To o-ring or not to o-ring the head? :)
#32
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How far to you update/protect yourself with the headgasket, but allow a "safety blow" so the motor is self is not blown??? As many say it is better to blow a HG than the motor.
I, as some may know, just developed a leak at the #4 on my 2 year old WF gasket, decked head, non O ring and been running 18psi for 3+ years with a good/constant state of tune and boost.
Yet, I still now have a blown heasgasket..... ???????
I have heard conflicting stories on this issue since I have been on this board. Some say no way you should run over 15psi on stock hg and you need WFR. Others say the WFR is prone to cracks unlike the stock hg. Some say run copper but then the issue as stated above is a blown motor/fried piston over a hg repair.
What is the difference in the WFR vs. MLS???
I, as some may know, just developed a leak at the #4 on my 2 year old WF gasket, decked head, non O ring and been running 18psi for 3+ years with a good/constant state of tune and boost.
Yet, I still now have a blown heasgasket..... ???????
I have heard conflicting stories on this issue since I have been on this board. Some say no way you should run over 15psi on stock hg and you need WFR. Others say the WFR is prone to cracks unlike the stock hg. Some say run copper but then the issue as stated above is a blown motor/fried piston over a hg repair.
What is the difference in the WFR vs. MLS???
#33
The widefire gasket is a "paper" gasket, where as the MLS is as earlier stated by Porschefile "A multi-layer steel gasket". I myself am in the process of switching from WF gasket and copper o-rings to copper gasket and ss o-rings. Van has a great diagram of the set-up earlier in this thread.
#36
Originally Posted by TRP951
Special tool has been running a WF gasket on 30+psi of boost but then again he always says how **** he is with his perfect tune
Which supports my point. (Along with the hundreds of other cars running stoopid boost with stock headgaskets.) A correct tune is directly involved here. No matter what your boost. It might be common in our cars, but the underlying "common" problem is most likely the old crumby chipsets, or none at all. (Could argue forever on this one, as had been done, but this has been my DIRECT experience for over 5 years.)
#37
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Originally Posted by TRP951
Special tool has been running a WF gasket on 30+psi of boost but then again he always says how **** he is with his perfect tune
You never want to use the headgasket as a "fuse". That's not a good idea. Blowing the headgasket at all can cause serious damage to lots of different components as the motor will tend to overheat very quickly. You want to do everything possible to prevent the headgasket from blowing.
#38
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Originally Posted by TRP951
Special tool has been running a WF gasket on 30+psi of boost but then again he always says how **** he is with his perfect tune
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Originally Posted by TRP951
Special tool has been running a WF gasket on 30+psi of boost but then again he always says how **** he is with his perfect tune
But, if you o ring the head then you have to go with a full metal/custom HG right???
#41
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Originally Posted by toddk911
So, as in other threads it does seem that pressure does not blow HG, heat does. Heat in all of it's forms; by overheating, bad tune, etc.
But, if you o ring the head then you have to go with a full metal/custom HG right???
But, if you o ring the head then you have to go with a full metal/custom HG right???
Todd, I believe there was someone here that posted about blowing an MLS gasket (could have been another forum though). It's definitely possible. Serious detonation can blow holes through pistons and it can certainly damage MLS gaskets. MLS gaskets are much more resistant to detonation and other factors though, so they are less likely to be damaged than a fiber/oem/widefire gasket will. The whole "fuse" method is kind of an urban myth or misconception. That's kind of like using a weak clutch so that you don't put down too much power and break the axles. It's just not the right way to go about it. If someone blows an MLS headgasket, I'd be willing to bet that it was a result of horrible detonation, in which case anything in and around the combustion chamber would be prone to destruction.
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For the past year and a half, My boost has been set at 22 psi. I use a wide fire head gasket with O-rings in the head. The O-rings, a five angle valve job and some port work were done at Lindsey Racing.
#45
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DLS, thanks for starting such a great thread.
Rennlisters, thanks for all the valuable information, technical descriptions, pics and diagrams.
Rennlisters, thanks for all the valuable information, technical descriptions, pics and diagrams.