Non clipped water pump fins = blown headgasket?

9 LIVES

9 LIVES

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Oct 29, 2006
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Not 110% sure what happened to my truck. I was on my way back home late one night and right before turning into my neighborhood I goosed it one last time. The boost guage pegged instantly (60lb. guage) I have a 100lb. guage on order.

Pulled up into garage and while letting the truck idle to cool down I heard what sounded like a water hose trickling on my driveway. Looked under the truck and noticed it was my truck loosing coolant! popped hood and the underside was covered with coolant. Turned the truck off and noticed that the overflow tank was full of all the crap that has settled in my radiator and engine. Also could see a stream of coolant flowing from between exhaust port #1 & #2 right above the oil filter housing.

Took a picture of the coolant overflow bottle and a short video clip of me squeezing the radiator hose to simulate the leak.

Could all of this have been avoided from clipping water pump fins? My RPM's never went over 3,500 & boost was possible in the 70-80lb. range

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4EN1Tjie_Y
 

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I think I just blew one of those little orange rings that goes around coolant ports :bang either which way im sure I need to take the head off

Will clipping the water pump fins stop this?

Possible want to fire ring the head also. Its O-ringed,marine gasket & studs at the moment.
 
probably just too much cylinder pressure, clipping shouldn't hurt, but I don't think you could say it would have prevented this
 
Ok this is another of the wives tales.
The water pump is not the culprit
Example why is a CR that turns 3400 all the time need the fins clipped back to run 3400 and make power and not push out the freeze plugs , it’s the lack of fluid flow , that causes micro steam at the top of the cylinder barrels , and behind the exhaust valve seats , once this steam keeps water from being in constant contact with these parts to transfer heat , they get even hotter , and when the bubble allows the water to reconnects , the water flash steams , and now you have a large volume of high pressure super heated steam , and the lack of ability for the of this to go anywhere because the water acts like a plug . Answer is increase water flow , and give it a place to go , as in a pop off,
Put a data logger sensor on the block and head, you will learn a whole lot
 
Greg I don't think a data logger is in the budget or plans for this truck.:doh:

When I put a new gasket in I just want to make sure I can avoid this. Knowing that I wasen't even full throttle I would hate to see what a full throttle pass down the track would do.
 
you need to give the pressure a place to go, there are wholes in the thermastate , on eather side make them a lot bigger , or take the center out ,
 
Check out Opie's coolant bypass set-up....
I don't remember all the details but I know he'll answer your questions.
 
"Its O-ringed"

You might not be clamping the rest of the gasket properly, to much o-ring protrusion.

Quite a few have had greef from that, good combustion seal, but not enough for the water jacket ports.

I wouldn't clip the fins.
 
h2o pump

i thought a electric h2o pump cured this problem.
 
I know an electric water pump or bypass system would cure the issue of blowing freeze plugs. But in my case I wasen't in the suposed high RPM range that would cause such and issue. In my case it looks like I might have busted one of those rings that goes around the cooler passages.
 
im not too awful sure that the water pump is the cause of the soft plugs coming out to begin with, i think that the issue is due to a head gasket getting ready to fail. reason being, my truck has yet to have any problems and i dont even have the thermostat drilled or cut out. and i know a another 5-10 trucks that dont have anything done that haven't had issues either, BUT I could be wrong!$.02
 
64 over S480. My 100lb. boost guage is on its way. Until then I will just guess that it was in that range as the 60lb. guage wrapped completly around and got stuck:bang

On a side note I have seen a truck running a single run in excess of 80lbs. of boost:charger:
 
Will fire rings help hold anymore boost? The head is o-ringed but now im thinking of how good of a job was done maybe to much protrusion as someone stated above?

I don't think I mentioned above that the truck starts fine and runs like a champ as is...just looses coolant out the side of the head big time. Coolant does not have any oil in it either.
 
Well in 12v world an electric pump has cured our problems, the water pressure finds the weekest point, if it is the gasket rather than a rusted freeze plug then that is where it pops. If there are concerns stick a pressure gauge in a coolant plug and see what pressure you are at at 3k then see what it goes up to from there...
 
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