I have the Jeff Gordon Signature series Monte Carlo SS. I'm told it has a cracked head. When researching a reman head for it, I was told there were three different castings used on those cars and they needed to know which I casting number head need. Is there a data base with that info?


Also, is there any way to tell a cracked head from a bad head gasket? Can bad intake gaskets make it show like exhaust is getting in the coolant?


Any help appreciated...

 

Bad intake gasket​ will not put exhaust in coolant but bad head gasket could. Only way to know the heads cracked for sure is pull it off and have it checked at a machine shop. As far as different casting numbers im not sure what's going on there but I assure you if you have a N/a 3800 and head off a l36 or l26 will work. If you have a sc 3800 and l67 or l32 head will work

 

What part is cracked? Only place I've ever seen is between the valves.

 

I haven't had it taken it apart yet. I was trying to find out what head I need to get it in advance of getting it tore down to get it done quicker. I only have one car and was told it would take a week to get it done. I don't understand the week turnaround. When I was still able to do it I rebuilt engines over a weekend...

 

Yeah, a week is nuts. Definitely time to find a new shop or DIY it. They're probably going to take it apart send it out to a machine shop, and then get it back days later for reassembly.

if downtime is your concern, just pick up new head gaskets (and other top end gaskets) and a couple of good junkyard heads (just in case yours are cracked) and swap then yourself in half a day.

Unless they scoped it or something, I think a blown headgasket us far more likely (you'll need to replace it anyways), followed by a warped head. But 3800s are all over the place, just get some good junkyard ones and fresh gaskets and you'll be good to go. These heads aren't known for going bad so its very unlikely you'd have another issue with them (unless you overheat it or something).

 

It did overheat but I'm not convinced of a cracked head. Several people told me it is unlikely. I plan to get a head and get it checked out. My concern about that is whether the heads are different in some way on each bank. The SB Chevys I used to work on had different tapped holes etc. on one head some times. I sure wish I could do it myself. I have a plate and six screws in my neck and four rods and sixteen screws in my lower back.
I need a walker or cane to walk.