Hello everyone I'm new to this forum. I have a 1989 Iroc 350 tpi blah blah, I got car about 3 weeks ago. I just go to start working on it, the first thing the fuel pump would not work so did normal proceeder got fuel pump working.
Now got to standard stuff oil,oil filter,fuel filter,flushed rad,cap+rotor,wires,NOW when got to spark plugs pulled the first 3 on driver side they had little rust on them(mind you the car has been sitting for 1 1/2 years o so) I get that for that long of time if not stored right you will get condesation(excuse spelling). got to back plug on driver side no rust on plug,no i got to passenger side the first 2 plugs they had oil and rust on them(thick coated just on tip you could see the electroned), go to the last 2 back plugs same litle rust just as the first 3 on driver side.
Just from my backyard skills the plugs with oil and little rust tells me it has a blown head gasket, but there was no coolant in the oil when i changed the oil the rad fluid had no oil in it, I'm really in the mood to do a head gasket repair(have a 406 stting on engine stand). I'm doing a compression check tomarrow if I get time.
What I want to know is this a blown head gaket without doing a compression check. I was going to get it running see if it leaks or not.
The reason I dont want pull heads off when got the car it has 106,789 miles on it at 95,897 miles it had a gm crate motor put in I have all of the paper work for the car I will be the second owner of this car the original owner took care of the car very good, till a couple years ago the car got hot, and it has been parked since then and not moved it was coverd up with good car cover.
The car has been sitting down the road from my friends house I stop about every other month to see if the old lady wanted to sell it I alway got
"No the car not for sale I'm going get it fixed one day you'll be first know if it is for sale" Well 3 weeks ago I stopped see if it was for sale, by my surprise the lady said "you must like this car alot keep asking......" I told her one of my favorite cars in the world(which is a 100% truth I have always wanted a 1987 to 1989 Camaro Iroc Z28) She said,"make me offer" I really did know how to make an offer for, I know the lady took real could care of the car, I said "well how much do you want for it", she stood their for awhile and said, "Well I got of aleast $5000.00 for it", I look at her said I really don't have that kind of money, she came down off the steps and came to the car and was pulling cover off and got in side and was showing me all the paper work she had on it (oil changes,tires,brakes etc etc) She look at me said with this serious look,"How much cash you got on right now" I said,"I got some cash on me I just got paid, but I got pay some bills and get food etc." She said,"Go pay your bills and come back see me when your done" so I did.
I came back I had like $125 in cash on me, I said told her how much I had she said,"thats not enough but that will do, can you mow grass and weed eat" I said,"shore I can"
Well I'll cut to the end of the story I have mow and weed eat her grass this summer for the remainder of the money I owe her, it takes me 45 minutes to mow weed eat her grass she has got 1 acre of yard thats cumsumed of a house, a garden, a shed, a pool. easyed job I could have I think, and the real kick to the story she gives $20.00 everytime get done mowing so I think Ms.Reagle is nicest lady in the world she knows in her heart that a good person has got the car of his dreams(maybe not to some people but to me its the best thing ever happen to me)
That's my story and sticking to it!!!!thanks jeff

 

Have you tried a pressure test on the cooling system?

 

Did a comperssion check today motor had no pressure in any of the cylinder nothing really good made 6 or 8 lbs in one or two if was lucky, Started pulling stuff off today, This is my first TPI motor so I marked every wire hook up with tape with numbers and had list of the numbers where they go, so want f56k sh8t up my dad says they go one place thats it you cant mess it up. I got a 400 bored .030" over with trw flat tops and steel crank, I also have a 355 bottom end,cant really decide which one to use, I thinking of going with carb setup, I not really firmilier with TPI stuff I guess if put either motor in Ill have to get ecm reprogramed. Well I'll keep you guys update on the build thanks jeff

 

Great story. Sounds like a real nice lady. She obviously wanted the car in good hands and wanted to see it get the same love she gave it. Make sure you get it running great and take her for a spin. See if you can't put a smile on her face... haha, jk.

 

I'm back with update going with a 350 .030" with mild set of heads, (2.02" intake valves, 1.60" exhaust valves, screw in studs, guide plates, 1.6, 1.5 roller rockers, valves springs good for up to .550" lift, port+polish+gasket matched, blah,blah,blah).
Bottom end is 350 .030" over TRW flat tops forged, cast crank polished, pink rods, high volume oil pump, 4-bolt main, new freeze plugs, total sealed rings file fitted, Pete Jackson noisy gear drive,Cam is going to be a 313* 510* w/112 center lobe, lifters are rhoads variable pump up lifters<<< great for running a stock stall converter.
Bolt on stuff underdrive pulleys, smog pump delete, flowtech headers,flowtech y-pipe, 4" single flowmaster.
As for fuel system I have not decided if I'm going back with TPI, or going with carb setup. I'm not really shore about TPI stuff I know with all the things done to my motor I'm going the TGO for my ansewers. Well I'm on vacation June 15-19 I'm hoping to get this thing up and running by the end of that week, bottom end is done, the heads are done they both have been done for year or so I was going to put them in a 91 S10 I got but sold the truck to fond my dream car ""ghostdevil" is the name that my dad called for some reason, his going to paint it for me in july it's going to have white ghost flames on it, the flames I want are the ones you can't really see enless you see them from the reflection of light(sun), my POPS has been painting cars for 35 years, he does not paint cars much since he retired last year he was going to paint the S10 I had, but now the Camaro will be the last car he paints for me.
So I wanted to make shore this was the car I wanted to keep forever which it is, the color is DUPONT'S HOT HUES BLACK CHERRY, that will have about.....8 coats of clearcoat on it wet sanded buffed etc etc.
THANKS FOR READING MY POST I'll keep up to date on things try get pics up not to good with computers thanks jeff

 

What heads? Please dont tell me it's some 70's smogger heads with a bunch of wasted machine work going into them.

What's the casting number?

 

"What heads? Please dont tell me it's some 70's smogger heads with a bunch of wasted machine work going into them.

What's the casting number?"
No there not a set of wasted machine work heads they are really good heads that I have had for years casting# 3927186 off a 1969 350 SBC, there 64cc chambered factory 2.02" 1.60" they been shaved just enough to make them flat. As far I'm concerned they are good set heads I got maybe $200.00 bucks in them that's it. That what got in the stainless steel valves(MANLEY), some off the ebay screw in studs, (COMP CAMS)valve gudies, (PROFORM)roller rockers, (COMP CAMS)hardened pushrods, (FELPRO)valve seals, 3 angle valve job<<me, pocket ported the bowls<<<me, port+polish<<me to let you everyone know my uncle owns a machine shop he lets me use his shop when I need to do machine work he lets me do all the work but does show and tell me how its done. my Uncle Ed has had is own shop for over 34 years when comes to SBC Ed knows his sh8t PERIOD.
I'm really happy to of an uncle in the machine shop trade.
Need any more info guys just let me know. thanks jeff