Head gasket warnings?

[CyFi6]

I have an 87 with 83k original miles. Im a little nervous because i have read the headgasket tends to go in the 80k mile range. I was wondering if head gaskets will give any type of warning at all if they are weak or close to blowing. I have 0 bhg symptoms at the time, oil is clean, coolant clean, compression good. Also was wondering if theres any way externally to tell if the head gasket has ever been changed, by looking at any part of the gasket thats sticking out(maybe if its not oem?)

Also, i have overheated the car before only for a few seconds, when i changed the coolant air got stuck inthe heater core and after i drove off it released into the engine and i got a red needle and birdcage. Coolant was boiling in there. I have also done many redlines and a couple clutch drops, and still no BHG:aigo:

Wondering if a BHG is a thread to me really, i will be going off to school pretty soon and will probably not have time to do a head gasket job especially right when i go off, would it be wise to do it now before anything is even wrong?
Thanks.

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

I have an 87 with 83k original miles. Im a little nervous because i have read the headgasket tends to go in the 80k mile range. I was wondering if head gaskets will give any type of warning at all if they are weak or close to blowing. I have 0 bhg symptoms at the time, oil is clean, coolant clean, compression good. Also was wondering if theres any way externally to tell if the head gasket has ever been changed, by looking at any part of the gasket thats sticking out(maybe if its not oem?)

Also, i have overheated the car before only for a few seconds, when i changed the coolant air got stuck inthe heater core and after i drove off it released into the engine and i got a red needle and birdcage. Coolant was boiling in there. I have also done many redlines and a couple clutch drops, and still no BHG:aigo:

Wondering if a BHG is a thread to me really, i will be going off to school pretty soon and will probably not have time to do a head gasket job especially right when i go off, would it be wise to do it now before anything is even wrong?
Thanks.

I had 132,000 before doing anything to mine and the HG was fine, but I also wasn't driving it to redline and clutch drops. Want to make it last then treat it with some respect.

 

[Tire Shredder]

don't change it if it isn't broken unless you plan on turbo charging it.

Retorque the headbolts to 72ft/lbs. it should get you a few more miles. I second what AJ said.

 

[MadNad]

I drove her pretty hard for the first year or two, but for the last 10 years I've been pretty easy on her. I went 155k mi before mine blew.

 

[supramacist]

What stamina you had Mad Nad.
And the cow ran away with the spoon.

 

[ill Z]

I agree, it all depends on how hard you treat the car. If you have been good to her, torque the Headbolts to 72lbs. If you have mistreated her, start prepping for HG replacement now.

 

[supramacist]

Once you guys start wrenching down those ARP bolts or studs.
You start thinking darn. It's going on so nice.
What's it going to hurt to go a bit further. So you do and it's still nice.
The end product is 5 successions from 0 to 85ftlbs.
Quickley and easily. I personally would factor in the car.
Mines contrary. So she got torqued.

 

[gofastgeorge]

See this post for early warning signs:

http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67281