Am fighting fuel system issues. Going to have to move to some type of dual pump setup.

What would the symptoms of Head Lifting be? Is it common for them to only lift a bit at high boost/pressure, then re-seal?

If they lift should I have milky oil?
Am seeing some coolant around the reservoir cap when I really get on it. Maybe a tablespoon. Coolant temps are ok. Might just be a loose reservoir...

I think the oil is ok. Just looking for more info.

 

thats the same thing I saw,,,,,,there would be a little coolant around the area of the overflow and radiator cap. Funny thing is, it would "reseal" and drive fine. Once I got the detonation under control, it didn't leak anymore. This was with cometic gaskets.

 

check the edges where your head meets to the block all around. there would be some coolant ooze around it.
i coulndt see mine from up above but from under neath the car.

 

If you're not seeing any detonation, you are probably not lifting the heads.

Just keep an eye on the coolant levels. If you are going down more than a quart over a day or so, it is probably a blown gasket instead of the heads lifting. This will vent exhaust gasses into the coolant passage and over preasurize the system which is what would blow coolant out of the resevoir.

This can happen initially without all the milk shake mess but you'll want to keep an eye on the oil cap. That's the easiest place to see it forming.

Rick

 

I say he is lifting the heads....metal gaskets like the cometics wont generally blow out...head lifts....coolant gets pressureized and head sits back down...no milk shake or anything...just water on the right side of the car. Mine did it and someone local did the same thing with N20. Mine did it prolly 5 different times on two setups

 

put it on a lift and bring it up to temp and then look for coolant on the side of the block.

 

look for the coolant level in the radiator to drop significantly and the coolant level in the overflow to rise significantly.. and water stains running down the block starting at the bottom of the head

 

if you lift a head, does it ruin your engine in anyway? What causes this? is there anyway to modify the block or heads when you're building an LSX motor to help prevent this? i.e...bigger headstuds/bolts? I may someday, down the road, go big on a project and build a boosted F-body, and I don't want to run into this problem. Might as well figure out the answer now.

 

Hoping that when I switch to a dual 340 setup, my fuel pressure issues are solved and the detonation is gone. Thinking also detonation is causing the heads to lift a bit.

For those that saw their heads lift but didn't blow a gasket, did you have to do anything except get your tune/fuel issues fixed? Did you need to re-tq the heads or anything as long as your gasket didn't blow? It's not great to re-tq these GM gaskets, is it?

Thanks!

P.S. I think the coolant level is high still. Will check tonight.

 

if it's losing water you will have to replace the gaskets. If you're not running studs then that would be a good time to install some. you can lift the head without detonation from extreme cylinder pressure/lack of clamping force.

 

Doesn't seem to be leaking coolant under normal operation and coolant level is high.

Using ARP Head Studs, AFR Decked Heads and GM MLS Gaskets.

 

Best way to monitor is to be consistent. Top up the radiator cold and then check it every morning. If you have to add more than a pint, maybe two pints, you are losing it somewhere. Be sure to check other stuff. My system will push a bit into the overflow can, and pull it back. But my overflow was cracked at the bottom and I was losing it there.

 

mellow, when you checked it did you check at the overfow or look under the radiator cap to see if it was full?

 

The C5 doesn't really have an overflow tank I don't think.
The coolant level was all the way up to the neck. I could try topping it off. I think a cup or so maybe for the last month.

Will top it off tonight and see how much it is.

Re-Torquing the gaskets is a bad idea, right?
Think I just need the fuel system right.

P.S. Found my issue was a pinched/cracking radiator hose that leaked under hvy tq/accel.