crusin92red5.0

what is the easiest way to bring the motor around to tdc on #1 cyclinder on the compression stroke with the heads off? the reason i ask is cuz next wed when i get a break from school i am going to pull the pass side head off and check the block and head with a straight edge and i might as well re stab the dizzy so i can check that off the list of reasons my car runs like crap

also what is the tolerance for a warped block/head? sorry i don't know the exact way to ask it. i heard 3 thousandths. is that correct? thanks

mjr46

set motor on tdc before you pull it apart!! pull plug and roll motor over until you feel air pushing past your finger while holding finger over hole then pull cap and make sure rotor is pointing at no 1 on cap..fyi you don't need to pull the head to see if your block surface or head surface is warped, if there are no coolant leaks and compression test comes back fine, it would be a waste to pull heads.

Joel5.0

Why are you removing the head to check for flatness?...... any sealing problems with the head gaskets?

MBDiagMan

On a running engine, there is an easier way to determine compression stroke. Simply remove the distributor cap after noting which post is number one. Turn the crankshaft to TDC with the rotor pointing at the number one post.

When you are putting an engine together or don't know it's position, that's when you have to use the thumb over the plug hole trick.

crusin92red5.0

the reason i'm pulling the head back off is becuase i do have a small but noticable leak coming from the corner the head/block(small bolt). i thought i didn't clean the block well enough the first time so i went back down there the second time and cleaned it good and still got the leak at the same spot.

So what is the tolerance anyway?
Also when i scrap the old remembrence(?) of the gasket off the block with a razor blade there is always a trace of it being there kinda like an imprint on the block is that normal?

Is there a better tool to do this with?

Joel5.0

Yep...... a sharpening stone....



It also helps in ID'ing lower spots.

crusin92red5.0

where do you get that at? is that for sharping knives?

Joel5.0

Yep......it should be available at any HD hardware store or any of the tool trucks. I buy them from the Matco distributor.

ctgreddy

if i remember right its .002 within a 6" area. but thats for an ls1 not a 302.

mjr46

did you coat the lower /shorter bolts with thread sealer?? as they go into water jackets and that may be the source of your leak