2.8 Headgasket and Bad oil leak?

[zoideraserb]

I'm surprised there isn't a writeup for head-gasket replacement on the 2.8, But then again i may have overlooked it. but i did search though. I'm getting a 89 Beretta, with of-coarse, the 2.8. It needs head-gaskets and has a oil leak, from where i have no idea. I'm just worried about the hg's right now. So i know, pull the upper intake, lower intake ect. and when i get to the heads pull each push-rod and make a cardboard holder to mark where each one goes. but is there anything else i should know or watch out for? I'm goin to have the heads checked for cracks and put on a straight edge and have milled if i have to. The only other thing i am worried about is the exhaust manifold bolts and how hard it may be to get to the back ones. The car still runs good but has coolant in oil and oil in coolant, ect. I'm just surprised at the power it still has for having a bhg.. It will still roast the front tires lol. But if anyone has any advice for me it would be greatly appreciated!

[pocket-rocket]

I usually get the down pipe bolts from under the car with a really long 1/2" extension. Most 60v6 exhaust manifold bolts I've messed with usually come off fairly easy without heating but there are some that like to be a pain, so have a propane (or better yet MAPP) torch handy. I would also change the distributor O ring while having it that far torn down. I wouldn't be surprised if that is where your oil leak is.

[zoideraserb]

its dis, no distributor in it lol. Just the 3 coil packs on front of the motor with the control module.

[walterdude]

There is a cap that goes where the distributor would go and it uses a standard distributor O-Ring. Make sure to get the "New" style O-Ring, it's Brown in color and made of a different material (higher heat and more oil resistant)... It IS a common problem with ALL 60* GM V6s.. The DOHC requires removal of the rear head to do it by the book, there ARE shortcuts tho... Pushrod engines are much easier to do...
Hope this helps,,,
Tom..

[pocket-rocket]

its dis, no distributor in it lol. Just the 3 coil packs on front of the motor with the control module.

I know it's DIS If that distributor plug weren't there your oil pump wouldn't be able to turn. It's kind of like the bottom half of the distributor. If it weren't there the cam wouldn't have any way of turning the oil pump. Like Walter mentioned, the o ring on it is a big common problem for any 60v6. I guess I should have been more specific and said "distributor plug o ring"

[zoideraserb]

There is a cap that goes where the distributor would go and it uses a standard distributor O-Ring. Make sure to get the "New" style O-Ring, it's Brown in color and made of a different material (higher heat and more oil resistant)... It IS a common problem with ALL 60* GM V6s.. The DOHC requires removal of the rear head to do it by the book, there ARE shortcuts tho... Pushrod engines are much easier to do...
Hope this helps,,,
Tom..

i stand corrected, i forgot that the blocks are just about all the same for the 2.8s. I was looking and noticed the cap almost right below the TB and there is some oil around it, so maybe thats my leak. But this car just surprises me time and time again, it starts quick and still has power, so maybe its just the lower intake manifold gasket thats bad? i want to do a compression test though. But If i tear it down to get to the LIM gasket then i might as well go ahead and do the Heads while i'm in there am i wrong?

[walterdude]

My 2 cents:
I'd check the compression before I tore it down that far... From reading around here the head gaskets seldom go bad... The LIM gaskets on the other hand,,, well,,, that IS a common problem... The "Metal" Felpro LIM gaskets seem to help greatly.. Not sure if they are available for 2.8 tho...
That oil cap leak is a common problem. And it can "seem" be coming from just about anywhere.. The new O-Ring will fix that,, as mentioned...
I would check compression tho,,, it's easy enough!!
Luck,,,
Tom...

[zoideraserb]

But isn't it possible to have a head gasket blown and still have compression? there is no white smoke from exhaust, so come to think of it i know that it will have good compression.. But on the other hand it had coolant/oil mix going on. I'd just hate to get it down all the way to the LIM and then put it back together to have it leak :/.... PLUS while it has like 140k on it i'm sure it wouldn't hurt to have some new gaskets.

[Maverick H1L]

But isn't it possible to have a head gasket blown and still have compression? there is no white smoke from exhaust, so come to think of it i know that it will have good compression.. But on the other hand it had coolant/oil mix going on. I'd just hate to get it down all the way to the LIM and then put it back together to have it leak :/.... PLUS while it has like 140k on it i'm sure it wouldn't hurt to have some new gaskets.

Yes, it is possible to have a bad head gasket without losing a drop of coolant to the exhaust. When my 3.1 was installed, it had a compression leak between cylinders 3 and 5 through the head gasket (factory gaskets on junkyard engine with unknown mileage). Replaced the head gaskets and suddenly the 118 and 132 PSI in those cylinders shot up to over 160.

Do a compression test. Better yet, just throw a set of head gaskets on there anyways to save future troubles, since it's torn down that far anyways. The factory head gaskets are SOOO bad compared to FelPro and others.

[SappySE107]

what are "metal" felpro gaskets?

[Maverick H1L]

IIRC, when I did mine with the FP replacements, there was a piece of paper showing gasket composition... Apparently, the FelPro gaskets have a couple thin layers of metal making up the base of the gasket, as compared to the carbon crap that the factory junk uses. At least, I think this is what it is. There has to be some reason why the cheap replacement gaskets cost almost an eighth of what the GOOD gaskets cost (my FelPro HS8699PT2 gaskets cost me $16 a piece and there are ones that are even more expensive out there, especially for the 3x00 series).

[walterdude]

"Metal" Felpro LIM gaskets
"Metal" just means the new/upgraded LIM Gasket as opposed to the "Stock" plastic ones. I think Dorman makes a metal one also. As I said I don't know if they're available for 2.8/3.1s,, you DON'T list them in the store,, so probably not...
My point was just to confirm HG before doing all that work...
If I misstated or confused,,, SORRY!!
Tom...

[zoideraserb]

Well after waiting and waiting for the title to the car that i've justly dubbed "Christina", After the Never dying car from the movies named "christine" lol... I got it and now the work can commence. So if anyone could point me in the direction of the torque specs and pattern for the uim, lim, and heads. And if available the exhaust manis, and the rockers. I'm going to just do it all at once.. Head gaskets, LIMG, UIMG, exhaust mani gaskets, and all the rest of the various gaskets on the upper end. Also does the accessory brackets bolt to the heads? If so then thats going to give me a headache i'm sure lol. And should i get a new head bolt set? or are the factorys not the "torque to yeild" throw-aways?