Head Gasket?

[rmcdaniels]

Coolant is low and oily, inside of coolant overflow tank has turned black, temp guage spikes if I redline it at full boost. Head Gasket? I'm in Atlanta so I can't do compression/leakdown. Runs fine, pulls hard.

If head gasket, should I just replace it or get it o-ringed? It lasted over a year and over 12K miles running 20 PSI of boost, which doesn't seem too bad to me.

[Skaterkid]

Right now, it sure sounds like a head gasket. Is there any bubbling in the overflow tank while the engine is running? I would find some way to get the compression tested to make sure.

As far as later on, I would try using ARP's and a MLS headgasket before using o-ringing. O-ringing means that you blow pistons before you blow headgaskets. Just my .02, more experienced guys may say different.

[rmcdaniels]

Right now, it sure sounds like a head gasket. Is there any bubbling in the overflow tank while the engine is running? I would find some way to get the compression tested to make sure.

As far as later on, I would try using ARP's and a MLS headgasket before using o-ringing. O-ringing means that you blow pistons before you blow headgaskets. Just my .02, more experienced guys may say different.
I think it just leaks under boost. When I get home tonight I'll pressurize the cylinders and look for bubbles. It was assembled with a Cometic MLS gasket and ARP bolts, maybe 20 PSI is just too much boost and it will only last a year or so. That's really not too bad considering the power it delivers, if I have to replace the head gasket every year or so, I can live with it.

[doctorstupid]

Sure sounds like a head gasket to me, why can't you do a compression/leak down test?

[forum]

Because he is in Atlanta, Ga and he lives in Raleigh, NC would be my guess. He probably just doesn't have his tools there :p

[rmcdaniels]

Because he is in Atlanta, Ga and he lives in Raleigh, NC would be my guess. He probably just doesn't have his tools there :p
Bingo, I was visiting my brother in Atlanta. He has no tools. I just got back home and will check it out tomorrow.

[saabracr]

Geez man. Seems as though you have to rip into your car pretty often. I know how it feels.

[doctorstupid]

No tools? And you sure you weren't visiting your sister? ;)

[rmcdaniels]

No tools? And you sure you weren't visiting your sister? ;)
He's the total opposite of me, an OCD neat-freak. He only buys almost-new BMW's. After we went drag racing, he cleaned his drag wheels, including scrubbing the treads until all the little rocks and dirt were cleaned out of them, then polished the wheels and put tire dressing on the sidewalls of the drag radials. I can't imagine him seriously wrenching on a car. He's a pretty good guy though, despite the fact that he isn't a big fat grease-under-the-fingernails slob like me.

[rmcdaniels]

Geez man. Seems as though you have to rip into your car pretty often. I know how it feels.
It's not too bad, most days I enjoy it, and replacing a head gasket is actually pretty easy on this engine as long as I only have to do it about once a year. Plus it'll give me a chance to use my snappy new torque wrench, I finally stopped using my beam-type wrench and got a clicker.

[john]

How much boost do you plan to run? If the car isn't going to be making massive HP, I'd replace the head gasket with a multi layer metal part, use ARP studs or bolts and add a few add'l ft/lbs to the torque spec.

My last car ran 30psi, made 800+ crank HP and ran a stock multi layer metal gasket, ARP bolts torqued and add'l 5 ft/lbs, and no leaks. :)

Did you replace the head gasket yourself last time, or did some garage?

[rmcdaniels]

How much boost do you plan to run? If the car isn't going to be making massive HP, I'd replace the head gasket with a multi layer metal part, use ARP studs or bolts and add a few add'l ft/lbs to the torque spec.

My last car ran 30psi, made 800+ crank HP and ran a stock multi layer metal gasket, ARP bolts torqued and add'l 5 ft/lbs, and no leaks. :)

Did you replace the head gasket yourself last time, or did some garage?
When I had the engine built the guy did the assembly for me, and yes he did do some fucked up things. I'll be doing it myself this time. Supposedly it has ARP bolts and a MLS head gasket, but I guess I'll know for sure soon.

[HONDA GHANDI]

O-ringing means that you blow pistons before you blow headgaskets.


BZZZZZZZZT! Wrong. With a built motor the headgasket and o-ring combination is still the weak link. Its just a much stronger weak link. A decent set of pistons and a good tune will withstand over 50-60 psi before the the ringlands begin to crack and rings begin to go away.

[rmcdaniels]

BZZZZZZZZT! Wrong. With a built motor the headgasket and o-ring combination is still the weak link. Its just a much stronger weak link. A decent set of pistons and a good tune will withstand over 50-60 psi before the the ringlands begin to crack and rings begin to go away.
Sounds like I haven't been running enough boost!

[HONDA GHANDI]

If C116 or methanol is available at the pump in NC then Im moving there. ;)

[rmcdaniels]

If C116 or methanol is available at the pump in NC then Im moving there. ;)
Nope, the best I've seen at my neighborhood BP is 100. Guess you have to stay up there. On the bright side, our tracks are still open down here.

[HONDA GHANDI]

On the bright side, our tracks are still open down here.


:Peace:

[doctorstupid]

How much boost do you plan to run? If the car isn't going to be making massive HP, I'd replace the head gasket with a multi layer metal part, use ARP studs or bolts and add a few add'l ft/lbs to the torque spec.

My last car ran 30psi, made 800+ crank HP and ran a stock multi layer metal gasket, ARP bolts torqued and add'l 5 ft/lbs, and no leaks. :)

Did you replace the head gasket yourself last time, or did some garage?
tsk tsk.... extra torque is not necessarily a good thing, and can actually do exactly the opposite of what you want...

[john]

I didn't put the add'l torque to the head studs w/o consulting with people who know much more than I do about such things. In my case it was a good thing.

[rmcdaniels]

Three bent exhaust valves, head was a little warped, one bad valve seal, got it milled .004 to get rid of the warpage, three new valves will be here tomorrow, and getting a valvejob and new seals on it. Not too bad, sure glad I took it to the machine shop.