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For those of you who have damaged your head gaskets with too much boost, when you removed the head to replace the gasket, was the blown gasket visibly damaged/cracked?
I blew my HG about 3 months ago while tuning the car with a faulty wastegate actuator (which caused all sorts of boost spikes 11+ psi). I got the common symptom of a pressurized coolant system with all of the coolant pushed out through the overflow bottle (and then an overheated motor). Later on, I had the coolant system tested chemically which proved that combustion by-products were definitely leaking into the coolant system. Anyways, the headgasket is being replaced now. Everything looks good with the head off: pistons are fine, block is fine, head is not warped or cracked (passed all pressure tests).
What I find odd though is that the old head gasket doesn't appear to have any major damage. Some of the rubber seems to be damaged, but the metal part is still intact and not at all cracked.
What did your head gasket damage look like? I'm just worried that there's something else wrong -- not the head gasket. Not sure what it might be though, given the described symptoms.
On a related note, what's the latest general consensus on what the max pressure our stock head gaskets (with stock head bolts) can withstand before cracking? 8 psi daily seems to be safe for most people -- properly tuned of course. What if you see random boost spikes around 10 psi here and there? Is that okay?
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
-jB
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11psi daily is what some of us are running its all about the alcohol injection
that is why SF rules...
and from what little i know.. sometimes the headgasket gets flattened or pressured which causes it to leak but not break. i duno thats just my 2 cents..
I went through 4 head gaskets. None of the metal was cracked. That isn't what makes the seal. The rubber rings that go around the cylinder holes are what go and cause the coolant to get into the cylinders.
You should also inspect the head for cracks in the combustion chamber and also make sure the head isn't warped. I'm not too sure if either is a common problem on the D17 or not. Im not familar at all if our block surfaces can have an effect on the sealing of the combustion chamber, but im sure you would want to make a inspection of it too.
__________________ 169.8whp / 154 ft lbs tq @ 7psi with an auto trans! Click Image for my turbo install!
13.38 @ 109.13 ... 2.412 60'.. i need tires!....
SF RULES street and track
1st 7th gen with a DHRACING crank pulley> havent been to track with it on yet
How would alcohol injection make a diff? you still have the same amount of pressure pushing on the gasket, and the rest of the internals. Alcohol just helps w/ cooling and detonation.
head gaskets mainly blow because of slight detonation. Dont go and say its from too much cylinder pressure and that it never detonated. Dave hickman ran 9's on the stock head gasket. If you prevent it from detonating, you wont blow a gasket easily. If his boost was spiking, then he was most likely running into light detonation. The alcohol does an extremely good job at preventing detonation.
__________________ Out with the Old, In with the new..... Motor that is
Originally posted by civic01vtec alot of drag cars use OEM head gaskets b/c u are better off having the gasket blow to alert u of damage b4 something serious get screwed up.
This is very true as well. It's good to have a weak link instead of destroying a piston.
Originally posted by C2i0v0i1c im not hating just that some/if not most people on this site have ALCHY INJ so far stuck up their ass that not even an enema a day would dislodge it
For those with blown/damaged Head Gaskets... 
its all about the alcohol injection 
