Put my HEADGASKET ON BACKWARDS!!

Colin101234 · 09-18-2024, 02:52 AM

So I finished up my heads cam and took the car for the first ride and under a minute it starting blowing oil smoke. I shut it off and pushed it home. Upon pulling the intake manifold I realized it was drenched in oil and my catch can was instantly full so it was spewing oil out the pcv. Upon pulling the head I realized I put the damn head gasket on backwards like a dumbass.. Do any of you think this could have caused any issues? I talked to cam motion and they said no I didn't drive it long enough and that it was blowing combustion gasses past the gasket and into the crankcase and pressurized it, in turn causing it to spew oil out the pcv but it was hard to see any leaks on gasket because it ran for such a short period and its a cometic gasket. Any suggestions on anything I should check???? Do any of you think it could have done anything?

Warrior102 · 09-18-2024, 03:39 AM

That's why they print this side up on them, that was an epic fu though. Unless you got a crankcase full of coolant or oil in the cooling system I would just clean it up, change the oil and run it on the current plugs until clear and then change them.

ctrlz · 09-18-2024, 06:41 AM

I think you will be OK.
Other than being more attentive to gasket and other parts orientation, I would suggest maybe revving it a bit in the driveway before taking it out for a road test.
A long time ago I installed a new Holley carburetor on a '73 Challenger. While my brother was revving it I smelled gas in the exhaust. The power valve had been cross-threaded and fuel was getting around it.

Colin101234 · 09-18-2024, 08:41 PM

SO turns out the oil had nothing to do with the head gasket being on backwards. It was because I ground off the solenoids under the valley plate and that was what was causing my low oil pressure and it was spewing the oil up into my pcv. (This is because those solenoids keep the pressure from the tube that runs off the pressure sensor, I did not know this) It was litterally shooting oil around my valley at 30 psi and easily allowing oil to get sucked up through the pcv. Everything happens for a reason tho because that was my saving grace. It made me pull the head where I realized one of the gaskets was backwards. The head gasket did not blow and it was not pressurizing the crank case nor was coolant going into my oil. So it actually worked out and only cost me a few hundred bucks!!!!

Bigredwing · 09-19-2024, 08:58 AM

I guess this was another sacrifice to the Gods of Speed.

09-18-2024, 02:52 AM	#1
Colin101234 Drives: 2017 2SS 50th HCI Join Date: Feb 2022 Location: CT Posts: 20	Put my HEADGASKET ON BACKWARDS!! So I finished up my heads cam and took the car for the first ride and under a minute it starting blowing oil smoke. I shut it off and pushed it home. Upon pulling the intake manifold I realized it was drenched in oil and my catch can was instantly full so it was spewing oil out the pcv. Upon pulling the head I realized I put the damn head gasket on backwards like a dumbass.. Do any of you think this could have caused any issues? I talked to cam motion and they said no I didn't drive it long enough and that it was blowing combustion gasses past the gasket and into the crankcase and pressurized it, in turn causing it to spew oil out the pcv but it was hard to see any leaks on gasket because it ran for such a short period and its a cometic gasket. Any suggestions on anything I should check???? Do any of you think it could have done anything? Last edited by Colin101234; 09-18-2024 at 02:57 AM. Reason: Wanted to add the help icon

09-18-2024, 08:41 PM	#4
Colin101234 Drives: 2017 2SS 50th HCI Join Date: Feb 2022 Location: CT Posts: 20	SO turns out the oil had nothing to do with the head gasket being on backwards. It was because I ground off the solenoids under the valley plate and that was what was causing my low oil pressure and it was spewing the oil up into my pcv. (This is because those solenoids keep the pressure from the tube that runs off the pressure sensor, I did not know this) It was litterally shooting oil around my valley at 30 psi and easily allowing oil to get sucked up through the pcv. Everything happens for a reason tho because that was my saving grace. It made me pull the head where I realized one of the gaskets was backwards. The head gasket did not blow and it was not pressurizing the crank case nor was coolant going into my oil. So it actually worked out and only cost me a few hundred bucks!!!! __________________ 50th Anniversary Camaro, 1 7/8 headers, lt2 IM, CAI CAI, Frankenstein ported/milled heads(.025), Ductile Valve seats, Inconel EX valves, FED .700 dual springs, NON VVT Custom Cam Motion Cam (224,242[.638/.647] 114.5+3), CHE Trunions, Caddy R Lifters, 3 In catback, Borla atak mufflers, GPI tune.

09-18-2024, 03:39 AM	#2
Warrior102 Drives: 2018 2SS 1LE Black Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Cape Cod Posts: 650	That's why they print this side up on them, that was an epic fu though. Unless you got a crankcase full of coolant or oil in the cooling system I would just clean it up, change the oil and run it on the current plugs until clear and then change them.

09-18-2024, 06:41 AM	#3
ctrlz Drives: 2017 2SS, 50th pkg, M6, MRC, NPP Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Ocean City, NJ Posts: 3,323	I think you will be OK. Other than being more attentive to gasket and other parts orientation, I would suggest maybe revving it a bit in the driveway before taking it out for a road test. A long time ago I installed a new Holley carburetor on a '73 Challenger. While my brother was revving it I smelled gas in the exhaust. The power valve had been cross-threaded and fuel was getting around it.

09-19-2024, 08:58 AM	#5
Bigredwing Drives: 2023 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Aug 2023 Location: Leonardtown, Maryland Posts: 19	I guess this was another sacrifice to the Gods of Speed.

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