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  1. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    @Dirty looks, that sounds cool. I just ordered the set they sell at Speed-Engineering and was able to cancel my Rockauto order before they shipped it out. Good timing! :)
  2. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    @Matt1t that is an excellent point that I didn't even know about. I was just going to bolt them up. I've since emailed the place I bought the heads from to ask how much they milled them down just to clean them up. If they didn't mill off enough, I'll need to take them somewhere local to bring...
  3. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    Great recommendation, @Dirty looks! I had just order some from Rockauto, but I think I would be better off sending those back and buying some heavy duty poly engine mounts. Expensive, but might prevent some headache.
  4. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    I also have to add that it's freeing knowing that if you break a bolt while removing the exhaust manifold, it's not going to matter! I broke one off and laughed at it... And while I had all those off, I decided to replace the motor mounts since they're easy to get to and install some long...
  5. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    Thank you @West 1 ! I had purchased cheap oil from Walmart to do this, but I bought synthetic. I'll return it and get the real stuff. I also didn't know how long to run the engine to clean it out, so thanks. Would you add Seafoam or ATF into it since those have detergents? Also, thanks for...
  6. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    That's a great point. While I have my radiator out, I should go have it cleaned at a radiator shop. Thank you for the suggestion!
  7. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    Yes, I do, @Doubeleive... Any suggestions on a good cleaning solution? I'm thinking of trying to find a local place I can take all the old oily stuff to have it cleaned off professionally. Well, @West 1, it turns out that it was just a blown gasket. The head looks fine. Still, I purchased a...
  8. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    Thanks, @Doubeleive! I think I'll just pay the $300 and ship it to someone. lol Well.. here is where we are.
  9. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    Great suggestion, @West1! I was going to use wire, but floss sounds like a better idea. I saw a video somewhere where a guy shaved down a wrench just to break it loose. Hoping to take the cover off today just to see what I'm going to have to deal with. @Doubeleive, it is going to require a...
  10. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    Thanks for the info, guys, and thanks @LsHart for the offer to connect me with your friend. I ended up finding a highly rated shop that specializes in 243 and 799 head rebuilds and went ahead and ordered a set. All the BTR parts I picked up are showing up today as well. Now it’s on to the...
  11. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    Thanks, @Doubeleive .... I think I'm just going to buy some new heads. Looking for some suggestions on where to buy a set of 243 or 799 heads that someone has already refurbished.
  12. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    Close! I'm at 210k. :)
  13. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    Thanks for all the input! I think I've talked myself into going ahead and buying some refurbished 243 or 799 heads. Anyone recommend a place that won't put me in the poor house?
  14. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    I rented a pressure tester kit and put about 15lbs of pressure and see exactly where it's leaking. It's squeezing out right above where the heater core hoses attach. I'm hoping I don't have a cracked head. When I get my valve covers off, I'll defiantly look to see what I've got. Thank you...
  15. mijohnst

    Hum...Head gasket?

    Howdy, Peps! Thoughts on this ugly sight? I drained my oil, and it looks contaminated. It initially came out a little lumpy. Antifreeze? I'm wondering if I've got a blown head gasket. If so, I'm looking at this as an opportunity to upgrade my cam, lifters, timing chain, water pump, etc...
  16. mijohnst

    Gradually hard starting

    Just wanted to jump back in and thank you all for the great suggestions. Sure enough, the issue was the negative terminal cable. I tightened it down as much as I could, but I can still move it a bit with just a little pressure. I've ordered a replacement cable and will be swapping it out soon...
  17. mijohnst

    Gradually hard starting

    My wife's Escalade with a 6.2 has a recurring issue that gradually gets worse over time. When you press the start button, the engine struggles to turn over...and the longer it goes, the harder it gets to start. The only reliable fix I’ve found is to replace the battery, which is why I stick with...
  18. mijohnst

    Another 5.3 AFM Dead Lifter Issue - Help Me Decide What to Do

    I feel for you. Last year, my wife's Escalade had a dead lifter. We stopped driving immediately, and I did it myself by watching different YouTube videos. It's been over a year, and it's still running great. I bought all the parts from Brian Tooley Racing and bought a good used Snap-on...
  19. mijohnst

    L86 gen 5 lifter kit

    Thank you, Dave! I couldn't have done it without this forum and people who take the time to show how things are done on YouTube. I don't know how people did stuff before YouTube. I did buy a month subscription from alldata.com for diagrams and torque specs, and that was very, very helpful! I...
  20. mijohnst

    L86 gen 5 lifter kit

    The dreaded start... I took the time to clean off all the carbon on the piston heads. It wasn't even an AFM lifter that went bad. Chewed up CAM. Done!
  21. mijohnst

    L86 gen 5 lifter kit

    Well, I finished up last week, and it seems to be running fine. I really appreciate your support there, @Geotrash. Here are a few lessons learned that I will watch for next time. 1. Make sure your crank seal is installed correctly. After starting it, I noticed a small leak. It turns out that...
  22. mijohnst

    Removing oil pan 6.2L

    I hear that's the best way to do any major engine work, but I have limited space, so working on it in the car was really my only option. I'm glad I pulled the pan off because I cleaned it well and replaced all the rubber gaskets inside.
  23. mijohnst

    Removing oil pan 6.2L

    This was precisely what I'd been looking for, and he did a great job explaining it. The only difference in my car is that I've got a 2WD, which means the engine sits lower. I have to remove the steering rack bolts to lower it down to get the pan out. This is an excellent video on removing and...
  24. mijohnst

    Removing oil pan 6.2L

    On my path to doing the AFM/DOD delete, I'm at the point where I need to remove the cam. I need to walk the chain off it so I don't have to remove the oil pump. I've seen people do it on YouTube, but after trying it, I feel like it's too much force. I've decided to go ahead and drop the oil...
  25. mijohnst

    L86 gen 5 lifter kit

    I decided to buy a kit from briantooleyracing.com because I had been reading reviews, and everything was positive. I talked to a guy there; he was very knowledgeable about my situation and put together a package for me to review. The total cost was about $1500, but that included everything I...

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