Cometic head gasket better than Mopar?

[BadAssPerformance]

But why?? A 20 year old injector driver gives out... Or some other 20 year old part. Not for me

A 'fuse' HG won't save a piston if an injector fails, not even a JE piston.

[glhs875]

Brian- same damn way my gasket blew out, same gasket. Except the gasket material was MIA and the fire ring was broken in about the same length, but bent to be in line with the cylinders.

I can see on the gasket where all the cylinders where bleeding off cylinder pressure some. Aaron what did you do different when you put it back together? Did you have the #4 coolant mod done when yours blew out?

[8valves]

I can see on the gasket where all the cylinders where bleeding off cylinder pressure some. Aaron what did you do different when you put it back together? Did you have the #4 coolant mod done when yours blew out?

No I did not! So i did that, and used a Cometic like I used to do (just didn't have the money that time when I put it back together... shame on me) and did a sequence of step torquing up to 90 ft/lbs, then let it run for a minute or two, turn it off, undo in correct sequence each bolt 1/4 turn, then immediately go right back to 90 ft lb in sequence.

This lets the head sit where it will sit, get some heat to it to move some stuff around, back off the bolts to let the gasket move to where it wants to be when it's warm, then clamp it right back down. This is a little trick the guys that build Dart's Pro Stock motors told me about. Does it work better? I don't know, but it was worth trying.

[turbovanman²]

A 'fuse' HG won't save a piston if an injector fails, not even a JE piston.

JE's can take an asss whooping, I melted my head gasket and cylinder head and barely a mark and I bet the EGT's were well over 1800, my guage was pinned and my af guage didn't read it was so lean. I am scared to try another brand incase I do something stupid again,

I can see on the gasket where all the cylinders where bleeding off cylinder pressure some. Aaron what did you do different when you put it back together? Did you have the #4 coolant mod done when yours blew out?

Yeah, you can see the black on the firing rings, it was leaking or starting too.

Are you using studs or bolts?

[GLHSKEN]

I don't know if I would trust any advice from Ken. He couldn't even beat a bone stock SRT4 with his glhs at SDAC-15.

LOL... Went 14.17 on a 14.1 dial at 107mph while melting a piston because the cal was wrong... So maybe you shouldn't trust me!!! LOL..... Damn headgasket didn't pop!!!

[turbovanman²]

LOL..... Damn headgasket didn't pop!!!

DOH!

[BadAssPerformance]

JE's can take an asss whooping, I melted my head gasket and cylinder head and barely a mark and I bet the EGT's were well over 1800, my guage was pinned and my af guage didn't read it was so lean. I am scared to try another brand incase I do something stupid again,

I was refering to the injector dying... HG fuse, JE slugs, etc, noting is gonna save it.

[glhs875]

Yeah, you can see the black on the firing rings, it was leaking or starting too.

Are you using studs or bolts?[/QUOTE]


I'm using bolts. I may end up going to studs though. That gasket had been through he11!!. All of my tuning trials & errors, and tons of passes. Along with several 28+psi blasts.

[BadAssPerformance]

Best part about the studs on a 'toy' car is that they are re-useable!

[turbovanman²]

Ken will disagree with me but ARP studs should be the first thing you install. If you really think about it, the TTY bolts will stretch, IE let the head lift due to there design, studs will not stretch and let the head lift. We have two different beasts but I have run 30 psi and never lifted the head or blown out a head gasket and I beat on my van pretty good.

[TurboJerry]

I lay out the cash for the Cometic gaskets. If everything's right, it won't be an issue. The MP gasket may be a 40 amp fuse, but if the piston/head melts at 30 amps, it won't matter anyway......

[glhs875]

Ken will disagree with me but ARP studs should be the first thing you install. If you really think about it, the TTY bolts will stretch, IE let the head lift due to there design, studs will not stretch and let the head lift. We have two different beasts but I have run 30 psi and never lifted the head or blown out a head gasket and I beat on my van pretty good.

Are the studs easily removed if the head needs to come off? Because with the way my down pipe is built, there's no freaking way to get the head on or off with studs in the block.

Great, I'm coming up with ways to make the head/gasket hold more pressure, now I will blow the crankshaft out the bottom of the block!!

[turbovanman²]

Are the studs easily removed if the head needs to come off? Because with the way my down pipe is built, there's no freaking way to get the head on or off with studs in the block.

Yes, there broached which is ARP's term for there an allen socket hole in the top of them. I have to remove my studs in my van as I can't pull the head straight up. I just put an allen bit on my cordless screwdriver and out they come,

[BadAssPerformance]

Ken will disagree with me but ARP studs should be the first thing you install. If you really think about it, the TTY bolts will stretch, IE let the head lift due to there design, studs will not stretch and let the head lift. We have two different beasts but I have run 30 psi and never lifted the head or blown out a head gasket and I beat on my van pretty good.

I've had the head lift with the ARP studs. Maybe you're just not flowing enough into the cylinders then...

[turbovanman²]

I've had the head lift with the ARP studs. Maybe you're just not flowing enough into the cylinders then...

Maybe you just didn't tighten them down enough,

[BadAssPerformance]

Maybe you just didn't tighten them down enough,

LOL... tighten too much with an MP gasket and it squishes out!

[glhs875]

So which will hold better, bolts or studs? I've always thought that all bolts or studs stretch a little when torqued.

[Speedeuphoria]

So which will hold better, bolts or studs? I've always thought that all bolts or studs stretch a little when torqued.

correct, I think the arp's are stronger so they would stretch less

[turbovanman²]

So which will hold better, bolts or studs? I've always thought that all bolts or studs stretch a little when torqued.

Studs are superior, they clamp so much better that if you use main studs, that you have to have the bores checked for roundness. They don't stretch like bolts do.

[87csx2.4]

Brian- same damn way my gasket blew out, same gasket. Except the gasket material was MIA and the fire ring was broken in about the same length, but bent to be in line with the cylinders.

Same place mine always blew too,when I used a mopar gasket Im not to fond of them.