Venting - Headgasket :(

[My96z]

First, some history...

About a year ago when I was working in Germany my cobra overheated on my wife. She brought the car home and had a friend look at it. He added a bit of coolant to it and then all seemed fine. When I left for Germany, car was making 598 rwhp with fp duty cycle maxed. I got home from Germany with a killer chiller kit and Lethal budget return fuel system waiting. I got into the car when I got home and pulled out of my driveway. I started going down the road, look down at the aeroforce gauge and its reading 220*. I flip a u-turn to head back home as I had only went about 3 miles down to road and as soon as I turned the temp started dropping dramatically back to normal levels. Then I never had another problem with it until recently. I thought the thermostat was sticking since it sat.

I then had a new fuel system installed and a new tune, car made 608 on 15.5 psi and 18* and 623 on a 21* race tune(killer chiller not completely installed) as it sits.

Car is running great. But I am getting alot of pressure in the cooling system and puking fluid on acceleration. I installed a Reische thermo and had been trying to bleed it for a few days. I also got a new Ford radiator cap. Its also using coolant. No smoke, no water in oil but I am sure thats what it is. It wont get hot if you are driving down the road but it will if its sitting or in stop and go traffic.

I take it to the local Ford dealer to have the coolant flushed but they tell me they would rather not do it since they are sure its a headgasket. I get a quote from them to do it since I am there and they said about $1700-2000. They also said that they have seen that aftermarket blowers are lifting heads and pushing gaskets. Typical dealer stuff.

So now I am looking into a headgasket job. Doing a search here on headgaskets, doesnt seem that I can go wrong with Ford, Fel-pro or Cometic gaskets. I guess I just have to choose. I just want it to be better than it was. I definatley wanna do some ARP studs while it is apart. I hope the heads arent warped, but that doesnt seem to be too common.

I think the damage was done when it initially over heated on my wife. Sucks that the car is running so good with these new mods and now it needs a head gasket. I really wanted to dyno test the killer chiller and see why my KB is only making 15.5 PSI with a 3.25" pulley. But more important things first...

 

[Blueline]

If you still have the plastic coolant tank, it may be warped from the initial overheat and your new cap isnt sealing correctly. Did you check to make sure your fans are kicking on? Did you adjust the new fan settings with the reische thermostat? Make sure you follow the proper burping procedure too.

 

[My96z]

Fans are coming on, and were adjusted for the new thermostat. I bled the car for two days using Reische's instructions. I havent switched out the tank. But when I am driving it normally it doesnt puke coolant and when I shut it down and open the bleed plug it takes a long time for the air to bleed out. There is alot of air that gets in there.

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

If you still have the plastic coolant tank, it may be warped from the initial overheat and your new cap isnt sealing correctly. Did you check to make sure your fans are kicking on? Did you adjust the new fan settings with the reische thermostat? Make sure you follow the proper burping procedure too.

Yes certainly address the above.

But most importantly verify the validity of the head gasket diagnosis, as it is most certainly NOT a common place occurrence.

Get a second opinion or test it yourself.

 

[My96z]

Doing some searches on here, seems these cars are going through headgaskets alot recently. I am waiting on my tuner to get back into town. I will see what he says. None of the part stores here have that tester that detects exhaust gasses in the coolant!

 

[Quick Strike]

Just a few DIY coolant compromised head gasket diagnosis tips:

• Look for a white crystal like film on a plug electrode (take them out and let them dry in the open air).
• Look in the crossover tube for air bubbles when running.
• Look for excessive cylinder pressure in one cylinder from pulling coolant into the cylinder (coolant does not compress).

 

[My96z]

I do have little bubbles coming through the funnell on the crossover...

I went and got a block tester that detects exhaust gas in the cooling system. It comes back negative. Its not changing the color of the fluid. I tested it a few times. While the car was sitting there idling, I had to siphon about two gallons of coolant to keep the tester from sucking up expanding coolant. That makes no sense. Only thing I can think of is its building pressure and pushing the coolant out of the expansion chamber. I am still getting excessive pressure in the crossover tube. The car reached 220* sitting there idling before I shut it down.

I think the tester is not picking up anything from the expansion tank since its so far out of the circulation of the coolant.

 

[Quick Strike]

Did you have the crossover tube plug and expansion tank cap off at the same time? That would explain coolant water overflowing the tank during your testing. The crossover plug holds the coolant from flowing down to the level of the expansion tank when the expansion tank cal is off. Look at the burping procedures for the coolant system to address. There should be one on the "How To" forum.

 

[My96z]

No plug was not off. I have followed the burping procedures to a "T" for a few days, several times over and I am still having problems. I may just take it to Ford today and have them do a coolant flush and they can use thier machine.

I was thinking of trying to do the test out of the crossover tube.