I am running 16psi and losing coolant. I have raceware studs and widefire head gasket. Is the nest step an o-ringed head? How is this done?

JohnK

 

Do you know from where you are losing coolant. Is it being burnt or spilling out? This is any important question. O-ringing has some problems if not properly understood.

Garrity

 

Garrity-

I am still trying to figure out the issue with the lose of coolant. I can't say that it is being burned. You get a sell from the car, but none of the white smoke. The car runs really well.

First, the cooling system was pressurized and loses coolant, add about a half a gallon to replace what was lost. Most of the coolant ended up in the crankcase. I am wondering if this is an o-ring issue or a head gasket. My next plan is to do compression checks of the cylinders. Any advice??

Thanks,
JohnK

 

If the coolant in ending up in the crank case, that is a bad deal. You probably need to pull the head at the least and check out the gasket and mating surfaces of both the head and block to check for sealing problems. I suspect that it will be a faulty headgasket that is the root of your problems, but a cracked cylinder is certainly not unheard of.

Garrity

 

Is there a cylinder that is known for cracking?

 

It is known as the one that fills with coolant and trys to compress!!! Just kidding. No one is more vulnerable than the others, but if it did fill, it may well have cracked.

Garrity

 

You'll know for sure if you try to start it and it won't crank. BTDT.

 

Is it possible the leak is by the oil cooler seals? Isn't that a common oil/water mixing leak location?
Just a thought..

 

I have would also suggest the oil filter housing seals and/or gasket. I is another possibility, I just resealed one for a customer.

If your head was checked when it was off and you retorqued your Raceware studs properly, I would look into cause, 16 psi is not a lot of boost for your car to be blowing the head gasket. I built a 951 for SCCA and club racing that has run as much as 22 psi without an o-ringed head and has been without fail for the season and a half it's been together.

Good Luck.

 

A couple questions regarding O-ringing a 951 head.
1) What size "wire" do people use?
2) How high is the O-Ring off the deck of the head?
3) Who does it and approx. how much does it cost?
Thanks ... any amd all input appreciated!

 

The oil cooler claim of a problem doesn't make a lot of sense if the oil and water aren't mixing in the crankcase. When you get a muddy mix in the crank case, then I would check it, otherwise most likely something else.

Garrity