Blown Head gasket Pics

[dynoman]

I decided to pull the head after getting low compression (20 & 50 psi ) in the last 2 cylinders and this is what I found . My question is are these "normal" head gaskets ? I can't find any ID # on them anywhere. Can I mic them for thickness and should I measure bore ID ? The motor is suppose to be .030 over.
Thanks Sam

 

[FreeBoost]

I decided to pull the head after getting low compression (20 & 50 psi ) in the last 2 cylinders and this is what I found . My question is are these "normal" head gaskets ? I can't find any ID # on them anywhere. Can I mic them for thickness and should I measure bore ID ? The motor is suppose to be .030 over.
Thanks Sam

They look like cometics

 

[pdzz]

They look like a MLS, multi layer steel. Possibly Cometics? What happened? Phil.

 

[dynoman]

I was tracking down what sounded like an exhaust leak. I found a bad header gasket , cracked collector, and while I had it apart I checked compression which was low on that side. I had a gauge on the fuel rail that I adjusted pressure to and it turned out to be reading 9 psi low . I was getting knock and backfiring. After straightening out the FP problem it seemed to run great with no KR but was making the exhaust leak sound . See what a bad gauge can cause, double check everything !!!!
Phil where in upstate NY are you ? I'm near Rochester.

 

[MichBC3]

When I bought my Turbo Trans Am, it also had a fuel pressure gauge mounted on the fuel rail. It also had one inside the car on the "A" pillar. I was told that the A pillar gauge was broken. I confirmed that as fact and figured no big deal. I replaced it. It was then that I discovered that the underhood gauge was reading 17 psi higher than actual.. so actual fuel pressure at the rail was only 26 - instead of 43. Needless to say, I'll never use fewer than 2 gauges - and both of them HAVE to be working and in agreement with each other.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

FWIW, Most of the mini type, rail mtd gauges I check on the inj bench, are JUNK....
From as little as 3psi to near 10 off......

 

[MichBC3]

Mini-gauges: "3 to 10 psi off" That can certainly be true. But mine (so far) tracks with my in-car Autometer. So I always check them both when making a regulator adjustment. If they don't track together, I don't drive the car until I find out why.

 

[TurboJim]

Are you kidding me? There is no way that gasket ran "normal". You would have found that by diagnosing the driveability problem that you I guess didnt hear or feel??

And BTW, under load that would have probably whistled... or at least a fweefweefweefweee

 

[dynoman]

When I say it ran "great" I mean that there was no KR or backfires and it ran "great" only for a short run before I noticed the leak. It must have let go right during or just after that run because I was under to car fixing the leaking crossover pipe from driverside header just before that and the HG wasn't leaking then.

 

[turbows6]

Honestly you'd think your BLM's would have been so far out of whack you'd have known there was something wrong if you only had 26#'s of fuel pressure.

I'll admit that I'm guilty of trying to rationalize an obvious problem myself occasionally though.

 

[TurboBuRick]

Are you kidding me? There is no way that gasket ran "normal". You would have found that by diagnosing the driveability problem that you I guess didnt hear or feel??

And BTW, under load that would have probably whistled... or at least a fweefweefweefweee

I had cometic hg that looked real similar and had no issues. Never knew till I pulled the heads for other reasons. The design of these gaskets (multi layer) allows to stay sealed up even though one layer is damaged. It's a beautiful thing.

 

[dynoman]

This thing sounded just like a real bad header gasket no whistling at all. The only difference was when I shut off the car the last piston stroke, as the motor was stopping, sounded like a short blow-off. There were no BLM problems before and I wasn't recording at the time it let go. My FP gauge said 42 psi but it was 33 psi ( @ idle) before I corrected it thats when I had driveability problems .
I'm thinking of using SCE titan gaskets anyone use them ??
Thanks Sam

 

[qwks6]

I've heard nothing but good things about the RJC gasket, so I put some in on my last build. Haven't blown them yet

I have heard of people lifting their heads and having to re-torque, but to my knowledge I haven't heard of somebody blowing one yet.

RJCRacing The leaders in Buick Performance and Innovation

 

[black hole]

blown head gasket

I recently bought a second 87 grand national all stock w/a blown head gasket to fix and flip, It's very clean 68k mile original paint, window sticker, and all the books in the glove box. Getting back to my question I was planning on using felpro 9441 head gaskets and ARP head bolts, but having not been down this road before on one of these I thought I should ask the forum for advice in regards to the quality and reliability of these parts on a stock GN well stock meaning adj FP hot wire 18psi pump gas TT chip with stock turbo, cam, heads, intake, ect.