Why would my head gasket bust yet again? I had a Felpro put in about two years ago and it just busted in the rear on the passenger side. Another $1500 down the drain! The new mechanic I have says that one should use the OEM gasket. Felpros are highly regarded on this site so could it have been a bad install or is their a logical mechanical reason why it would go bad so soon?

Just trying to make sense of all this. I am tempted to sell the car. It is getting to be a money pit.

Thanks

 

Did you have the head surfaced? Have you got it hot? Could be a number of things.

 

you might have a warped/ or cracked head or block. if both of those are okay, then run a cometic head gasket next time.

 

have those heads checked before you get a new gasket put on

 

Cometics are VERY picky about surface finish if anything on a stock shortblock they would be MORE likely to leak. I would only recommend them with a full build where you know the shop is capable of providing the proper surface finish.

I would have the head thoroughly inspected including harness and did the last mechanic use NEW bolts. If he did not the stockers might have stretched.

 

Don't use Cometic gaskets on a stocker.
The factory head bolts have to be replaced every time as they are TTY bolts and no good after being torqued.They are throw away after being taken out.
Fel Pro is the gasket of choice and with a CORRECT install will last a lifetime.
With the engine in the car the pass side head is a bitch to get on correctly so that and possibly the bolts are the whole issue.

 

What the two above said - listen to them. Bolt problem, head wasn't resurfaced, or block surface is messed up. Firering blown? Water to cylinder? water to oil?

 

Thanks for the responses. The heads were resurfaced, which is routine on head gasket changes. Not sure it they used new bolts but will definately let the new mechanic know to swap them with new ones.

For those in the Bay Area, CA, the shop that did it was Synergy Motorsports Inc. in Fremont. They screwed up a radiator/overheating issue I had once before and when I took it back to them to have it done right they said I would have to wait two weeks cause they had "engines to build!" So that's my critique of them.

Now I find out that my two year old water pump is leaking? Ugh!

 

COVER YOUR OPTI!!!

 

If you plan on taking the heads off in the future it might be worth it to buy the ARP head bolts.

 

You have something physically wrong with your head/block mating. Unless you are running some insane cylinder pressures (like turbo, supercharging) then there is no reason to frag a head gasket. They're not 4 bolt Ford 302's.

 

Resurfacing should cure this problem in theory, so if it was resurfaced two years ago then I would say they did it wrong. Can't think of why else the gasket would spring a leak. Hopefully this time it will be done correctly. Thanks.

 

nobody else caught the fact that he just stated in his last post that the water pump is leaking.......perhaps he DID overheat her a few times and never realized it? was your coolant jug full? Exactly what is it thats leaking? Id wager to bet on stock bolts being re-used.