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Recognising a Blown Head Gasket |
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Easily one of the most feared aspects of Forced Induction, the blown head gasket is an all too common problem. While it is always an unfortunate thing when it happens, it is something that can almost always be avoided. Just as important as trying to avoid this problem is being able to recognize when it happens. If it isn't discovered in time, it can lead to much more damaging and costly repairs.
The most common reasons for a blown headgasket are improper timing, inadaquate fuel delivery, or too much boost. Each of these can be a major cause of detonation and is something that you have complete control over, unless you have an equipment failure such as a bad fuel pump or faulty ignition. The key to timing is to be conservative to start with. When dialing in a new supercharged combination, the difference that a few degrees of timing will have on power is negligable compared to the increase in power the supercharger provides. However, the fact that being conservative could save you the trouble of tearing things appart, or breaking expensive components, are well worth it. As every combination is different, use what works with your combination and not what others may have had luck with. Again, being conservative is the key as a few extra hp isn't worth it in the long run. As far as fuel goes, that too should be taken on in a conservative manner. It's far better to start out too rich and back things down, than to risk going lean and blowing the head gaskets or worse. Most all severe damage done to supercharged motors, such as burnt pistons, is due to a lack of fuel. For this reason, you can't be too safe here. The issue of too much boost can be a tough one. Every combination will be a little different so it's very tough to determine just how much boost you can get away with. Fortunately, you can use effective compression formulas (see Boost-vs-Compression) and other items such as an EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) guage to help with finding your limits. The important thing is that, just as with timing and fuel, you should start conservatively to avoid costly mistakes. I realize that some of this may make the idea of Forced Induction sound a little risky, however that's not exactly true. Because Forced Induction offers the power increases that it does, you also have an increaesed risk of problems - just as you do any time you increase power. The fact still remains that Forced Induction is perhaps the quickest and most cost effective way to make the gains in power that it offers. While there are a few potential problems, they are all, for the most part, something that can easily be avoided. A little risk is worth a hugh reward. |
MotorSports Digest