Head gaskets only last a year...

[RockinRobin]

Our Stock and Superstockers are around 100 to 120 a year.

Our bracket stuff around 70 to 75.

The biggest worry for us is Valve Springs going away or breaking.

I shift at 7000 and I've been very fortunate to get the springs I use to last. I replace them after 2 seasons.

 

[MadScientistMat]

Try backing timing off to 22 degrees total timing. Gen 3 Hemis take surprisingly small amounts of advance.

 

[TT5.9mag]

Try backing timing off to 22 degrees total timing. Gen 3 Hemis take surprisingly small amounts of advance.

I tried bringing up that same topic of conversation early in the thread, but was disregarded as “not the problem”. My experience with G3 hemis is limited but we found best power at 26 degrees and it certainly did not want 26 at peak torque. If memory serves, it was down around 16 degrees there.

 

[MOPARMAGA]

I tried bringing up that same topic of conversation early in the thread, but was disregarded as “not the problem”. My experience with G3 hemis is limited but we found best power at 26 degrees and it certainly did not want 26 at peak torque. If memory serves, it was down around 16 degrees there.

It's a shame when good advice is scoffed at.

 

[TT5.9mag]

It's a shame when good advice is scoffed at.

I don’t believe it was scoffed at but I do think more investigation is probably necessary. I was chattin with Tim and I tend to agree with him in that, an engine can detonate and not show signs on the plug because the engine will clean off the plug at the end of a run. Cylinder pressure will spike very high and not for very long at the instance of detonation so you may not ever see signs of it on a plug or piston. But the gasket will let you know pretty dang quick. Especially a stock type gasket with stock type hardware and more compression. Putting in cometics and studs will keep the gasket alive but often at the cost of more expensive engine parts.

 

[MadScientistMat]

Usually head gaskets on a correctly built motor go from detonation unless the engine has truly monstrous levels of heat and pressure. As this sounds like it's not the sort of build that should be running copper gaskets, I would look into excessive timing or lean-out issues.

Also, does it usually fail on one particular point or cylinder?

 

[MOPARMAGA]

I don’t believe it was scoffed at but I do think more investigation is probably necessary. I was chattin with Tim and I tend to agree with him in that, an engine can detonate and not show signs on the plug because the engine will clean off the plug at the end of a run. Cylinder pressure will spike very high and not for very long at the instance of detonation so you may not ever see signs of it on a plug or piston. But the gasket will let you know pretty dang quick. Especially a stock type gasket with stock type hardware and more compression. Putting in cometics and studs will keep the gasket alive but often at the cost of more expensive engine parts.

Yep, my 1st rendition was doing exactly that and all the while the rings were butting. Head gaskets were showing issues, Pistons did show a tad but the plugs didn't show anything wrong. Not until every Dyno test lost power and leak down showed problems. Found out detonation!

 

[RockinRobin]

It's a shame when good advice is scoffed at.

Who scoffed at it? I think it's worth checking. Plugs look ok no evidence of detonation, but something to keep an eye on. As somebody mentioned, detonation can happen without showing up on the plugs.

 

[RockinRobin]

Putting in cometics and studs will keep the gasket alive but often at the cost of more expensive engine parts.

I hope not!

 

[MOPARMAGA]

Who scoffed at it? I think it's worth checking. Plugs look ok no evidence of detonation, but something to keep an eye on. As somebody mentioned, detonation can happen without showing up on the plugs.

Sorry that was an assumption of it being scoffed at.

 

[TT5.9mag]

I hope not!

Cometics and studs can withstand LOTS of cylinder pressure, even with only 4 studs/cylinder. 1200hp LS stuff lifts the heads, pisses coolant, then reseals and acts completely normal after a run.

 

[RockinRobin]

Cometics and studs can withstand LOTS of cylinder pressure, even with only 4 studs/cylinder. 1200hp LS stuff lifts the heads, pisses coolant, then reseals and acts completely normal after a run.

Wow! Good to know!

 

[RockinRobin]

Got the heads surfaced, had to take 4 thousandths. cleaned everything up, checked compression in all cylinders (if you work on gen3 you know why) and my compression tester broke. Needle was jumping but wouldn't hold, so pushrods are all seated correctly. Put it all back together and fired it up. runs fine, then I noticed a tranny fluid spot on the floor in front of the radiator! Ordered a new tranny cooler...and now we wait....again

 

[MOPARMAGA]

Got the heads surfaced, had to take 4 thousandths. cleaned everything up, checked compression in all cylinders (if you work on gen3 you know why) and my compression tester broke. Needle was jumping but wouldn't hold, so pushrods are all seated correctly. Put it all back together and fired it up. runs fine, then I noticed a tranny fluid spot on the floor in front of the radiator! Ordered a new tranny cooler...and now we wait....again

Funny thing, that's about where all the hemi heads that I surface end up between .003-.006
I usually do stuff from used car lots or mechanics. People think it's got a hemi so it's a race car lol. Same deal with coyote 5.0's and LS engines.
Be thankful you're not a 5.0 guy lol.
You'd be looking at tuliped valves every season

 

[RockinRobin]

The old FelPro gaskets were.028 and the Cometics are .040, so compression is coming down a little...
Everything went together fine, new trans cooler should be arriving Friday. There's TNT on Sunday evenings and we have a cold front moving through this weekend which should keep the high around 90.