New Head Gaskets Keep Blowing - ?

beefcake

Founding Member
Feb 24, 2000
201
0
16
Cincinnati, OH
a few weeks back, i started loosing antifreeze, wasn't burning out the back, wasn't leaking, wasn't going into the oil.

figured blown head gasket, as there were bubbles in the antifreeze, if i made sure the car was full before driving it, i could drive it an hour or more with no overheating

Take it apart, i believe it was the #3 cylinder was blown to the top, so i figure it was blowing into the intake and burning up

we used the felpro 1011's the first time $30 per side, as soon as the car was fired up , it started leaking water into the oil, my buddy takes the intake back off and reseals, puts it back together, same thing,

so, we get the felpro 9333's upon jeff's recommendation, he puts it all back together, calls me today, tells me to pick it up, it's running fine

i call him about 2 hours later to arrange a time to pick it up, he tells me that he ran down the street with it, and it blew the gasket out again

he sent the heads to savage to have them cleaned and decked, so i would think they shouldn't be warped. as it wasn't leaking into the oil b4, i can't see it being warped, especially since i had the heads milled.

so, my question is, what the heck can the problem be?
 
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The block surface where it mates to the heads may not be flat. A machinist straight edge and feeler gauges would be needed to detect low spots
 
if it keeps blowing in the same spot over and over and youve already milled the head, the block is most likely warped and the block needs to be decked. That means the motor has got to come out.
 
i find that unlikely, simply because i blew the # 3 cylinder, and ran the car for weeks with no problem under boost, and now, both sides are blowing under idle,

i think i'm going to pull the heads and take them back to be milled another 5 thousanths, also, my buddy had been torquing 70 and 80 and i've been told 80/85 and 90/95
 
beefcake said:
also, my buddy had been torquing 70 and 80 and i've been told 80/85 and 90/95
depends on what you put on the bolts...if you use ARP thread sealer, I believe it's 70. Using normal moly lube bumps it to 80 I believe. For the love of god, don't overtorque! The last thing you want is a broken bolt in your block and those things are so strong, you'd prob. have a hell of a time drilling into it.

Maybe not the best idea, since it has to be blowing them for a reason, but it wouldn't blow copper gaskets :lol: It might blow your rings or seals, but you sure won't blow a gasket!

*I forgot to check your sig, just noticed the blower...that may be your problem! Is it tuned properly? How's the timing? Maybe it's predetonating and blowing them :shrug: