Why does my car keep popping HG's? The first one I think started to go when it wasn't tuned and on stock head bolts, but now I have ARP's which I torqued in 3 steps to 70ft lbs and a copper sprayed fel pro MLS gasket. After a pull last night through 4th is when I'm assuming it happened. I opened the hood today to find a bit of coolant splashed out of the overflow, and I just checked after a ride to school and a bunch of coolant was pushed over.
Bone stock y7 with ARP's.(well turbo obviously) Anyone else have this problem, or is it the tune? I was watching the EGT's during the pull and they never spiked higher than they usually do. . .

BTw I don't think the head is warped, because if it was it would have started to push coolant out right away, correct? After the new HG install it has been fine for three weeks, beaten on daily. . .

 

i had the similar problem with an LS motor bud, did you check the ARP's HS torquing #'s?

 

what's HS?

I think ARP reccommended torquing to around 60ft lbs, I used the ARP lube and over torqued slightly, but did it in the correct pattern in 3 steps. If I remember correctly I did 25, 50, 70, well slightly less than 70, around 68 or so.

 

How much timing do you have in it? The d16 are notorious for leaking HG's with too much timing.

 

Not sure on the timing....I mean either way I have to replace the HG, and I can go back to the tuner and have him re tune. We left it slightly rich up top, around 10.9 AFR, I didn't ask about the timing however.

 

did you resuface your head before you put the other head gasket on...mighta been warped when pop the first one...i had y7 pop 3 until i got it resuface then never had a problem after that i tq my to 65 tho...

 

how old are the headstuds? they can stretch a little if they have been torqued a bunch of times

 

Change the headgasket and get it tuned.

 

sorry I wasn't clear....it was tuned by a reputable tuner (my friend's 900whp civic was tuned by him)

But I changed the radiator cap, and it hasn't pushed any coolant over yet, so I think that might have been it. I'm hoping it was :D

 

D16y8? If so they are a bastard engine to most Honda tuners. People assume the D16y8 is like the Z6 or a B-series engine or any other Honda engine, but it isn't. It's a-typical.

Contact Matt Schue, ask for his paypal. Give him $25. Then contact him again and ask him for his advice. Then tell your tuner exactly what Matt told you.

 

Is Felpro really something to be used on a turbo-honda engine? I've always used oem and was always told you can never go wrong with oem. I know there are a few on here who have used Felpro though. Just a thought as to why you blew this one....if you did.

 

just got my car tuned this weekend, have the same issue. My rad cap IS cracked for sure, gonna fix it and see if that helps. If not, head must have lifted.

 

y7 non vtec. I am not totally familiar with the D's but I don't see why it would be a bastard to tune? I know they don't like too much timing, but like I said I'm not sure on how much timing he put into it.

Anyway, I just did a 100 mile round trip and beat on it for a while, no coolant. So I'm pretty sure it was the rad cap. kinda funny how the little cap can cause such a headache!

And the fel pro is a MLS gasket, nothing wrong with it.

 

And Why would i pay someone $25 for their advice? If they're going to be that greedy with their knowledge then let them be, I'm not going to contribute by paying.

 

damn, 900hp? that car must be fast. You deff left all that info out in your first post. Good to see you have it all squared away.

 

it is....dart block some huge ITS turbo, topmount, blah blah

 

is the owner of the cars name rob?

 

yeah..u kno him? lol red hatch EG

 

900 hp. lets see it.

 

i didn't see a dyno, im going by what he told me. i dont see a reason why he would lie to me?
and all the parts on the car are expensive high quality parts

 

y7/y8, have a lower base timing and have quench pads unlike any other Honda engine. Basically any Honda engine made between 1992-2000 can be tuned assuming 16* BTDC and a certain timing curve. Y8's and Y7's are different enough to throw a lot of tuners for a loop where you can't follow those base assumptions. 2 hours on the dyno doesn't give them a complete enough picture more often than not. As for paying Matt for his time, well, he can give you information based on theory and experience. It is better than 99% of the people on the board. You might even find some of the more reputable tuners on this board lacking knowledge in regards to the Y7/Y8 which he has. We'll see if you have any further problems. I can happily link you to Y7/Y8 owners who pop HG after HG until they end up selling the car.

 

in two years of boosting 10psi @ 240 on my y8 i have only popped one headgasket that was because of the timing advance that I did not take out in crome. I was also on stock headbolts and 125,000mi. New arp's and new oem headgasket, no issues since.

 

OP i had the same issue. car was fine, then boom, it overflowed tank. i thought i popped it too, but temps never rose or anything. it turned out to be my rad cap as well.....

 

Get the head and block checked to make sure it is flat before you put another head gasket on. Have you / your tuner post up the timing graphs and go from there. As everyone else has said, the D series motors are different than a typical B / K-series timing thoughts. Nowtype gave you some good info about the D motor. Time to spend more time talking to your tuner than on here.

 

if you replace the gasket do not use a fel pro gasket there junk only use oem we have tested most gaskets and nothing beets oem