Kerr

So i had a shop put on my JBA headers....

Well my suburban has had a hard life, and apparently gm didnt put a lot of paint on the motor because its rusted. So when the shop went to take the factoy manifold off, they broke 3 studs, well long story short nothing will get them out. While i was standing there one said ill just melt it. Use the tip of the plasma cutter to melt the bolt. Fisrt one worked. bla bla bla, they couldnt get the other two out.

Well when i picked up the truck it idels fine and is quite, but when you drive it has a huge miss, and the exhaust gets loud like open headers. the service engine light flashes, and it "cams" at the red light like a 600 ci race motor, while at the same time backfireing threw the exhaust.... well its so bad i cant get up hill with a big block.. take it back to the shop dropp it off. I told them what it was doing and they said:
" you probably need plug wires"
I said : Well how do plug wires make your exhaust loud. It sounds like maybe you all forgot to hook up the EGR or a oxygen sensor, and i put new plugs and wires on last month.

he goes : no we dont forget to do any thing..

Me: fine well it doesent run so you have a problem, this was on wensday...


Well i was telling a friend of mine what they did and he said they probably burnt a hole in the head because the 8.1L motors have cast heads that would be real easy to damage with a plasma cutter..

So the next question is, how do you go about tracking down a damaged head?

I mean all have to go on is it ran like new when it went in, now it smokes like a diesel with the fuel turned up when you start it, and runs so bad you can hardley drive it. I mean i would not climb my drive way...

Stoichiometric

iTrader: (10)

Sorry to hear about your issues. If you can't see anything leaking or wrong with the exhaust bolted on, you may need to remove the exhaust on that side and see if the shop damaged the head trying to remove the manifold bolts.

GMCtrk

iTrader: (27)

I had the same problem as you with the 6.0L motor I got. The escalade was wrecked and I guess sandwiched real close to the engine. So they tried to take the manifolds off and broke 3 bolts off - 2 outside the head and 1 inside the head. We managed to get the 2 broken outside out with vice grips. The one that was broke off inside we tried to drill out and re tap the hole but it just kept eating drill bits. We used 3 washers and still got the bolt very tight on the new manifolds. Pretty much the only thing I can do is get a new head, but it's not causing any problems.

Kerr

Thats pretty much the same problem. they broke 3 easy outs, and two drill bits. Mine is on the second cylinder back on the passanger side. both studs, then last stud on the rear closest to the firewall.

I can see where factory plugs could have a problem with arching when used with the new headers, but what i dont get is the smoke and loudness...

If i have to get a head where do you look for a remaned. I dont have the cash to pop for $4K rayler heads right now...

regency

iTrader: (15)

well first off make sure they even put all the bolts back in it.

sonoma43

iTrader: (1)

well....I believe this would be the shops fault! Its not your problem they f'ed up. But if you want to tackle this it sounds to be more of an electrical prob. than a head issue. Check all the plugs, wires, and might even think about coil packs. It's very easy to damage a plug and not even know it, and I know most shops have the I dont give a flyin' f#$& attitude. They may have burned up a spark plug wire with there idea of torchin it!

Kerr

So true.

Im not working on it. I have company car so it can set at the shop until they fix it. I ask the other day what the plan was and he said new plug wires.

Then tuesday i took HP tuners down and the only code it its throwing is Misfires. I checked the plug wires just to make sure that some how they didnt get them on there wrong... and all is correct.

So today (thursday) they are suppose to be putting on the plug wire that JBA sales for there headers. I also told them to put in new plugs. HP was showing the injectores where flowing @ 98% after it would misfire. Just figure another $20.00 or so for plugs will not brake the bank.

Ill keep you all posted...

krambo

iTrader: (4)

So you plugged in HPTuners scaner... Is the misfires a P0300 code (random) or on one or two cylinders? Did you happen to see what your your fuel trims were during this log?

Kerr

Ok i got the burbn back...

It took for ever to get it done but its back...

The problem was with the plug wires and plugs. apparently two plugs where "cracked" before the project started. Im sure they where not but ill agree. The plug wires that JBS sends are just ends. You have to cut the factory plug wire and crimp these ends on which sucks.

I got new wires from jba, and new plugs, from autozone... fired wright up.

Now for the "open headers" noise.....

My sububrna is a 2500 with the 8.1L... No one really makes stuff for that. The headers where for a 8.1L suburban but the 3" mid pipes ( a option for Allison trans trucks ) I bought to. So once all back together the 02 sensor was hitting the floor board when you turned right or gave it about half throttle on the gas. After talking to some guys with 8.1L trucks i learned that they have a 1" taller body mounts. So when i gave it gas the 02 sensor hit the floor board causing the sensor to bend. Which resulted in a exhaust leak and loud roar from the metal sensor hitting the floor.

So all is good now!