Help with my blown TBird

TallyMan

Founding Member
May 29, 2002
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Litchfield, NH
Ok, here's my new #'s with the charger. I got a 12.2 @ 117, not too shabby. But I have another problem, I blew the head gasket on the passenger bank, blowing coolant into the cylinder. I am a little confused as to why though. When I went for a dyno tune everything went well a/f is between 11.5 and 12.0 throughout the entire rpm's.... I have 42lb'ers, and no fmu. Anyone know why this could have happened. It happended at the drags, and was weird cause it didnt happen while I was in the throttle. I noticed it in the stagging lanes, while I was waiting. I go to start the car back up and noticed the white smoke out the tail. I started pulling apart the motor and found the plugs to be a little on the gray/white side, a little to lean i think for my liking... Any suggestions as I would like to get to the bottom of this.

Steve
 
I just had this happen to me on the dyno with an SC-Trim and about 10#'s of boost. Coolant never entered my cylinder but was only forcing pressure into the coolant. I used stock FelPro's and my Cometic's will be here tomorrow. Just hoping this was my problem..Anyways i'm unsure of my fuel pressure but I would like to know what type of headgaskets you are using??
 
Blk91-

The motor had the original head gaskets that come on ford gt-40 crate engines, along with factory head bolts. The motor only has 7500mi on it, I'd say about 150mi with the charger. I was told to use fel-pro 1011-2 now. Also, I can remember about 1 yr ago I had a little issue with my temp, it had gotten up to about 235-240 (this was on a autometer gauge too) for a couple of minutes. Of course this was without the charger also. I do have gt-40x alum heads. But my question is could I have possibly "tweeked" the heads and gaskets a little back then, although I had raced it after I got the temp issue square and it was fine. But now that I put the charger on with all the extra PSI, could this have just been the frosting on the cake a year later?? Other than that 1 time that is the only time the temp was ever over 200.... I guess I need to finish pulling the heads and check to see if they got a little warped...

STeve
 
Well I pulled my heads tonight only to find that my gasket's fire ring (FelPro 9333-PT1) is still intact and can't find where it is leaking from? Tomorrow I will check the deck surface for flatness and see if my problem lays there. I also used the FelPro 1011-2's and had water leak into the oil causing a milkshake and was recommended a graphite gasket for better sealing (basically a stock headgasket) and now this one still didn't seal :mad:... My temp has also risen to about 240-260 twice already from leaking headgaskets which might have warped the block (heads checked out fine) so I will find out if that might be a possibility with your motor also. Yes, adding 12# will defiantly show any flaws in the sealing of your headgasket which will lead to leaks (I believe this is my problem since it only happened when I got off the dyno and the motor ran 240 degrees thinking I thought I blew a headgasket as to my amazement it doesn't look like the case). I'll reply tomorrow of my findings!! Wish me luck!

P.S- Doesn't it suck having a 400+ hp car that can't be driven... :crazy:
 
Blk91-

Absolutely... Hey just some info on what i am finding thus far:

I did some calcs and found a few things with my fuel system
1. with my HP and config I need a min of 225LPH pumping from my tank. I forgot my intank pump was only rated for 190LPH, but i do have the inline pump that comes with ATI chargers. So here I believe is one problem. I guess you could have the biggest inline pump there is but if the pump before isnt up to snuff, its no good.
2. I found my injector that were reccomended by both ATI and other speed shops were under sized. They all told me 42lbers would be fine with no FMU and custom chip. Well after my calcs I found I need a minimum of 41.56Lbs, and this was without factoring in the normal 15-20% safety margin, which would lift me to 47.79lbs....

So I am now gutting the entire fuel system including the tank. Replacing with a fuel cell, 10 an supply lines, filters, pumps, rails, regulator and 8an return, and at least 50lb inj. This should safely support about 600-700hp easy.

I will be goign hopme once I leave work in a few and will report back with findings when I pull the heads.

Steve