Quench area...im an idiot, 3500 oops

[merlot566jka]

i used the 3.4 iron head gaskets, making a quench area of .020....wow how did i do that? why didnt i realize that before i bolted it together? wtf

i just caught on when Ben said something about it in a head gasket post. thanks ben!

.040 head gaskets (.045 as i measured them after they had been ran) and the 3500 piston pops up .020 (i measured .017, but cant get it perfect with out the dial indicator....not that important) means i had .020 between the piston and head. explains why when my rod let loose i saw a clean area on the heads above the piston....the piston met the head. that was the god aweful noise i heard too. wow, nothing gets past me.

any one else have any input? wanna make fun of me? got a part number for 3500 head gaskets?

[Superdave]

wow... I thought i'd made it pretty obvious not to do that a month or 2 ago when i had the same problem...

I measured with my dial indicator the other day and only got .009" of pop-up, but when i had measured the first time i had about .019"..

http://60degreev6.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38702&highlight=Piston

you even saw what would happen

[SappySE107]

I only got .010...so I don't really know what to make of any of this anymore. Ill measure again when my engine is on the stand.

[Superdave]

I only got .010...so I don't really know what to make of any of this anymore. Ill measure again when my engine is on the stand.

The first time i measured i used a straightedge across the top of a piston and slid a feeler gauge under it, that was where i got .019".. the 2nd time i mounted a dial indicator to a headbolt, 0'd it off the deck and then rotated the headbolt a few mm to the top of the piston. .009", checked on #2, #4 and #6.


Ben, hae you noticed that the 3500 exhaust valve seems extra thick? Maybe that's part of the problem...

[merlot566jka]

it is really thick, i had one smack right into #4 piston, only one tho.


but i built this engine back in nov/dec. didnt know the carnage till i got where i am now. looking back, that was a foolish mistake

[merlot566jka]

wow... I thought i'd made it pretty obvious not to do that a month or 2 ago when i had the same problem...

I measured with my dial indicator the other day and only got .009" of pop-up, but when i had measured the first time i had about .019"..

http://60degreev6.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38702&highlight=Piston

you even saw what would happen

perhaps i wasnt really getting the whole picture, i precived it as a problem with your cam and lift!

[SappySE107]

Hmm, yes, it does seem a little thicker margin than the 3400 exhaust valve. I haven't compared it closely but I will do so when I get home. I will take a pic even, with the stainless valve as well.

[Superdave]

Hmm, yes, it does seem a little thicker margin than the 3400 exhaust valve. I haven't compared it closely but I will do so when I get home. I will take a pic even, with the stainless valve as well.

It just seems like the intake valve sits way down in the head and the exhaust sticks out a bit much... stupid GM.. lol