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Blew a headgasket today, ? why?

7K views 63 replies 33 participants last post by  jaybuller 
#1 ·
Alright heres what was goin on. I dont want this to happen again so i got to figure out why it happened. I was drivin around trying out my new chip. I had it on the 120race seting and was playin around had all kinds of power felt good egts were fine and boost was up in the 30 to 35 range. Ok then i take the wife for a ride down the road to show off alittle i put it on 120smoke and was goin bout 55 to 60mph and let her eat for about 4 to 5 seconds all the way to the floor well about 5 seconds into it i was lookin behind me admiring my smoke when all of a sudden POP....whent from deeep black smoke to brite white in an instant. sounded like a popin noise as i idled it down it still idled fine but i shut her down and called a tow. There was coolant pourin out from the back passanger side of the head. Not exactly sure thats just where i think it was comin from. Now my question what caused it? Ive got about 4 to 5000 miles on this motor since i completly rebuilt it. It had brandnew headgaskets and headbolts(tourqued by me to specs) So i know the head gaskets were as they should be. Now i am running stage 1 175cc single shot injectors and the 120 tune. Is this just to much power for the 7.3 headbolts/gaskets? I only think im makein bout 350 to 375 rwhp so what gives? Let me know what you all think and if you think i should just go back with stock headgaskets and bolts or what? (money is tight right now or arp headstuds would be a no brainer but still i think stock headbolts should handle this no problem.
 
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#2 ·
Was the heads taken off for the rods to go ion, i'm assuming so, and i heard its not good to come off and on againg with the factory studs. Dont quote me, i just seen ur sig.
 
#3 ·
The stockers suck. They have been known to let go from 35-45 lbs. There is no reason, they just do. Do yourself a favor.....get a set of h-11's and be done with it. Before you button it back up take a look to make sure there is no other damage in there. You may even want to replace the rod next to the failure.(if they are stockers)
 
#6 ·
I did the rods when i completley rebuilt the whole motor idid everything including branew head bolts from ford.
 
#10 ·
100 bucks vs 700 bucks, and no ididnt rplace the injector cups? but there was coolant lowing freely from the back end of the block after i shut it down thats why i figured it was the headgasket.
 
#11 ·
Damn, white smoke isn't good. I would say start by pulling the heads off, throughly inspecting the injector cups, headgaskets and all surrounding areas. Install new injector cups, new gaskets and new HEADSTUDS, not headbolts. Reinstall heads and take it for a rip and see how she does.
 
#12 ·
Would you pay someone the difference to get your truck up and running right now? Sorry to post the bad news but if you would have put H11's in the external cooling of the engine would not be taking place. I know it's hard to think about another chunk of change while rebuilding a motor but with all the post's about HG's popping over the last few years the path was right in front of you with big crumb's to show the way. Don't get me wrong I've taken the long cut before myself so I know how you feel but just make sure you get back on track this time with good choices. We're all here to help if you need any questions answered.
 
#13 ·
wow Jay~

Sorry to hear.

The factory gaskets aren't "junk"...but NEWLY INSTALLED factory HG's are junk.

The new gaskets had not embedded onto the block & heads like your factory (originally installed) gaskets had...the graphite composition of those style gaskets create a mechanical bond to both head & block.

When someone calls up saying that they had just rebuilt the engine, and they installed factory gaskets and studs...I KNOW that even that combination will NOT hold the boost & cylinder pressure of the OEM (many tens of thousands of miles old) gaskets.

Worse yet, someone buys studs from XYZ Performance and actually PULLS THEIR HEADS to replace the (perfectly good) factory gaskets JUST to install new gaskets with studs...with big plans of holding big boost.

Oooooolllllld (original) gaskets with newly installed studs are terrific...and routinely hold 60+psi boost.

new gaskets and studs routinely hold 45-55psi boost.

new gaskets and new stock bolts routinely fail sub 35psi.

Were your block & heads both checked for flatness prior to you reassembling them during the rebuild?

I'm also going to add one more nugget of experience to this, that you are not going to want to hear.

The cylinder which blew the HG will need the connecting rod replaced.

The gasket blowing allowed a big gulp of coolant to wash into that cylinder at full rpm.

Rods do not much care for trying to compress a liquid, and that rod WILL be highly highly suspect in its ability to hold anything more than bone stock power levels reliably.

If you do NOT replace that rod, I would give you a 50/50 chance of getting your head gasket situation resolved with studs...only to have that rod punch a hole through your block within months.

do it right.

take care~

Dave
 
#15 ·
well yeeehaaaw, guess i should have done a little checkin before i went ahead and gave it the go pedal. Thats not good news at all. Guess im out a truck for a few months. Cause it will take that long to come up with the money. Hell were talkin 5 to 7 hundred for the studs, say 50 for the rod, and about 150 for all the gaskets/seal ill need, then about a day to pull it a day to put it together and a day to put it back in...well looks like my summer fun with the truck is over. These fords sure do put a bad taste in my mouth guess i should have stuck to simple old chevy gassers...
 
#16 ·
Sorry to hear it Jay. I was getting all worried about going to stage 2's and a d66 this summer till I read golfers post.I think my headgaskets are set with 265,000 on the clock.Thanks for the info golfer.
 
#23 ·
I think the stock gaskets probably want to see full torque (from studs or bolts) and then left to sit for 12 to 24hrs, and then retorqued.

I can't see that type of gasket not settling. I would do that before ever installing the engine.
 
#25 ·
Alright just crawled under there and took a look at it with a light. It is the passanger side number 8 cylinder all the way in the back, The headgasket is pushed out about a hal inch and torn right that is were the water was poring out, it looks like its a clear shot from the combution chamber to the side and out when i crnk the motor over by hand it spits antifrees out the side where the gasket blew. Hopin the thing blew in the right spot that it didnt let the water biuld up pressure in the cylinder it just let it all go out the side. Thats what it looks like anyways.
 
#26 ·
Still wouldnt be a bad idea to take the rod out and ether put a new one in or have it checked to make sure its still good.
 
#27 ·
I know im think of takin another short cut here, but can you pull the head with the engine in the truck? I figure if i loose the power programer and keep it stock the new headgasket and new bolts will do just fine. Till next year when i can have enough money to pull it and put studs and a new rod in it. Let me know if i can be done.
 
#28 ·
I am really sorry to hear about anyone who has to go thru this ordeal! To follow up on what ( golfer ) Swamps was saying about old burnt in head gaskets - So with the heads on and valve covers off how hard is it to replace the Ford head bolts with quality studs without disturbing the head-head gasket seal and getting retorqued to specs.?
 
#29 ·
If you can pull the head installed, and I believe you can (it won't be fun though). Make sure you compare the #8 piston at TDC to all the other pistons at TDC. If there is any differance in piston position between #8 and the rest, it means the motor has to come back out.
 
#30 ·
I heaer you Arisly, if the piston dont come up all the way the rod would be bent. Ill start another thread asking how to or if i can pull a passanger side head off with motor in. It is just such a pain in the ass lining up the motor to the tranny and takin apart all that stuff that has to come off to pull it. Not to mention the space i dont have and the fact that i have to use a fork lift to pull the motor. I guess pull in the cab off would be another choice.
 
#38 ·
You can pull just that head off and do it in the truck. I think you need a special tool to remove just the head only. I don't think that is a hard thing to find. Then you will need to rubber band up a bolt in the rear up to keep it from hanging up on the way out.

If you can pull the cab off that would be great!!


I am really sorry to hear about anyone who has to go thru this ordeal! To follow up on what ( golfer ) Swamps was saying about old burnt in head gaskets - So with the heads on and valve covers off how hard is it to replace the Ford head bolts with quality studs without disturbing the head-head gasket seal and getting retorqued to specs.?
It is not that bad to replace the head bolts with studs with the motor in the truck. Just takes about 9 hours or so... You need to unbolt the motor and jack it up to get to a couple of bolts and install the new studs. But that is the easy part... LOL
 
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