With the block still installed in the vehicle, you can lap the block yourself by hand, but the lapping tool is like $400 and you need lapping compound. And you need to remove the dowel pins that are in the block (that help line up the head). And they don't just come out, you need to use a special puller. Plus it takes hours, upon hours to lap the block by hand, you are looking at, at least 12 hours of hand lapping, probably more if the block surface is really bad. Or you can rip the block out, strip it down and send it to a machine shop. Which is alot easier said than done.

Just use a stock replacement head gasket. Trust me, your block sealing surface is not in good enough condition for a metal head gasket. The block surface needs to be in brand new condition as in "straight off the assembly line" condition. The factory head gasket leaves "bite marks" in the block surface that need to be fully removed in order for a metal head gasket to not leak.

You should leave your cam covers on, their placement is crucial to your starting the auto at a later date. It's going to be easier to pull the entire tranny at the same time as the engine. I say easy but the truth is you have some work to do either way.


I lapped my block while still inside the engine bay. Because there's just no need to pull it if you can keep from it. I hope this doesn't bite me in the ass and if it does it'll be a ground zero rebuild.

well i dk, im not pulling the block. couldnt u just liek wet sand, steel wool, any other highhhh grit abrasiv material, it till its pretty much smooth?

That's what a lapping tool does. Its a heavy (like 60lbs) disc about 12 inches in diameter. You use a special lapping compound that acts as an abrasive. You can do this with the block in the car, but it WILL kill your back. And like I said you need to find a way to remove the dowel pins from the block because they will interfere with the lapping tool.

Hello those dowel pins are half the battle I think, lol.

ok well it seems the dowel pins r ganna be the problem, and if u can just wet sand it or use rubbing compound or sumthign to smooth it out y not just do that, i dont think u necceserily need a lapping too. u culd essentially use a disk sander with high grit and sum kind of rubbing compound, im almost 100% sure there ways around this...all i gatta do is take those pins out then.

Your'e almost 100% sure of what???? That your gonna be in the market for a new engine soon, or that you really want to rebuild the entire engine after 5 heat cycles. Because you'll be lucky to get that far if you take a da sander with 80 grit to the block.

I'm sorry but that's simply the most ignorant statement that I have heard in a long time. You can do this by hand if you have to without a lapping tool. You would be better to get a straight 2x4 instead of a powered sander.

Start with 240 grit and a sanding block from the autobody section of your local parts house. Get a feeler gauge and a tool with a machined edge. Use fresh cheap oil as lubricant. Atleast this way you can't screw anything up to the point of having to pull the block.

Whoa calm down there buddy :)

There is an easy way around it. I used a whiz wheel. It's a 90 degree angled die grinder with a whiz wheel attachment. I used the red 3M abrasive disc meant for aluminum (block is harder than aluminum, its cast iron). I just lightly hit the block with it, at light throttle, using circular motions, never staying in the same place for more than 1 second. You can see what it did to my block in my BHG post. I've been beating the shit out of my car for 200 miles so far and its just fine.

I had a lapping tool but no compound, plus I didn't even want to attempt to get the dowel pins out so I just went the easy way. You can say all you want about my method, but it works. My block actually looked better than ddmcse's did after he lapped it by hand. Thats not what I said, He said it after looking at my block in person.

and dude, b4 u try to call statements ignorant..maybe u shuld read what i had actually posted. i said use a high grit sand paper dude. 80 is not high grit. im talkin high enough that u wuld not feel uncomfortable wiping ur ass with it. 80 grit wuld do sum damage to ur butt hole.

I'm going to apologize to the both of you.

I'm passionate about all things auto. I get carried away.
So I apologize for funking up this thread.