Blown head gasket

[89ICBM]

Howdy Amigos!

I thought ya'll might enjoy these pics, it sounded like a 357 goin off.

 

[MrMNTTA]

That's always fun!

 

[Quiky One]

Dang, how did that happen? Any details on the combo and motor?

Jason

 

[Grumpy]

Frank with the power you are goin to make maybe a better head gasket is in order

 

[Jan Larsson]

Wow no fun Frank! Do you happen to have a photo or two of the mating surface of the head (so the bottom head gasket side), I got a slight groove around each cylinder bore not very deep but it's there on the heads for each cylinder and was wondering if it should be there or if previous owner messed with them as they also been ported.

 

[Razor]

Frank.. sounds like you need better detonation control and handle the tuneup better. You may look into these areas..

Cometics will blow.. be happy you didnt graphite the inside of the engine.

julio

 

[Grumpy]

Cometics will blow.. julio

shhhhhhhhhhh

 

[89ICBM]

Dang, how did that happen? Any details on the combo and motor?

Jason


Howdy Jason!

Thanks for the response. Yep! Check my post on roller rocker arms. I can't remember off hand what the cam specs were but I will post back Monday, on this thread, what it was, off the top of my head, it was a 324/320 112. What happened was to much open spring pressure. I wiped the cam lobe on # 4 exhaust valve. Honestly! I was lucky. I have a stage 1 block, Eagle crack with forged steel rods, the pictures are the extent of the damage. I was running 20 lbs of boost at the time. Lesson learned! It's a great cam but, no flat tapet will live in these cars with more than 290 lbs of open pressure and I'm running 370. I'm running a 218/218 roller now.

 

[89ICBM]

Frank with the power you are goin to make maybe a better head gasket is in order

Yo! Dan! THE Grump Man!

You are correct and, ABSOLUTELY! I was runnin stockers at the time but I have comtics now. Actually, when you wipe an exhaust lobe, somethings gotta give. I think I'm lucky I had those stockers in there at the time. The bottom end is so called, bullet proof, but, under the conditions that this thing blew, who knows.

 

[89ICBM]

Frank.. sounds like you need better detonation control and handle the tuneup better. You may look into these areas..

Cometics will blow.. be happy you didnt graphite the inside of the engine.

julio


QUUEE PAASSAA JULIO?

Your advice is very welcome! The thing is, it wasn't the tune or detonation, I was running 114 octane gas at the time and 20 psi of boost and wiped #4 exhaust cam lobe. Who knows how much pressure was in that cylinder at wot. Hey! I did get a PLX Devise wide band.

 

[89ICBM]

Wow no fun Frank! Do you happen to have a photo or two of the mating surface of the head (so the bottom head gasket side), I got a slight groove around each cylinder bore not very deep but it's there on the heads for each cylinder and was wondering if it should be there or if previous owner messed with them as they also been ported.

Howdy Jan!

Yep! I do have pics of the heads, I just have to find them but, I can tell you straight up! There is no groove cut in the stock heads around the combustion chambers. That groove was cut, after market, for wire locks or seals if you will. Don't worry about it. There's no danger of a problem because of this and if yer worried about originallity, I don't think anybody is going to tear the motor down to see if it's as factory. I'll look for the pics of my heads for you.

 

[TURBO 6]

I blew a HG on my GN a few years ago. Drove it home 45 miles from the track like that. My HG looked exactly like yours. Your right it did sound like a .357 when it blew.

 

[Jan Larsson]

Wow no fun Frank! Do you happen to have a photo or two of the mating surface of the head (so the bottom head gasket side), I got a slight groove around each cylinder bore not very deep but it's there on the heads for each cylinder and was wondering if it should be there or if previous owner messed with them as they also been ported.

Howdy Jan!

Yep! I do have pics of the heads, I just have to find them but, I can tell you straight up! There is no groove cut in the stock heads around the combustion chambers. That groove was cut, after market, for wire locks or seals if you will. Don't worry about it. There's no danger of a problem because of this and if yer worried about originallity, I don't think anybody is going to tear the motor down to see if it's as factory. I'll look for the pics of my heads for you.

Thanks Frank, I'm more worried about if I can use the GM head gaskets or not. The groove is not very deep and is bay 1/4 of an inch out side of each cylinder bore. I took it all apart and through away the head gaskets and later when I started to clean and dissasemble the heads (like 3 month later) I noticed the groove and of course I could not look and see what type of head gasketes there where. Would I be ok to still run original headgaskets?

 

[89ICBM]

Would I be ok to still run original headgaskets?


Jan,

I don't believe you will have a problem. You would have remembered removing wire. It sounds like you had gasket material under the head and not wire. I recommend using Felpro gaskets and not the originals. Just look at the pic again andsee how distorted the other 2 fire rings are. Felpro's stay round.

 

[Jan Larsson]

Would I be ok to still run original headgaskets?


Jan,

I don't believe you will have a problem. You would have remembered removing wire. It sounds like you had gasket material under the head and not wire. I recommend using Felpro gaskets and not the originals. Just look at the pic again andsee how distorted the other 2 fire rings are. Felpro's stay round.

Did have head gaskets but did not see any wire. So you say they do this to run just a wire with no gasket?

I have a set of GM OEM headgaskets I plan to use but you are saying the Felpro is the way to go then and I'm fine even with that fine groove cut in the heads? Any pros or cons you see?

 

[89ICBM]

Did have head gaskets but did not see any wire. So you say they do this to run just a wire with no gasket?

That's right Jan, it's just the wire.

I have a set of GM OEM headgaskets I plan to use but you are saying the Felpro is the way to go then and I'm fine even with that fine groove cut in the heads? Any pros or cons you see?

Yes! It had gaskets on it and it didn't give you any trouble. Make sure you get knew head bolts, you can't reuse the stock head bolts. Check yer head bolts to see if they have ARP on the top of the bolts, if they do, you can use them.

 

[Jan Larsson]

Did have head gaskets but did not see any wire. So you say they do this to run just a wire with no gasket?

That's right Jan, it's just the wire.

I have a set of GM OEM headgaskets I plan to use but you are saying the Felpro is the way to go then and I'm fine even with that fine groove cut in the heads? Any pros or cons you see?

Yes! It had gaskets on it and it didn't give you any trouble. Make sure you get knew head bolts, you can't reuse the stock head bolts. Check yer head bolts to see if they have ARP on the top of the bolts, if they do, you can use them.

Yep got ARP head bolts everywhere so that will be fine. Thanks for all the help Frank.

 

[89ICBM]

Dang, how did that happen? Any details on the combo and motor?

Jason


Jason I told you wrong on the cam, it was a 230/224 Elgin cam.

 

[89ICBM]

Wow no fun Frank! Do you happen to have a photo or two of the mating surface of the head (so the bottom head gasket side), I got a slight groove around each cylinder bore not very deep but it's there on the heads for each cylinder and was wondering if it should be there or if previous owner messed with them as they also been ported.


Jan,

Here's a pic of the block side of my heads.

 

[Quiky One]

Dang, how did that happen? Any details on the combo and motor?

Jason


Jason I told you wrong on the cam, it was a 230/224 Elgin cam.

I only posted once...?

Jason