Good evening everybody

Do any of you have had a crack between headbolt and waterjacket on your 205 or 200 block.... and had it repaired ??

Just discusing it with a friend, weather its possible and reliable enough on our 300-400 bhp Yb´s ????

Surely the block have to come out of the car and will have the deck refaced afterwards!!

 

Depending on how bad i think you can have long studs fitted to a 200 block and go again - not sure if you have to have any welding done as well

 

seen them used again after being repaired, its not ideal for big hp builds. if its a budget build then go for it, if not i'd look for a better block

 

Thank you for quick replies...

Sure it all depends. Some thread sealant would properly be adviseable too I guess, for better safety. Ofcause it should be welded by someone familiar with cast iron/welding.

Anybody did this and drive with it??

 

What fasteners were you on when it failed?

Have seen a few people saying its more likely to happen when on stud and nut (ie ARP) than on the standard bolts.
So its always interesting to get data about any failures that happen!

 

Yes I might as well say it as it is.. my block has cracked, correct. And serious biip biiiip bip biiiiiiiip crap!!!!!!

It was on ARP stud/nut. Its the third or firth time I use them, but this time the car ran 4-6km .. tadaaa.. capuccino oil .. end of this season (well, the season was already over)

The evening these things where fitted, where discused with my friend, and helper for the evening, that I did use TOOOO much oil on the thread, and I do remember I was generous with the oil, and didnt let the stud, how do you say, "drip of" enough. After some research this COULD be the problem.
As said I have fitted these bolt before wothout problems at all... I even found out I actually torqued them down with little torque!!

 

I will save the ARP´s for another buildt some day, and in my new engine I will trye std bolts, just for fun.

 

I always install the stud into the block dry when using ARP. The nut against the stud is the key torque not the stud against the block anyway.

 

I had arp stud n nuts on a 205 block that got very hot/over heated.
1 of the studs snapped and another loosened itself off.

Also a friend had an escort on a 200 block that cracked the block while running in on a rebuild, that had std bolts.

 

Wow, must have got REALLY hot to snap an ARP, those things are mentally strong!

 

Dry.. well why not, beside that I have never understood why the stud needed lube when going in the block. I just use moly or engine oil as advised from ARP.
About torque.. yes I am aware of that. As I recall it the stud only must be screwed down no more than fingertight.

Do YOU use any kind of threadlock/sealant in the block when fitting the stud ?

I am sure its my own fault , and its to bad as it was a very nice block with very healthy bores I might be subject to try and test later on.

 

oops.. sound crazy

 

I have a 200 block like that in my shed. I made a post here and there was varied opinion. The jist was that people were willing to use it and others wouldn't bother.

 

No on the YB's Ive done with ARPs (which is only a handful to be fair so might not be indicative of what others do) Ive just put the studs in totally dry, and so far never had a problem.
I've always used ARPs on vauxhall and mini engines without a problem before I ever heard about the potential issue with YB's so by the time I had heard about it I was already using them without a problem, and Ive stuck with it since then on other YB's ive built.
But like I say I havent built enough to be able to say that doing them dry solves the problem.

 

the block will need decking as ime it raises the face off block around the bolt head, mine was on standard head bolts!

 

imo if its only for 300-400 bhp id just get a good 205 block, you can pick them up cheap as chips

 

thats no good if it a 4x4 though!

 

y not? i know loads of people running 205 blocks 350bhp+ on a 4x4?

 

Its worth trying