasons are to me.

Cadillac has publicly declared that they intend to go back after the 2.5% market share and dominance over Mercedes and BMW that they had before the days when GM flatlined Cadillac in the late 70's and early 80's, building them on the same platforms as Pontiac, Buick and Oldsmobile, zeroing brand-specific development, and producing even more cynical artifacts such as the Cimarron. But they know what they have to do and they know how to do it. They can build it, now they just have to get it out there and sell it.

What GM really needs to do is to get Chevrolet to do the same thing. If GM is going to survive with the continuing anchor of heavy UAW involvement and ownership with management participation and the obvious non-competitive decisions that have been made and will continue to be made as long as that continues, they need to make Chevrolet a world-class car, too, and the low-price lines are where brand loyalty starts with young people and volume in that line is where the money is when times are bad. I think Buick and GMC are close enough to the right path now.

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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I think a lot of it comes from the Japanese car dealer FUD, which started hard in the 1970's and, albeit somewhat abated, continues today. Originally mostly from Toyota dealers through well-sold owners, by the mid 1980's the general belief among everyone was that American cars were shoddy and designed so that everything failed at 80,000 miles. Around the time that my car hit 100,000 miles in 2004, I had a friend (who has had nothing but Toyotas for 30 years) ask expectantly if "all that stuff" on my Cadillac was still working. And, my niece in Idaho is convinced that her Honda soccer-ute outperforms my Cadillac because it's a Honda. I've already mentioned that most people who don't know me well think my old car is a money pit.

Not that GM wasn't partly to blame, and perhaps still is in some ways. The original Northstar was produced with no parts availability for oversize pistons or bearings, and, with no explanation that these weren't needed with the steel sleeves and crank, gave many, including myself, the impression that it was created as a throw-away engine, something that I have seen in a post by a new user here in the last few years. And, they didn't catch on and have their dealer prep pick up the rework details at the end of production - which would have been as simple as passing the list of inspection issues along with the car and requiring a rework work order along with the dealer prep work order - and, they have now have had 40 years to "get it."

Toyotas from the 1970s and 1980s were garbage - despite what their loyal owners say. They rotted away in a few years. My '78 Caprice Classic was still going strong at over 100,000 miles and it had no rust. I sold that car when I bought my Fleetwood Brougham in 1993. There were NO Toyotas on the road from the 1970s then (or now) but I still see 1970s era GM and Ford cars on the road.

The Northstar engine does not have oversized pistons, etc. because they just do not wear out. When they reach 250,000 miles, the'll need rings and rod bearing (only because the rod bearings have a high degree of crush and cannot be reused once disassembled). but that's it - they'll go another 250,000 miles.

A lot of people today think a car should last forever and require no maintenance whatsoever.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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I know I am just dreaming here, but I would love to be able to buy a new short block from GM for the 93 - 2003 period that has had the problems redesigned out of it, ie bolt pitch, size, alloy revised etc. The thing is this given how aluminum alloy cycles with heat expanding and contracting can head gaskets survive the changing conditions long term. Is there an all aluminum engine out there that will go 200,000 miles, anyone know? I see that timesert sells time serts for honda, toyota, ford, bmw, land rovers and volkswagon, so maybe this is the "new normal"?

That said, we have many Northstars that go 100,000 with zero problems over the years, but it seems they hit a wall. This explains the reason that we have seen more and more as the platform ages.

My opinion is that given that this light weight 281 cubic inch, aluminum, 32 valve, high compression, monster cylinder head, high revving engine puts out 1 HP per cubic inch, it is amazing and if I get 100,000 miles out of it, it is worth rebuilding. But, lets not forget that a new generation of Cadillac engines has arrived also and they are equally as amazing. Variable Valve Timing is amazing

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I know I am just dreaming here, but I would love to be able to buy a new short block from GM for the 93 - 2003 period that has had the problems redesigned out of it, ie bolt pitch, size, alloy revised etc. The thing is this given how aluminum alloy cycles with heat expanding and contracting can head gaskets survive the changing conditions long term. Is there an all aluminum engine out there that will go 200,000 miles, anyone know? I see that timesert sells time serts for honda, toyota, ford, bmw, land rovers and volkswagon, so maybe this is the "new normal"?

That said, we have many Northstars that go 100,000 with zero problems over the years, but it seems they hit a wall. This explains the reason that we have seen more and more as the platform ages.

My opinion is that given that this light weight 281 cubic inch, aluminum, 32 valve, high compression, monster cylinder head, high revving engine puts out 1 HP per cubic inch, it is amazing and if I get 100,000 miles out of it, it is worth rebuilding. But, lets not forget that a new generation of Cadillac engines has arrived also and they are equally as amazing. Variable Valve Timing is amazing

Mike...

I have almost 123,000 on mine and it has had -0- mechanical problems... at least so far.

The only time a wrench has been on the engine was the slight haflcase leak that was fixed by my dealer.

I probably should put plugs in it soon.

i ordered a set of plugs today from Amazon...

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Yeah, if you drive a car 15,000 miles a year or more and take care of it well, you can drive it as long as you like, with most models. Some models will have problems if you don't adhere to very strict maintenance schedules, like the Vega aluminum-silicon cylinder walls which would wear quickly if you skipped an oil change or two - but those same cylinder walls were great for blown fuel dragsters and fast boats with the 495 all-aluminum big-block bowtie. I've known of Ford models, particularly the OHV V8s, even the Y-blocks, which would run forever if you kept the oil changed. There were some good Chryslers, too.

Once upon a time you would see old Mercedes on the road as daily drivers by ordinary folks. Not anymore, not for a long time. And, yes, you don't see old imports of any kind out there anymore; ten years and about 120,000 miles seems to be just about the limit for an economical daily driver that you can get inspected and registered. I saw a cherry 1959 Buick yesterday. Parked at curbside, but awesome. I should have taken a picture.

I will say that I have endured massive intimidation and browbeating at some Cadillac dealers to trade my car, and, recently, to junk it. See the incredible tech write-up near the end of my thread on my EBTCM problem, which turned out to be one loose wire (the big pink one) on the EBTCM connector.

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-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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TexasJim, I am speaking about the 93 through say 99 models, the failure incidence while not zero has dropped substantially although we are beginning to see more 00 through 02 issues. I really don't expect you will ever see a head gasket problem.

GM has come a long long way, since the 80s, and I have said that they began their uphill battle in 1991.

These cars are so incredible that I have seen pristine Sevilles, Devilles and Eldos with head gasket problems, fix the head gasket you have a great car.

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I can't complain too much. I thought the Northstar was the greatest engine ever when I bought my 94 Concours. I was upset when it leaked oil, 1 quart per 1000 miles. After complaining to the guru he educated me about the design of the Northstar and I was hooked. I bought my Concours with 62,000 miles for $6400. When it started overheating and anti freeze started coming out the exhaust my heart sank, but it had over 167,000 miles then, so it did not owe me a thing. My 97 Deville had 89,000 miles on it when I bought it for $4000. It now has over 174,000 miles and if I can get a fuel pump in it I expect it to run over 250,000 miles. It uses only a quart of oil between changes, it does not leak, and runs like a top. I have been driving my mother-in-laws 04 Deville since my fuel pump went out and I have really been missing my 97. The 04 does not have the room of my 97 and it is not as comfortable either. I really not thrilled with the cheap plastics in the newer models. I do not like the visors that seem to be problematic for me and it is harder to see out of. I found a 98 red Deville for my uncle on ebay that had 67,000 miles and was overheating. He paid $1000 for it and bought another engine (similar mileage) which cost him another $1500 installed and he has a really beautiful automoble that should last for years. I like the looks of the 06 and up Devilles and someday I may find one and buy it, but for now I will drive the wheels off of my 97.

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I am new to this forum. I've been a 15 year multi-cadillac owner - can't speak highly enough about my vehicles over the years. Currently, I am striken with this head gasket issue over which there is much debate (yes, I'm sure it's the head gasket). Like reading restaurant reviews, there are always 1's and 5's depending on experience. I now have more questions than answers as to the proper approach to fixing the head gasket problem within the bounds of value - other than my decision to avoid sealers of any kind, and the non-starter of spending $6K at the dealer. I am looking for suggestions. I am very competent with engine repair, but I don't have the time or patience I had when I was younger. Winter is near - can't keep putting straight water in for a top-off, and can't afford two gallons per week of antifreeze to get through the Winter.

Options I am considering are:

1. Replace head gasket in situ: I have read that some of you are of the opinion that inadequate bolt design is not the impetus for gasket wear - OK, then why can I not simply replace the gasket AND the bolts, even with some hole-thread wear - maybe I could get another 300, 3,000, 30,000 miles? Two more years before a time-sert repair is worth it to me, whereas 3 months is not. Do the bolts snap? Is the threadhole wear too advanced? What exactly is the problem with a re-tourque with new gasket and bolts.

2. Time-sert repair job: I do not have the resources to remove the engine. I am confident I could perform the repair with the engine out of the vehicle, but not otherwise, no how, no way. I already want to throttle someone for the in-vehicle starter and alternator repairs I recently made (yes, I know there is an alternator clearance plate - it doesn't help - you still have to thread bolts without your thumbs). Anyway - I live in New Mexico. I cannot find any advertised local or semi-local (Phoenix, Denver, Dallas) shop that can do the repair job. It is not tractable for me to get the car to Canada or Ohio - I could however trailer it for an 8-hour drive. A $2,500 expense and an 8 hour trip - a value for the dollar here as well.

The problem does not seem to be getting worse, making me think that the gasket break is simply that - a break, not a slow seperation of the head itself through bolt/bolt thread failure.

Crate engine - nope. Sealers - no way. Dealer job - Uh uh. Tighten existing bolts - bad idea. Other suggestions? Votes on #1 or #2 above?

Burque in Albuqurque

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Short answer:

There is no way to avoid replacing the bolts AND the headgasket no matter which repair method you choose. The problem is that steel bolts and aluminum blocks don't mix very well so there is a special coating on the bolts that ensures they can be torqued correctly. The problem is that you don't know when one of the bolts will pull the aluminum. Some aluminum might come out when you remove the bolt, but if the aluminum block has been attacked by corrosion, and the bolt comes out OK, it might fail during the tightening sequence. In the latter case you get to start all over again. The timesert repair avoids that situation by providing new threads in all the holes. I don't know how the studs will work in this case, such as whether you can throw a stud in place if a bolt fails to tighten.

For you I think I'd suggest a salvage yard motor in running condition and take an exhaust gas test kit with you when you go shopping.

Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed.

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You are just about guaranteed to pull some aluminum out of two or three (or more) of the ten head bolts when you pull the heads. TimeSerts are solid steel inserts that use a larger thread, with threadlock and a top-of-the-hole shoulder that is tightened down, and provide steel threads for the head bolts. The TimeSert process includes guides to drill and tap the TimeSert seats with the right depth and alignment to avoid drilling too far or having misaligned threads, so that you have a perfect new set of threads for the head bolts. Most or all cases of failure of TimeSert installations are due to a block that was too corroded to drill out to a clean aluminum base for the TimeSert taps, failure to use the TimeSert installation kit and drilling too shallow/deep/out-of-line, or drilling out the block in one hard push instead of a few mm at a time and leaving a damaged surface for the TimeSert taps. There is at least one other source of inserts but I see no compelling reason not to use GM-sanctioned, tried-and-true TimeSerts. There is an outfit, Northstar Performance, that will put studs in your block or sell you a kit to do it yourself, but you can't put the rear head over the studs with the engine in the car, and, again, I see no compelling reason to use studs over TimeSerts.

Doing a TimeSert job with the engine in-place has been done but is a whole lot more work than doing it on an engine in a stand. For one thing, you can rotate the engine and blow out the filings with the block upside-down if it's on a stand, while this is a awkward proposition with the engine in the car. One option might be to drive the car to a shop and have them pull the engine and deliver it to your garage, where you have a rented engine stand ready and waiting for the delivery people to mount your motor on. This gives you a chance to clean up the engine and go over the details, and maybe do an oil pan gasket or even the dreaded case-half gasket and oil manifold. If I had the top end off, my motor would go back together with the coils checked out on a multimeter, new plugs and wires, and a new FPR. I would consider a new water pump and belt, look at the water pump belt tensioner, and also do any repairs on the serpentine belt and tensioner that seemed appropriate.

Failing that, JohnnieG has an eminently practical solution: take an exhaust gas kit to a recycling yard and pick a motor that passes. If you have test strips and you can find a damp spot in the radiator hose connections, you can make a test. It should be easy to tell, though - if a car is pristine but is in a recycling yard, you can count of a bad motor, but if it has been thoroughly hammered in a collision, the probability is that the motor is good. A motor in a recycling yard by itself with no VIN to check is a pig in a poke. But, you will have to R&R the motor to use it; why not R&R your motor and do the TimeSert job in your garage? Then you *know* that you will get your four years and have a good car to sell, trade, or give to your college-age kid when you're done with it.

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

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