Ok, this will be the third time in the last two years I’ve had my engine out. First time, a wasted crank, second and third times a blown head gasket. This is not cool.
I’ve read up on most of the old threads about blown head gaskets and I want to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Here’s what I’ve learned.
1) The three most important things to keep from blowing a head gasket are, tuning, tuning, tuning. It was a struggle to keep the car from knocking on the street or at the track. Most of the time I would have little or zero knock and others it would go to red on my knock gauge. I tried taking out some timing on my chip but the gasket gave out anyway.
2) Make sure you don’t have a fuel pump problem. I read where one guy set his pressure at 43lbs but didn’t know the pressure would take a dive at WOT. This is one of the reasons I think I’ll switch my scan tool to Power Logger. I understand you can connect it up to record both fuel pressure and boost. By the way, is it just me or does anyone else fine it difficult to watch the boost gauge and knock gauge while steering and trying to cut a good light all at the same time.
3) Cometics are the bullet proof gasket but Felpros are the way to go if your car is street strip and your not running meta boost. Again, I read where Cometics are great and guys have little trouble with them but some say that your head gaskets are the safety valve in these high output little engines. If the tuning or something else is wrong then its better to blow a gasket than grenade a piston or throw a rod.
4) Alcohol is a safe way to run 20 plus lbs of boost without knock. My system is the SMC. As you probably know it doesn’t cut in until 11 or 12 lbs of boost. I’ve always been a little unsure if it’s really getting the juice when it’s supposed to. There’s another thing I have to watch. Is that little yellow light coming on? I think I’ll switch to Razors progressive system just so I‘ll feel a little more secure.
5) Retorque them head bolts. Here’s where I may have blown it (pun intended). I have ARP head studs and I thought sure you didn’t need to retorque. But then I read where you do need to. Well, I didn’t! Maybe that was the whole problem.
Anyway, if any of you experts would like to chime in on this, tell me where I’ve gone wrong or add what ever, I sure would appreciate the help. I know the head gasket subject has been beat to death on this site, but maybe there’s something new under the sun. Thanks.
I’ve read up on most of the old threads about blown head gaskets and I want to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Here’s what I’ve learned.
1) The three most important things to keep from blowing a head gasket are, tuning, tuning, tuning. It was a struggle to keep the car from knocking on the street or at the track. Most of the time I would have little or zero knock and others it would go to red on my knock gauge. I tried taking out some timing on my chip but the gasket gave out anyway.
2) Make sure you don’t have a fuel pump problem. I read where one guy set his pressure at 43lbs but didn’t know the pressure would take a dive at WOT. This is one of the reasons I think I’ll switch my scan tool to Power Logger. I understand you can connect it up to record both fuel pressure and boost. By the way, is it just me or does anyone else fine it difficult to watch the boost gauge and knock gauge while steering and trying to cut a good light all at the same time.
3) Cometics are the bullet proof gasket but Felpros are the way to go if your car is street strip and your not running meta boost. Again, I read where Cometics are great and guys have little trouble with them but some say that your head gaskets are the safety valve in these high output little engines. If the tuning or something else is wrong then its better to blow a gasket than grenade a piston or throw a rod.
4) Alcohol is a safe way to run 20 plus lbs of boost without knock. My system is the SMC. As you probably know it doesn’t cut in until 11 or 12 lbs of boost. I’ve always been a little unsure if it’s really getting the juice when it’s supposed to. There’s another thing I have to watch. Is that little yellow light coming on? I think I’ll switch to Razors progressive system just so I‘ll feel a little more secure.
5) Retorque them head bolts. Here’s where I may have blown it (pun intended). I have ARP head studs and I thought sure you didn’t need to retorque. But then I read where you do need to. Well, I didn’t! Maybe that was the whole problem.
Anyway, if any of you experts would like to chime in on this, tell me where I’ve gone wrong or add what ever, I sure would appreciate the help. I know the head gasket subject has been beat to death on this site, but maybe there’s something new under the sun. Thanks.
(are you using meth or some other alky?) Don't forget you can move the turn on point of the smc up or down as you require. I have mine set for 10#s.
