nice surprise when fixing a BHG

themadhatter

Member
Jul 5, 2006
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got the head off yesterday and started cleaning up the short block and noticed the pistons looked a little big and the crosshatch in the sleeves looked fresh so i measured them the pistons are a 30 overbore so i call the guy and he tells me the motors been rebuild about 5-6k before i bought it he cheaped out and used a composite gaskit but he had the waste gate shimed so it didn't last
 

Snotcycle

New Member
Jul 16, 2006
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Palo Alto, CA
themadhatter said:
got the head off yesterday and started cleaning up the short block and noticed the pistons looked a little big and the crosshatch in the sleeves looked fresh so i measured them the pistons are a 30 overbore so i call the guy and he tells me the motors been rebuild about 5-6k before i bought it he cheaped out and used a composite gaskit but he had the waste gate shimed so it didn't last
er...i have stock gasket and shimmed wastegate, will only adding 4psi to the stock boost really put the headgasket in jepoardy?
 

89Turbo

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Oct 22, 2005
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Portland
Snotcycle said:
er...i have stock gasket and shimmed wastegate, will only adding 4psi to the stock boost really put the headgasket in jepoardy?


it all depends how well it was done, did you use ARP Bolts or studs, did you torque them correctly, how hard do you drive you car, do you have any other mods, was the block surfaced, was the head surfaced??
 

shaeff

Kurt is FTMFW x2!!!!
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Mar 30, 2005
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the main reason headgaskets fail is because the stock torque figure of 50 something ft. lbs. is NOT enough, and the bolts loosen up. a stock gasket, ARP hardware torqued to 85ft lbs. and a good tune and you can push more boost.

-shaeff