Blown HG's again!

yeah id make sure the heads, and block mate nicely...If they are not totally flat then your just gonna keep blowing them....and what you need to do is do the gaskets, and have the car flatbedded to the shop and get the dyno tune before even driving it....dont just run around with the spout pulled because that is just band-aid fix...get it doen right..

Anthony
 
Studs are definitely the way to go, especially if the heads are removed a lot (cough cough!). The reason in addition to what WYTSTANG said, is that you will have less of a chance to strip the bolt out of the block since the stud is installed and then the nut is torqued on the stud itself and not the threads in the block if that makes sense.
 
I assume you have a boost gauge, right? I think I remember seeing it before.

Are you still seeing 12psi?

If you were only at 7-8psi, this would shock me. But with the extra boost & no tune, you heated the HG's beyond their limits (i.e. detonation).

You are lucky you didn't blow a piston or a head component.
Scott
 
Not to jack the thread but it seems that there are a lot of head gasket gurus in here. I am needing new head gaskets for my AFRs. I had some ROL on mine but for some reason I had a strange coolant leak and the heads were torqued to spec. What torque rating do you guys set your heads at. The gaskets are for the combo in my sig. Thanks

Jeremy
 
I torqued 85 lbs before and now on this pair I went to 95 lbs.

You need to make sure the surfaces are clean and perfect on the block and heads. Make sure the heads are level as well. I have been lucky that the last 3 changes the heads & block were straight still. I think thhe key to that is shutting off immediately. :D
 
To be honest I don't know what bad could happen but it's worth a try once. I have popped HG's from detonation 3 times in the last 3 months. I think that they are not underrated but I'm sure OEM specs didn't anticipate me adding 12 psi to the block either so I made my own rating for my car. :D
 
Jeremy, if I'm not mistaken AFR recommends different torque specs for the top and bottom head bolts. I could be wrong but check with them to make sure. Also, check with the HG manufacture and see what they say, if you over torque it that may be bad too as it could over compress the gasket and deform it. I don't know if it will do this, but I can see how it would.
 
True, good point sort of like the old cork valve gasket squeeze mess.
Yeah kinda do as I say and not as I do. I always go against the grain with my car and try all kinds of exp'mntl stuff on it. I left off one of the ps bracket bolts (one under the pulley) so the next time I have to do a HG install I won't have to pull the ps pulley off again (major PITA). I have had no adverse effects from it , but just an idea.