Ok i had the headgasket renewed with a Grp A one about 18months ago probably done about 6k miles ,it was also skimmed. The same thing has happened again, oil in header tank has slowly been getting worse over the last couple of weeks. I think it must have finished it off when i fitted a T34, only runs max 1.5 bar & no more. The block is wire rung but the wires weren't renewed when the h/gasket was replaced, shuold they have been? If i get the head skimmed again and a new Grp A whats to say it won't blow again, whats the answer or is it just normal for a stage 3 cos to blow headgaskets once a year !

Cheers Simon.

 

I'd fit a multilayer steel headgasket. More exspensive, but it 'll hold , that's for sure.
Got a 4 layer WRC headgasket on mine. At least one thing i don't have to worry about any more.

 

Hello Simonc,

You have to use ARP bolts with that kind of boost. These will hold the head on it's place a lot better than the original bolts. I have these bolts to and they do fine.

Best regards,

 

Yes i was thinking about using a stud and nut kit, but i have a couple of friends that run the same set up as me & they give their car more stick than i do with standard headbolts and GrpA, their h/gaskets have been ok.

Cheers Simon.

PS Can anyone tell me if i can use a WRC or comectic type headgasket as i have a wire rung block ? I have read somewhere that its only advisable to use a Grp A on wire rung block.

 

i'd see if you can get the block welded and skimmed - a decent gasket like the cometic 3 layer etc, will hold that boost with standard ford bolts -

 

Did you or a garage do all the work si (renew headgasket/skim head etc)
If a garage has done it, ask them to shed some light on it, why it's gone again.
I had the same problem with the turbo...only produce 1.5bar of boost & no more

 

It was a garage that did it but someone i know well, he does a lot of cossie stuff. Paul when i said about turbo only running 1.5 bar max, i meant that is all i run max, it will however run a lot more.

Cheers Simon.

 

Sorry si read it wrong

 

Dave, exactly what i was thinking, i'm not convinced about wire ringing & i'm sure its that that is causing it blow. But would you bother to have that done on a 205 block ? I will probably never want more than 350bhp out of this engine,however it will get used for trackdays. I'm not sure whether to spend the money on this 205 blocked engine or try & get hold of a 200 block.

Cheers Simon.

 

only thing is if you got for a 200 block - unless its cheap, you will need new pistons,rings and crank shells if its been bored out etc,

- can u see where it is blowing , i bet at the gap where the end of one ring buits up against the edge of the back of the next ring, they cause high stress where thaey clamp and cause the gasget to be stretched over it - almost crimping the gasket around the top of the bores causing a weaker seal than justa good normal setup.

 

Won't have the time to remove head until the end of next week, then we can see whats caused it.
If you skim the block to remove the wire ring grooves can the piston tops be skimmed as well ?

Cheers Simon.

 

noone bothers wireringing 205 blocks anymore, not on a stage 3 anyway. But if the grooves are there then fit new welding wire into them. Stage 3 is no problem for standard headbolts. By the way Group A h/gasket is exactly the same as standard cosworth h/gasket, 10 quid from woodfords, so save ur money. U gotta be careful bout keep skimmin the head cos ur raisin the compression ratio. Have u got an in car boost gauge? found out from who supplied the chip wat the max boost should be, cos stage 3s vary from suppliers.if ur heads flat, which it would be if it was skimmed, then maybe ur overboosting and/or runnin lean, which can cause the head to warp and result in a blown hgasket.

 

Thanks for the replies people.
Mark i have got in car boost gauge & it runs about 1.4bar,never goes over 1.5bar. The car was set up over a year ago by M.A.D but since then i have added a 500 i/c Grp A K&N & a T34 .48, obviously the t34 holds onto boost at top end better than the old T3. Their were tiny bits of oil in the header tank before i fitted the t34, i think the T34 killed it a bit quicker. Note the car still runs absoultely perfectly with no overheating & has never run hot & it still feels just as quick but when you look in the header tank it looks like someone has put a Gypsy Tart in there & its all floating on the top, so i parked it up & haven't driven it since.

Anyone else got an opinion as what the best thing is to do with an already wire rung block, skim the block & pistons to remove groove or fit new wire. I'm thinking along the lines of head skim (this will be 2nd or 3rd 1) & skim block & pistons & fit thicker cometic h/gasket.

Cheers Simon.

PS really appriciate the replies/advise on here as no one on the RS Owners site has replied at all !!! Just shows this is a more friendly community,thanks.

Cheers Simon.

 

I would rather use thicker gasket (some come in different thinknesses) then skim pistons...

 

hi - i bought a new 200 block 5 years ago which had been machined for wire rings. it did about 150 trackday miles betwen gasket failures. always failing where the ends of the wire butted (it is worth reading the ggr web site discussion on this). i got pissed off with this gasket issue so stripped the engine. it took 30thou off the block face to get rid of the grooves and my head has been skimmed so many times it has lost about 1.3mm. to restore compression to 7 and a bit it needed very low comp cosworth pistons and a thick cometic gasket and the block has been long studded as well - fingers xxxsed but bin those wire rings!!

 

PGT, I think i have exactly the same problem. Thanks for the advise.


Cheers Simon.

 

yes i would agree get it skimmed