Damit!!!!! June 13, 2012, 05:01:41 PM Well last weekend me and JR took some time to show off the MIDNIGHTER. 1988 TC over the winter we did some neat mods and they came out quite nice. So off to the car hang out. We drove app 1/2 hour and the car was running like gang busters. So about 10 blocks away from the car hang out a camaro pulls up next to me. Now i saw him in my rear view mirror and kind of let us get stuck at the light together. The car had a young feller and his girl and this camaro sounded GOOD. JR said to me dad blow this guy away. So with that the light turned green and we were in to it. I hit second and pulled out on this dude and from their on i jumped a couple of cars away from him. At the end of the run i was app 6 cars in front of him then DISASTER!!! I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the BILLOWING WHITE SMOKE from the MIDNIGHTER. Well i knew exactly what happened. I pulled in to the dairy where the car show was and parked it. Checked the coolant and oil and it was confirmed The MIDNIGHTER ate a head gasket again. With that the young guy asked me if i was RENZO. I said I am. He laughed and shook my hand. YEAR i heard of you man. That is a fast T BIRD ALL RIGHT. With that i thought he should only know what just happened. DAM!!!Here is the 1035 that let me down. RATS another gasket to my collection. This is 8 NOW!!! Quote Selected
Damit!!!!! Reply #2 – June 13, 2012, 05:13:09 PM Sound like you need to o-ring it and run a copper gasket. How much boost are you running. Quote Selected
Damit!!!!! Reply #3 – June 13, 2012, 06:03:39 PM I don't know jack about 2.3 HG's, but it does sound like a different gasket needs to be utilized.. Quote Selected
Damit!!!!! Reply #4 – June 13, 2012, 07:10:31 PM I run 23LBS. And the FELPRO 1035 is the best i think. I will do some research. Yes Vinnie a very fast camaro to boot. Made me feel good. And at my age that is GOOD. I guess??? Quote Selected
Damit!!!!! Reply #5 – June 13, 2012, 07:35:47 PM Considering when you were born Tom, and they were racing covered wagons back then, everything seems faster these days. LOL. LOL. Sorry Tom, had to do it !!! LOL. Quote Selected
Damit!!!!! Reply #6 – June 13, 2012, 08:11:58 PM Im not trying to act like I know it all. I havent built a lot of boosted engines but with my experience when ever I helped my boss build anything with more than 25 pounds we o-ringed the head and used a copper gasket with head studs. We never had head gasket problems. Copper gaskets can be a headache because they require retorquing. If you're using good gaskets and they keep blowing than you either need to mill the head flat or try something else. Good luck, I hope you figure it out. Quote Selected
Damit!!!!! Reply #7 – June 13, 2012, 09:24:46 PM Have the head and block surfaced to an RA rating of 13 and run a coated metal head gasket. I just bought an HKS one for my Supra. ARP studs are a given. Quote Selected
Damit!!!!! Reply #8 – June 13, 2012, 09:45:23 PM I had issues years ago with the 1035 felpro. i popped 3 in one year. i now run the 8993 and no issues since. from what i understand the 8993 is more forgiving with mating surface. but im not sure. have you tried using a 8993? it has worked for me for daily driving and occassional track use running 19-20psi Quote Selected
Damit!!!!! Reply #9 – June 13, 2012, 10:02:40 PM Yes i am going with the 8993 with the new engine. I always have a spare for the TC. The 2.3 ford has a bad issue with crowning. I also have studs on the new engine as you so correctly point out. Deck and head surface must be spot on or it is all over Thanks Quote Selected
Damit!!!!! Reply #10 – June 13, 2012, 10:05:16 PM Quote from: vinnietbird;392238Considering when you were born Tom, and they were racing covered wagons back then, everything seems faster these days. LOL. LOL. Sorry Tom, had to do it !!! LOL. Funny you sound like TOM JR. He is always ragging me about those Y BLOCKS i used to build!!! WOW i am getting OLD. well so be it. I just thank the LORD for the days he gives me. I cant complain Vinnie Thanks. But it was COOL blasting that camaro away. The guy almost fainted when he found out it was a 4 banger. The DUDE was FLABBERGASTED!!! I LOVE THAT!!! Quote Selected
Damit!!!!! Reply #11 – June 13, 2012, 10:11:19 PM Everybody beat me to the punch on this one. What kind of gasket is the 8993? When Dodge had problems with Neon head gaskets, they switched to a multi-layer steel. Never saw a problem with them. Quote Selected
Damit!!!!! Reply #12 – June 15, 2012, 12:57:09 AM In the Navy a lot of "gaskets" were thin aluminum like 1/8'' but machined into the gasket was a path which then a long ass high temp oring poped in this etched out area.this was on both sides.this gasket was a constant speed drive system for the 400hz generator that went on the tomcats, A6's and F18's.never seen a civilian application for this yet. Quote Selected