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In the club!!!

WS6

WS6

Stay thirsty my friends
No...not the 11 sec club....the blown head gasket club:cry:

I've been braggin' to whomever will listen about the abuse I've been dishing out to my engine,including my last pass down the track as I went through the trap bucking up against the rev limiter....in second gear:wall:.

So today, we made a last minute decision to hit the track one last time. I've gotten the knock issue pretty much under control so I was confident today with 50 degree outside temps I was gonna net a low-low 12 pass.
But for some reason the track owners neglected to post on thier website that they closed early for the season so we spent an hour on the road for nuthin'...That is till we started effin' around on the way back home and I pulled out last from the restaurant we stopped at,I let everyone get up a ways and I nailed it...boost rose up and up till about 24 ish and all seemed normal(albeit a couple pounds more than I normal boost at) I saw no lights on the Casper's nor did I see any KR on the scanmaster. But as looked in the rearview mirror I oddly couldn't see anything but an enormous swirling cloud and the distinct odor of antifreeze in the air.....ahhh...forced induction and it's many trappings.

So...there I sat...in strange parking lot I coasted into, as my friends cars disappeared down the road...and damn...1 bar on my cell phone...but as I finally got a signal my GN buddy realized I must have had a problem and was on his way back.

I can't say that I'm pissed that it blew, I guess I always knew the pin was pulled on this grenade,it was just how long could I hold it!

What pissed me off was the trailer I borrowed had some short/steep ramps and the front bumper cover dragged on the bottom edge scuffing the crap out of it, and it's gonna need some paint work for sure....that chaps my ass more than the headgasket.

So...out comes the engine this winter...and from now on I'm going to put new headgaskets in every winter,that is as long as I actively race it.
 
Hey man, that happened to me on the road too before. Really really sucks. My car was not drivable after at all and I was in Jamestown ND. I live in Edmonton AB Canada. That really sucked. I know how you feel. The scrapping part too.

Did you have stock gaskets??

Maybe now you have a reason to port and polish you cylinder heads?? That is always cool.

Good luck man, I feel for ya.
 
I was running the Felpro 9441's (IIRC) and...don't be hatin'....torque to yield head bolts (ugh).

The car still runs...on what seems 4 cylinders or so...for the brief moment I needed to get it up on the trailer.

I'm not sad about it,except the paint damage.

I think I'll probably go through the engine and freshen it up and see how the bottom end is holding up and see if the new flat tappet cam held up this past year.
 
If you're interested in getting a stock set of heads ported let me know. My brother goes to School of Automotive Machinist and has access to a flow bench and all the necessary tools. He's done a couple sets of heads already a set of Edelbrock Pontiac heads and a set of LS1 heads along with helping some of the guys he guys go to school with. He's been wanting to do a set of LC2 heads but I told him I'm not taking my heads off until I have to. Send me a pm if you're interested, it'll be a lot cheaper than going with a shop.
 
Thanks Jared, I just may do that.:cheers:


72firebird said:
If you're interested in getting a stock set of heads ported let me know. My brother goes to School of Automotive Machinist and has access to a flow bench and all the necessary tools. He's done a couple sets of heads already a set of Edelbrock Pontiac heads and a set of LS1 heads along with helping some of the guys he guys go to school with. He's been wanting to do a set of LC2 heads but I told him I'm not taking my heads off until I have to. Send me a pm if you're interested, it'll be a lot cheaper than going with a shop.
Click to expand...
 
WS6 said:
I was running the Felpro 9441's (IIRC) and...don't be hatin'....torque to yield head bolts (ugh).
Click to expand...

Just wondering if you are going to use the GM graphite HG's next. Not hating... just curious.

Jared's idea is a great one. Jared is one cool dude. :dirol:
 
Damn, that sucks. Season is almost over anyway. The flat bed that picked me up after the trans went wasn't angled enough and it scratched the underside of my front clip a bit, and yeah I about shit my breeches.
 
JP112_89 said:
Just wondering if you are going to use the GM graphite HG's next. Not hating... just curious.
Click to expand...

I'm open to any suggestions on parts to use!...tell me more about GM graphite HG's.

I pulled the turbo off today and anti-freeze poured out of the elbow:sick:

Jared, I got your brother's note and I'll e-mail him here shortly...thanks!
 
RatFink said:
Damn, that sucks. Season is almost over anyway. The flat bed that picked me up after the trans went wasn't angled enough and it scratched the underside of my front clip a bit, and yeah I about shit my breeches.
Click to expand...

I'm certainly more cheesed-off about the paint damage than the head gasket...unless I find some bearing damage.


...
 
Well, I finally got around to pulling the motor and getting the top end torn down.

Here's what I found...not the typical #3 or #4 HG blow out but a good one none the less.
This one is the blown gasket and you can see it blew out towards the header and the circled area is where the composite material was being eaten away and was near to a typical blowout. It's hard to see in pictures but you can see carbon leakage past the fire ring from where the head was lifting. I don't what was going on with #6? it may have been so fragile that when the head was pulled it mangled the fire ring, as there is no marks on the piston or combustion chamber, like if it were being pounded by the piston.
HG2.jpg


..

This is the other side and you can see some more evidence of head lifting and probably not too far away from a blowout too.
HG.jpg

..
HG3.jpg


All in all it looks like I dodged a bullet per say.But I think I'll take the block and crank to the machine shop. I need cam bearings and maybe the crank polished. But the bearings look pretty damn good and I must say the flat tappet cam has held up fine too.


,,
 
So...out comes the engine this winter...and from now on I'm going to put new headgaskets in every winter,that is as long as I actively race it.
Click to expand...
I think it is funny when people say they have a unopened motor w/ 150K. They lost their minds...

Just think of the new gaskets you will be adding... Sealing the engine.:thumbup: That was one of my favorite benefits from replacing the valve train. Engine sounded worlds better once it was sealed back up.:dirol:


I must say the flat tappet cam has held up fine too.
Click to expand...
I absolutely love my roller cam. Amazing quiet... Costs a lot of money but no maintenance. If I could do it again I might try a solid flat tappet cam w/ the solid lifter w/ the oiling face. Costs a fraction of a roller setup, let's you rev higher rpm, no lifter pump-up... but you have to adjust the valves couple times a year. I think solid is a better design myself from what I have researched... in my humble opinion.

Sorry for the rambling... Did you order your HG's from Champion?
 
Last edited:
JP112_89 said:
Did you order your HG's from Champion?
Click to expand...


I haven't ordered anything yet, I looked into the GM composite and they're still available. I've looked at the RJC steel set with the GE sealant, but that looks like overkill for me.But I'm intrigued by his set up and would like to hear pros and cons of the steel shim style.



...
 
I used the rjc head gaskets, they work great and are really easy to use. He says you have to retorque them after boosting a few times. That is not really a big deal other than I am lazy but I did it anyway.

I used cometic gaskets in my other car too and they work well.
 
Well it is not really a big deal, you have to remove the valve covers and the exhaust headers to access all the bolts. removing the header is the only thing that is a pain for me. on the passanger side header you have to remove it from the head and turbo which I don't like, but what else can you do??

Definately worth doing though, cause my bolts needed to be torqued that is for sure.
 
boo go with the Felpros.

295 passes and counting on mine! :burnrubber:

I guess this will be the 4th summer for my car being raced by me? Not too bad!
 
Do you not have to retorque the felpros?? Just curious, I would assume you would retorque the head bolts with any gasket?

Just wondering.
 
I didn't retorque mine,the felpros, but I was using the TTY headbolts. I don't really know what the conscensus on composite style headgaskets is, but the steel shim,copper ones all call for a retorque.

The header unbolting is what I was thinking was/is a pain in the ass.

and what is
boo go with the Felpros.
Click to expand...
....
 
WS6 said:
I didn't retorque mine,the felpros, but I was using the TTY headbolts. I don't really know what the conscensus on composite style headgaskets is, but the steel shim,copper ones all call for a retorque.

The header unbolting is what I was thinking was/is a pain in the ass.

and what is
....
Click to expand...

I'm saying I'd use the Felpro's instead of the GM graphite ones.

Jason
 
Ya the cross pipe is a pain, mine had all different size bolts. Four different sizes!!.. I wrote them down for the future cause it is so annoying trying to find a socket to fit tight. Ugh....
 
unless you are running a built bottom end and forged pistons go with the felpros and get some ARP head bolts. Torque them down in 4 steps to 85 ft/lb and be done with them...I waited about 30 min to and hour between steps. TTA Cylinder head torque specs? - TurboBuick.Com

Stock pistons...consider your head gaskets as a vent vs. using RJC or Cometic HG's and blowing your pistons back through through your rare SG1 block...felpro HG's are a lot cheaper ;)

welcome to the club :)
Scott
 
I'm putting together 2, 109's this winter. One for a buddy and mine. I'll be using the GM graphite HG's, which look like nothing more than a $55 version of the $24 fel-pros...in black and not blue....but we'll see.

The other one we will be using the RJC steel HG's. He's looking to go a full second faster than me.



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