..motor still in car ? Once I get them off, do i give any detail to the tops of pistons or block surfaces ? thanks

 

yea, as long as you can get access to the bolts (especially the rear passenger side) you should be able to take the heads off without any problems, and as long as the pistons & cylinder walls look pretty clean, (cylinder walls should be evenly smooth or have a cross hatching pattern and pistons will have a thin uniform black carbon covering) you don't have to do anything to the bores/walls or pistons...however oil, antifreeze, a milky brown substance, holes, pits, deep scratches, etc should be looked at (post pics here and they'll be analyzed properly) professionally...

 

http://www.fl-thirdgen.org/mrr23-7.html

yes they can. and here's how.

 

Depends on how much patience you have...

Personally, I tried to tackle this a few weeks ago, but ultimately decided to pull the whole engine. The driver's side head isn't much of a problem, but the passenger's side seemed impossible to me. You need to take the exahust manifolds off to get to the lower (external) head bolts, and there was not near enough room on my car to get to some of the manifold bolts (some of those bolts need to deep-barrel sockets, and I didn't even have room to get the sockets on some of those bolts with the A/C unit in the way--let alone being able to get a rachet on the socket and being able to get some leverage).
It's been done, though...

 

I had no problem removing mine.

 

I'm going with #113 vette heads (used). Should I have anything done to them before use. Also what cam spec is good with those heads? .. It's a 305 ccQ-jet with shorties.. help appreciated! and can someone explain why the 86 sbc gets left out of alot of part listings, for example "85 and later or 87 and up".

 

Sure, follow the link at the end of my sig for instructions on porting and polishing those smallblock heads. It'll get you another 25 or 30 hp

There are four cams that will work nicely with your 305. Since an 86 engine is a flat tappet engine, they are the Crane PowerMax 260 or 266, or the Comp XE 256 or 262. You'll sure notice the difference in the 305 once you put this stuff on!

Prior to 1986, all smallblock Chevy engines were flat tappet cammed and had a two piece rear main oil seal.

In 1986 they went to a one piece rear main oil seal.

In 1987 they added a roller cam and lifters to every V8 you would find in a Camaro, TransAm or Corvette. They also changed the heads to centre bolt valve cover style, and revised the bolt angles in the heads for a redesigned intake manifold.

 

thanks for the good info Sitting Bull! Will check out your link. Also would a performer rpm intake(spreadbore) be worth the purchase? Was going to go with the factory aluminum intake, but all the casting marks are just plain ugly

 

I did mine with no problems.

 

Dude...I have replaced a head on an SBC in the car and it sucked...just pull the engine...

I say that because it will give you a chance to check out the bearings and re-gasket the engine...

How many miles on the engine right now?

It may seem like a lot of work to pull the whole engine, but you will be happier you did in the long run...

just my $.02...

 

Some people have found the Performer RPM won't fit under the hood of a thirdgen. Others have not had a problem. That is the only obstacle.

 

Do the birds or the camaros have more hood clearance? My firebird has and RPM intake and would the air cleaner would hit without the cowl. I do have a 1/2 in NOS plate though.

Also, I pulled my heads while the motor was in the car. Its not real easy but you can do it. My issue was properly torquing the new heads at "funny" torque wrench angles.



Mark

 

Camaros have more hood clearance. One thing some people have done is get a particular Corvette air cleaner that has a 3 1/2 inch drop base. Talk to F-Bird'88 about it.

 

I had the Performer RPM 7101 in my car,


and changed to this with the engine still in the car,

I swapped heads and cam while the motor was in the car.

 

Yes, we swapped the cam and heads with the engine still in my 1986 Sport Coupe. It wasn't difficult once you unhook the headers.

 

The biggest thing about pulling the heads with the engine still in the car is the weight of the heads, you have to bend WAY over the engine, and if you're tall it makes it worse.
If I were to do it again I'd remove the hood, this would make it much easier.

 

Oh, come on now. I've pulled my iron 396 heads out of the '57 with the engine in the car - twice.

Of course, the '57 sits higher off the ground than a 3rd gen. Put it up on ramps so you don't have to bend over quite so much..

 

When you're 6'4" and bending over to get under the hood of a camaro to lift a 50 lb+ iron head, it is a strain on the lower back that can do damage easily. Not to mention trying to carefully set them back in place without marring the new gaskets. Hood off would have been much easier.

 

that's why you get in the engine bay, pull the head off. sit it on the rad support. get out, and remove head off car.

 

A SBC barely fits in the enginebay, there's no way I'm going to fit in there with it.

 

Definitely pull the hood off...the best 10 minutes of the whole job...

Believe me...save on the back strain...Ask me how I know that....

 

well if you aren't removing the front part (water pump and stuff) to put in a cam, then no there isn't much room. but if all the front stuff is off, then you have plenty of room to get inside and stand on the ground.

 

so i take it the 2 accesory brackets have to come off too right?

 

yes. they are attached to the heads.

 

in order to put in a cam you hve to remove the water pump, drop the front of the oil pan(pain when in the car because of the crossmember) pull the timing chain cover and the radiator, ive done this many times to my camaro, ive swapped motors also, 305 to 350 350 needed align bored, back to 305, not enough power now to 406, 406 has no oil presssure, machine shops mistake, back out, crank turned, good to go, through a rod (stretched rod bolt) and now back out, ive learnt when working on anything major, to pull it, its ALOT easier, usually it only requires 6 bellhousing bolts, 3 tc bolts and motor mounts, just my .02 and i do agree its hard on the lower back to lift a set of headsout of an engine bay