Headgasket failing, doing mods; what CR works with 91 octane?
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Headgasket failing, doing mods; what CR works with 91 octane?
So get this; I finally get around to doing my timing belt (90 CRX Si), along with the water pump and other associated parts. I drain my coolant and it's obviously a little old but it's fine nonetheless. Then I pull the water pump and...milkshake.
I got the car running correctly after at first being off a tooth and having to fix that, went to the store, and it's just not pulling like it should. No weird noises and oddly there's a lot more intake noise than before. It's just not pulling as hard, and I'm wondering if I maybe bent a valve or something like that.
Then I remember the milkshake behind the pump, check the radiator, and bingo...the head gasket is letting go. It was steaming a little out the tailpipe when I bought it, I put a 1/4 of a tube of Alumaseal in and it's been fine. I'm going to see if the rest of the tube will fix it for now, but I have some money coming in, and now even if the Alumaseal works it's going to be a question of 'when is it going to fail again?'. So I might as well put the car down for a week or two and do this right.
I'm looking at a .030" compressed MLS gasket, shaving .030 off of the head for a 10.1:1 CR, and a Delta 260 cam while it's all apart, Bisi timing gear. Eventually a header and short ram intake, boxed to shield it from engine bay heat.
Would this combo be ok (otherwise stock motor right now) running on California's 91 octane **** water? I can skip the head mill and run 9.5:1 with just the gasket. I'd just like to be sure I'm not going to be stuck buying octane booster just to run the car as it's my DD. However I'd like the option of picking up some decent HP this way as I shouldn't have a problem passing emissions tests either at the pipe or with the visual inspection. I figure if I do this now, when I upgrade the intake and exhaust I can just return it to stock on the exterior and not have a problem passing Cali smog tests, and should be putting out somewhat near what a Mini Me or ZC swap would put out but without the cost or legality issues.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
I got the car running correctly after at first being off a tooth and having to fix that, went to the store, and it's just not pulling like it should. No weird noises and oddly there's a lot more intake noise than before. It's just not pulling as hard, and I'm wondering if I maybe bent a valve or something like that.
Then I remember the milkshake behind the pump, check the radiator, and bingo...the head gasket is letting go. It was steaming a little out the tailpipe when I bought it, I put a 1/4 of a tube of Alumaseal in and it's been fine. I'm going to see if the rest of the tube will fix it for now, but I have some money coming in, and now even if the Alumaseal works it's going to be a question of 'when is it going to fail again?'. So I might as well put the car down for a week or two and do this right.
I'm looking at a .030" compressed MLS gasket, shaving .030 off of the head for a 10.1:1 CR, and a Delta 260 cam while it's all apart, Bisi timing gear. Eventually a header and short ram intake, boxed to shield it from engine bay heat.
Would this combo be ok (otherwise stock motor right now) running on California's 91 octane **** water? I can skip the head mill and run 9.5:1 with just the gasket. I'd just like to be sure I'm not going to be stuck buying octane booster just to run the car as it's my DD. However I'd like the option of picking up some decent HP this way as I shouldn't have a problem passing emissions tests either at the pipe or with the visual inspection. I figure if I do this now, when I upgrade the intake and exhaust I can just return it to stock on the exterior and not have a problem passing Cali smog tests, and should be putting out somewhat near what a Mini Me or ZC swap would put out but without the cost or legality issues.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
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