What can possibly be the problem besides headgasket :(

[jimmy169]

Posted this on 2gnt but figured it wouldn't hurt to post it here either:

First I would like to explain everything I have in this car. Forged internals, 8.6 compression, portfueler, multi-layered steel headgasket, arp headstuds, everything i could possibly throw at this damn engine. I also have the star turbokit. I just recently dyno tuned it to 18psi for 293whp but i have been having this coolant problem. It leaks and overheats anytime I boost it a bit, say up to 10psi now. The overheating started before I dyno tuned it though, when i was only at 10psi. They replaced every hose by now, since this is about the 5th time it's happened, replaced t-stat 3 times and did a full leak down test and it showed the engine was perfectly healthy. But...there is nothing else they can think of besides it being headgasket cause even after letting it go through it's heat cycle for a LONG time, they brought it out on the highway boosted about 10psi and it happened again.

Before I go and have the headgasket done can u guys please help me out, i mean what could have caused this. After I get the headgasket done I have to sell my car because I'm worried it could happen again, i mean idk what else to do for it to handle the boost

 

[baxsom]

what do you mean leaks
like it overflows coolant
just wondering exactly what is leaking

as far as headgasket goes
a blown headgasket will cause you to lose water and white smoke will come out of the exhaust

plus you should be able to smell the coolant in the exhaust

sometimes there will be coolant in the oil as well
for example the headgasket on my motorcycle went out and it turned my oil milky white because it was mixing


if i am wrong someone please let me know because this is what i understand happens when a headgasket goes out

 

[jimmy169]

Well, here's exactly what is happeing, I will drive down the highway say boosting to pass someone, hit a light, when i don't gas it, water temp goes up, when i gas it it will fall down. Later come to find there is some sort of leak whether it caused a pipe or something to crack or it is just overflowing.

When I say leak I mean coolant leak, but yeah nothing shows sign of headgasket, no oil in the anti freeze, no smoke really, they say it could be one of the layers failing which would cause it to overflow under boost and whatnot.

 

[baxsom]

is it possible that your IC is blocking too much of the radiator
and not letting enough airflow


i would try the water wetter additive also
i understand it works pretty well

and maybe the dual fan mod that turns on the ac fan along with the engine fan

which reminds me
is your engine fan coming on?

 

[jimmy169]

Yes actually he did this thing where they both come on, and recommended i may need a better radiator but it came on a lot faster and went through the cycle much better it seemed, but yeah it does that all the time...the problem is when it's under boost i guess...

 

[DSM-ZERO]

get a high performance radiator and dual fal fans

you could also hard wire your fans to always stay on at the flick of a switch BUT it might cause a code to be thrown

It sounds like you radiator is being heatsoaked and it has a hard time cooling it self which could lead to a blown head gasket

 

[jimmy169]

Yeah I think it'd be too good to be true right now if it was the radiator, i think i will have to do the hg and they will be able to tell when they open it exactly what happened but i am now worried about boosting it again after it's done as I don't want this to happen again....

 

[jimmy169]

Some of my friends r saying the headstuds just may need to be retorqued, could that be it!!

 

[siueclipse]

Some of my friends r saying the headstuds just may need to be retorqued, could that be it!!

Headstuds shouldn't need to be retorqued. Did you have your head checked for straightness when you were building the motor? Where did you get the headgasket from? Im willing to bet you that your headgasket is leaking.

 

[jimmy169]

Damn I was really hoping retorqueing it would fix it but yeah i guess it is the headgasket...i can't believe this ####ing shit...

 

[DSM-ZERO]

when I fisrt turboed my car I had this problem my car would over heat
BUT I only had one fan I removed one for more room
so
I got dual fal fans and placed them on the opp. side of the radiator so they blow through the radiator and that fixed the problem

 

[jimmy169]

Well I've decided I'm going to get the head pulled out, get a lot of shit checked out, what do u guys recommend I get done while it's out, I was thinking cams, maybe port n polish and whatnot, what is worth the money do u think?

 

[DSM-ZERO]

springs and retainers and valves

 

[Defiant]

multi-layered steel headgasket,

There's your problem.

 

[jimmy169]

There's your problem.

Yeap this is what ppl r telling me, I'm thinking of going with the copper headgasket, and get the head o-ringed, what do u think?

 

[Defiant]

Yeap this is what ppl r telling me, I'm thinking of going with the copper headgasket, and get the head o-ringed, what do u think?

I'd ask around about the O-ringing. It may not be necessary, but you are running a lot of boost. Converting N/Ts is beyond my experience in the DSM world. I'd never tried to run those kinds of pressures on cars I'd converted.

 

[jimmy169]

Yeah I just really don't want this to happen again, wanna be safe as I can. Would u guys be able to point me in the direction of a nice set of valves and whatnot, and cams...and huh...w/e else u guys recommend.

 

[jimmy169]

Welp realized my credit card is pretty maxed out, can anyone please lead me to a site where I can get the cams. This is all I will prob get while fixing the hg.

 

[BigRand]

Welp realized my credit card is pretty maxed out, can anyone please lead me to a site where I can get the cams. This is all I will prob get while fixing the hg.

I think 9second racing had some good prices on cams. I'd also check nopi,prostreetonline, and even cardomain for some good prices. Ebay is probably your best bet, but u know how that goes.

I just wanted to toss out one last idea, for you, and anyone else having a similar problem.

My friend who drove a v6 accord (stock) had a coolant problem too, after the leak down test we found out she needed a new water pump, because it was going bad.
I'm pretty sure u would have ruled this out after the leak down test, but I just wanted to through it out.
I would also ask if your car blows a/c or heat properly underboost?

Yeah I'm pretty sure its your head gasket too....but I just wanted to throw that out there, for you or anyone else who has a similar problem with cooling.