If I could go back in time about 25 years when I was Leo's age I would definitely want nick as my mentor.. He has a great temperament and looks at failures as a learning experience. Very calm and collected man..
One thing I like about Nick is he doesn't edit out the problems they run into on the dyno. Some other RU-vid channels don't show the inevitable problems that are run into when first starting a fresh engine. It ain't that easy. But Nick stays with it until the problem is solved, and "good enough" is never "good enough." Either its right or its not. One thing I noticed at about the 18:52 mark was the engine was rocking up and down at the flywheel and we could see air gaps appear at the connection between it and the dyno adapter.
This is why we never buy cheap gaskets, kids. The cost of swapping them on the dyno is much more than just buying the good stuff (Cometic) to begin with.
My late Dad grew up in cowboy country in the Sand Hills of Nebraska during the depression. Rodeos were commonplace. When Dad would witness an old pro like Nick doing his thing....he's say "He's like that haggard old bull....just slowly walking into the arena". In otherwards.....that old bull had seen it all.....every cowboy, every trick....and nothing flustered him. What a great lesson for a kid like Leo to be around. Thanks too for giving us the horse/torque readings from the fixed motor. I was afraid we'd never get those numbers.
That's what I like about Nick. Things go wrong, no panic, no blame. After all, that is why the engine is on the dyno test bed......not only to undertake testing, but if something is going to go wrong to let it go wrong there and not in the car's engine bay. Do not speculate. Find it and put it right. The trait of a true confident professional. I am like this too as an engineer. Localize it, find it, and fix it. Good work Nick.
I’ve been watching Nicks channel for years and have never seen an engine do that. Nick remained cool headed throughout the whole thing. That’s professionalism.
I really think Nick stayed calm for Leo's sake because you can see Leo's expression at first it was like he lost his best friend in the world and then Nick kind of made it like oh no big deal for the sake of Leo and then Leo started smiling again and kind of joking around thank you for being that way for Leo Nick really means a lot to see you do that for a kid I don't know how old he is but at my age anybody under my age is a kid haha.
OMG I stopped breathing when the engine blew smoke , just to see the look on Leos face . Iam so happy that it was nothing too serious Nick you are such a good mentor to Leo and he is so lucky
Fuqn rights old fellas that don’t get rotted n miserable w the time but try help rhe young gunners is wholesome aff, Leo was super hyped nick apprricayes it either it’s lowk half ass built way he truly cared
Nick is a fabulous teacher and mentor. Leo is all excited - goes for top of the world on the first partial pull to worried after something got hurt. Nick was so even-keeled. Went back to basic troubleshooting steps and really helped Leo to the problem. This world needs more mentors and great teachers like Nick. He cares for people, and takes the time out of his day to pass on some of his knowledge. Years ago when I got into cars, I was lucky enough to have a mentor like Nick, who would teach me so much. He would stay after hours in the shop to help me with a cam install, engine replacement or driveline work. Sadly, my mentor is no longer with us. Lesson in that story is to make sure these wonderful people know how much they are appreciated while they are here!! Hats off to you Nick!
Love the way Nick checked the headers. I was taught the same back in the late 70's. Just stumbled into this RU-vid channel. Definitely hooked ! Thank you Nick
Today, a non-contact I.R. laser temp gun works wonders for checking headers. They're only about $15-$20 at your local hardware store, and will give you the exact temp of each tube in less than 15 seconds just by pointing the tool at each tube and pulling the trigger. Instant, accurate, temp reading.
My husband and I absolutely loved this show. It's great to see actual problems get solved. My husband said a head gasket and he was right. Thanks for the great content Nick.
With at least 190psi compression, i thought it could have been a hole knocked in the piston, or a head gasket. With that kind of compression what are his plans for it? I'd be worried about spark knock, and having to run way less spark advance. And what kind of fuel will you have to run? The combo may be too much, practically speaking.
@@Formerlywarmer Negative. I think in Reality, normal compression test pressure is anywhere from 130psi to 160psi. for an early 70's 360. 195psi is extraordinary, especially if it's intended for regular street use. However, I admit I know next to nothing about Canadian gasoline octanes.
I really feel bad for Leo. You can tell how stressed he was when the $hit hit the fan. But I have to admire how calm Nick was through all of this.. He is a real pro that has seen it all, and it shows. Great video!
Oh man, I felt for you Leo. So glad it was just the head gasket and a few extra hours wrenching. Nick was such a great mentor in that video keeping everyone focused and WORKING THE PROBLEM rather than assuming the engine was completely blown.
Leo is one lucky young man to have an older experienced man to mentor him on engine building. A lot of young guys won't listen....and a lot of old guys won't help. Leo will remember this man as long as he lives and the time Nick spent guiding him. Priceless.
Look at it this way Leo: A lot of young engine builders have paid the price of your engine... maybe more... in tuition and have yet to learn what you learned from the ultimate mentor. A lesson that you will NEVER forget. Can't wait to see your engine soar.
@@billyjoejimbob56 failing and learning from an experience and becoming good at it is the same at college tuition, just a hands on learning if willing not be afraid of failing to succeed and learn. If one is willing to put time into that learning time and money
he could do with shutting up and listening to Nick, he is all wrong as a mechanic, jumping at "it blew a ring" with no thought behind that statement at all..... i think Nick said, like i did about 4 times it isnt a ring, the kid wasnt listening to Nick at all..... i wouldn't let that kid re-build a lawnmower engine! He said he built this engine with the best parts, if he knew his stuff he would already have know the potential for the large compression numbers and yet he fitted a cheap crapy headgasket... With a man like Nick you shut up and listen, he has forgotten more than most mechanics will ever know!
old guys won't help when the young guys won't listen. They need to learn to just shut the hell up and let the experience concentrate. That is how you learn. Nick has the patience of a saint when trying to diagnose a problem and having this squirrel chattering in his ear. My father would have rung my clock with a valve cover. The old adage of "Listen and Learn" is just as important to today.
@@bigboreracing356 Exactly 💯.. These folks are crying and complaining as if they're Perfect. Bet they wouldn't confront him to his face. He looks like a strong young man that doesn't spend every single day trolling. At least he works for a living while many people here live off government cheese.
Nick, I love the way You treat the up and coming mechanics. I taught my Son that way and He loves diving into total rebuilds. He has far surpassed my abilities. I hope Your channel gets millions of subscribers! You deserve it!
I feel bad for Leo, but like he was saying, it's a learning experience. And, if this is going to happen, no better place than right where the "Professor" is there to teach!🎓
Wow Dr. Nick doing an autopsy on the dyno. Many people making guesses but the MAN Nick was cool calm and systematic finding the problem..Great video to all the team. 👍
Well now, Leo bet $100 that it was a head gasket and who did he get his knowledge from to be able to make such a great educated guess so I've got to say Leo knew also what the problem was when they pulled off the valve covers I think he might have said that before the valve covers were pulled off but way to go Leo. Man I wish you were still there with Nick... I just love seeing your enthusiasm and desire to learn and pick up things and to absorb things like a sponge you're going to go a long ways.
U can see how proud nick is that his apprentice rebuilt his first motor and it's so fitting that it's on nicks Dyno I know the kiss of death look on Leo's face when it started blowing smoke his expression needs no words
Hi, Nick, George, and Leo, I'm a little late to the party this time but really enjoyed this video. From the beginning when I saw the title of the video, I was very concerned, about Leo's engine, but I knew that Nick would figure out what went wrong. Thankfully it wasn't a major problem, and easily fixed. Hey Leo, we all have been through problems like this with our cars. Just chalk it up to experience and keep going. You are never to old to learn. Your engine made some respectable power, and will make your Charger a fun ride this summer. Good job Leo, you should be very proud of your first engine. Nick, I just loved the way you stayed cool, and calm, during the video, found the problems, and then the cure. No other channel on RU-vid is as real as Nick's Garage.
@@moparedtn Hi Ed, things are going well here in Texas, and I hope that you and your family are doing well. The 500 is just about complete except for the exhaust, so it shouldn't be too much longer. I'm looking forward to the first drive!!!
@@eugenecastles7475 Oh man, that's got to be maddening! Your patience is admirable for sure. Are you going with Accurate, TTI or some other? I will try to keep an eye out for when you finally receive that gorgeous car back. Take care! - Ed
Thanks for the follow up with the new head gasket. Leo came a long way while he was under Nick's tutelage. He definitely made the most of his opportunity to learn from one of the best.
Hello Nick, Leo, George & others, that 360 turned out a wee beauty in the finish even if getting there wasn't what Leo was expecting. He still has a ways to go in the learning & growing department but had the best teacher being Nick complete with his maturity & knowledge not to mention a dyno.Stay cool everyone and have a great week all.
@@blinkie1523 true , im sure he's a nice guy but it was almost like he had never been in public or ever seen a engine run . It's great to be excited but that was just weird. It's like he is a very sheltered person.
This is what keeps me watching you Nick. Your helping this young man and his small block with as much attention to detail as you would give a 440 6 barrel. It wonderful to pass on the flame and instill the love for cars to the younger generation. Love this man, your an awesome guy!!
Thanks Nick and.Leo for.another great video. This reminds me of my first engine build in 1977 when I was a kid. L79 327. I felt exactly the same as Leo when it first started. We ran it at 2000 RPM to break in the cam, and listening for sounds of trouble. Everything went well. I pulled the car out of the shop, and had my ear to the grill listening to the post break in idle. I heard the roller timing chain when my buddy Richie closed the hood. My heart skipped a beat!!! That engine ran strong for over 20 years until I pulled it to build my current '67 Chevelle convertible.
I’m happy Leo didn’t lose his engine. Nick, you’re a great guy! The things a person could learn working along side of you. You remind me of my late father, he was like you. He would always say “don’t worry, we’ll figure it out”. Keep up the good work with your videos and stay a cool dude.
The two main things I have seen that causes a head gasket to blow, is the engine over heating and an improper torquing of the head. Blew the head gasket on my 1972 Ford F-100 like that, first time was because of a bad radiator that was causing the truck to over heat. The second time, was while I was at TSTC which is not TSTI and did not get the heads torqued down properly. Taught me a very valuable lesson out of that, which was to go over the head bolt torque sequence a couple of times to insure the head was torqued down properly. But that is the first time I have seen it blow because of a poor quality head gasket, but it does happen.
In a "worst" case, the head or the block may be uneven. I didn't hear in the video if they had the heads and block decked. It sounds like they were okay if new gaskets solved the problem. Glad they got it running without a major tear down!
@@paulcopeland9035 - Agree, I'd be checking head bolt torqueing plus block deck and head surface flatness! NO head gasket should have failed that quickly!
@@BuzzLOLOL ....After the fact, Leo commented that when he decided to change the cam to a more aggressive grind before final testing, he reused the head gaskets that were originally installed with the rebuild kit. That and the fact that the gaskets may have not been top quality, is the "root" of his problem. He has corrected this and the engine is now running strong.
I have been building engines for 30 years and there is a big difference from factory rebuilds and modified. You have to just learn from mistakes and Charlie Mike . The young man is very lucky to have such.a good teacher.
Don't fret Leo, I had a similar experience 30+ years ago. Bought a complete 360 gasket set from Performance Automotive Warehouse made by Detroit Gasket. I blew the head gaskets on it at the 3rd race of the season. Went back together with Fel-Pro and didn't have a problem after that. Love the channel !
I am not particularly into Mopar, trained in engine building but never becoming a pro. I really like these videos and thankful for them. Letting a man be a leader and supporting him is a skillset few young folks have. Nick caught vibration immediately. I wonder if they should have not run the engine hard but all the time and trouble to get it set up on dyno may as well get it firing on all 8 and even tuned if possible. The young man will be hesitant to do what bystanders urge in the future "bring it up to 5500!" (Not cool) and don't worry, that smirker will get his one day.
This is how it should be...when something happens no one freaks or whatever...just calm cool and collected Nick and Leo investigating the issue, nice to see from good people.
One of my favorite video, not because of the broken gasket, because it’s what can happen and you kept cool great job Nick, always a stress going on the dyno 👍
Those were some pretty impressive numbers out of a small block magnum, when you guys finally got that engines sorted out. Glad to see everything worked in the end out for Leo. I'm sure he'll get many great miles of enjoyment with that in his Charger. Great video!
@@NicksGarage those who can't do, teach+those who can't teach , do. Nick you have the ability to do both with considerable ease,I take my hat off to you
My Dad was a teacher 6th grade, and prop mechanic for B29s always told me, better be quiet and thought a fool than open ones mouth and remove all dout, better too learn by listening than doing a job repeatedly, patience is a virtue good man Nick you got along of it, taught some automotive myself, can be tough you do very well .....
I want this project to go well for Leo. I can see the excitement and pride that he has for this engine project. Thank you Nick for guiding and helping with this project.
Next time after running the engine up to temp just for shits and giggles check the torque on the heads. Before running it out on the dyno. I seen this on newly rebuilt small block chevy's 45 years ago and I was telling an old mechanic first thing he say's did you retorque the heads after getting the engine heated to temp. I said no but; I will from now on. He also told me to use copper gasket seal. Well all I can tell you is I never had a bad head gasket after that and I retorqued every engine head after that for 25 years just to be safe. Same with header gaskets after using copper gaskets and retightening the bolts no more leaks. In fact I even check the intake bolts. I do not like doing work twice especially when some thing as simple as retightening a few bolts could save you from serious engine problems. I also would hi-tack the valve cover gaskets to the valve cover then coat the other side with white grease. I could remove the covers many times and the gasket held up great. Nick you already know by increasing compression and adding a performance cam raising your RPMs by several thousand you can put a lot more stress on any engine. It will be interesting to see if any other damage occurred.
I've had some fun with these engines. My buddy Alex & I put a turbocharged 360 Magnum with a T56 in his 1978 Dodge Aspen Super Coupe in 2015 & it's still goin strong. He wanted 550-600hp so we built it to handle 750-800 so it would be stronger than needed. It made 618whp at 12psi.
Thanks Nick.... this episode was your best one to date. We should all learn something from the the way Nick methodically trouble shot the problem at hand. A genuine true craftsmen, a absolute talent.
You can almost feel Nick's pain and disappointment on this failure. Nick is the only wrench I have heard of in close to the 55 years I've been pulling wrenches that I would trust to work on my vehicles without giving behind to check
Possibly my favorite episode overall so far! Nick, you did such an amazing job of walking everybody that was present through the process to identify and eliminate problems. You're an excellent teacher and an absolute joy to observe. And that is one mean MOFO engine he built LOL!
Nick is the calmest teacher. Very kind. I would have sat that lad down and read him the riot act in the first 2 minutes. I sawNick was perturbed but stayed calm. And in the aftermath he patiently gave of himself freely to teach. Awesome.
This kid was definitely a little cocksure and obviously didn't cross all of his i's, but, in the end, the biggest failures weren't his fault. If you had been Nick in this hypothetical where you yelled at the kid, you'd just have been a dick; making a scene that everyone there would have thought less of you for, and for problems that were partially your fault (the wrong flywheel).
My 98 Dakota 5.2L just turned over to 339,000 Km , still runss great but I think the cam and crankshaft bearings need replacing , > low oil presure sitting @ idle .
Hey Leo sorry to see the gasket go, but I’m glad it happened outside of the car, and the numbers you pulled in the end are mind blowing! Enjoy the motor dude - you’ve earned it!
Great seeing Ya back Leo-Welcome the world of engine building! All of us that's messed with these things for any length of time have been in your shoes. Hang in there and enjoy that sweet 360 small block!!! Bring your roadrunner around when you get it running!
Sad for Leo ,but to be fair it happened in the perfect place .Nick had it in his mind and knew the problem after a few tests .Also some great numbers achieved once it was fixed.Really enjoyed this vid Nick .You are one calm man who knows his engines.👍
I have watched a number of NG vids but am compelled to comment on this one... first of all, FIRST CLASS Nick!! I LOVE your "lets figure it out" with enthusiasm approach! And Leo, I can so relate to your emotions, I am sure you learned so much and gained valuable experience on this day! Oh and the vid production is just excellent. For a gear head, this is great RU-vid!
I feel bad for Leo, but he learned stock gaskets may not hold up on the dyno in a high compression engine. After installing better gaskets, it made nice power. Congrats Leo, thanks Nick for taking us along for the ride. Much respect for all. Stay safe, God Bless.
The weak point on the small block Mopar. I like the Cometic MLS gaskets matched to within 0.030” of bore diameter. Never had a problem with them up to 13:1 compression.
At least it didn't eat any internals, not bad for his first engine build, if anyone can sort it out it's definitely you, can't wait to see the continuing saga
We've all been in Leo's shoes with our hot rods when we were his age, and he should save this video and watch it again in 20 years. As for Nick, unflappable as always, not his first time at a rodeo!!
If it only happened as a youngster I'd be happy. Sometimes it still does. Many new parts and pieces are my reason and excuse. God knows I don't get in a hurry for anything anymore.
Such an exciting episode! Every bit as entertaining as any of the big budget channels, "Nick's Garage" just keeps on raising the bar. BIG TIME KUDOS to George for all his efforts. Narration, editing, sound, camera work... the man can do it all!
The excess vibrations and issues with setting the timing maybe because the rubber that holds the balancer onto the crank has rotted and allowed the balancer to slip....just went through the same thing with mine in my D250.
Looks like head gasket blew into crankcase, you can hear the engine "chuffing" trying to run and all the smoke out of the crankcase vents in valve covers. I just dealt with that same thing on a 11.5:1 compression LS6 big block Chevy in a boat last summer. Cometic MLS gaskets fixed that problem. Change both head gaskets while it's torn down!
I don't know other than it sounded like-like-and may not always be the case-had top break off a piston-kinda similar until you pull it apart and see. Squirts oil out plug hole. I know Cometic gaskets-I would rather pay double for a set of theirs than get all the expensive "Other" ones I could get, and if they don't replace both head gaskets with Cometic at this point, well kinda what that Forrest Gump dude said, something about stupid? and yeah like that...200 PSI, not over the top, 140-to-200, good enough for this, that will drop a little maybe with the new gasket-don't know the difference in thickness....
Big Mercury V6 outboard with performance mods went through a head gasket like it was nothing. It would eat plugs like popcorn (NGK surface gap, nothing less) but it would devour the lakes it was on. The top end was never found in that engine before we sold the boat.
I'm sure they had already planned on changing both head gaskets. Common sense would tell you if one gasket blew that quickly, best to do both. Always do head gaskets as a set on V8 & V6 engines.
I admire Leo's excitement, enthusiasm, and dedication. You go, guy! And your 72 Charger is awesome! I've had a 68, 71, and 74 Chargers, and many other Mopars, but none as nice as yours!👍
#1, that Mopar didn’t “blow up”on the Dyno. Any old-school hot Rodder that says his motor blew up ,he’s talking about Rod‘s being outside of the block.
Good job Nick, teaching the younger generation. Not only lessons in the dyno room but lessons in life as well. Leo seemed to be getting a little bummed about the blown head gasket but Nick was having just another day at the office. "Eh, no big deal, we'll just take it apart & see what's wrong. That's why we're here.". Don't get discouraged Leo, head gaskets may blow, push rods may get bent & who knows what else. When you're cruising down the road listening to the purr of the engine it's all worth it man. One of the coolest things is being able to say "I built that myself.".
Great video, nice to see Leo's reaction when smoke came out of valve cover. Everyone was saying " blown ring" but Nick was saying," no,no,no ..its not a ring", and he was right!! Leo, you did great job on this engine, I am happie it is just a head gasket. Cant wait to se that engine again on test!!
Leo seems like a harmless weird dude that is excited about his engine. I remember turn the key when the first engine I built I thought it was going to blow up. Ran smooth as could be you could hear me hooting and hollering from down the street 🤣🤟🙏
Great story mate! I can picture it in my head. I know what you mean. Been in Leo’s situation as well but it didn’t turn out so well. All part of the journey I suppose…
Watching Nick squirt water on the headers reminded me of my dad tuning his 800cid irrigation engines. He'd do it after dark when he could see if the exhaust manifolds were equally red. He also tuned the fuel ration on the Natural Gas engines by watching the blue flame coming out the exhaust.
That is how I trouble shoot missing in CNG engines. Teach new techs to spray down the exhaust manifolds with WD40, put it under load for a few seconds and look for the wet hole.
In the future, Leo will be the man to turn to when looking for someone to keep our old school muscle cars alive, especially because he's had a little set back now , because he's learned something and that will make him stronger. That's how we learn. Good luck, Leo
This is the way kids learn ✌👍 Nick, please keep teaching your knowledge to the younger generation. Too few men like you left ... the knowledge and critical thinking needs to continue thru the generations.
Nick you are a great teacher, you have a lot of patience! Hey Leo, don't get down on yourself. It a piece of machinery and stuff happens. Nick, this is the best video you have done as far as sharing information and teaching! Thank you Professor Nick!
As much as that sucks, thank god it wasnt anything mechanical or any severe damage. The guy built a solid motor! Theres no one to blame other than a faulty part. Likely with some better quality gaskets the thing will breathe fire 🔥
Hi Nick, I had the same problem with my '69 340 Dart. With 12.5:1 compression. The problem is (I'm my opinion) is only 4 head bolts per cylinder. I tried all kinds of things to solve the problem. I came across an article in Hot Rod magazine ( I think, but it was in 1975 long time ago) referring ot this problem with blowing head gaskets in small block mopars. The solution they suggested was ringing the cylinders with copper wire. So I figured why not I'll try it. I was concerned about water leaks and the gasket not sealing properly..you first attempt was .013 diameter, that helped, but at full throttle it blew. Then I tried .016 wire better but again it blew. So I decided what the heck I went to .032 diameter. Again with new gaskets and copper coat head gasket sealer (I used it on all the experiments) so I drove around awhile. So I figured might as well see what happens. From a standing stop put in 1st gear and let her rip. Holy moly, it held perfectly and all I saw was sky. The front end came off the ground at least 4 feet. That solved the problem. I was running C modified production class. It ran under 11 seconds in the quarter mile. Never blew another head gasket. The heads were cut .020 the block cut .010 ( that was to have a straight gasket sealing surface.) I'm not shure how that affected the compression.
You did NOT pull a 4' wheelie on the street... c'mon man. My Olds will drag the rear bumper at the strip all day long and trip the 60' clock with the BACK tires. BUT on the street it will smoke the 18"wide 31"tall drag radials from a 50mph roll with the manual valve body automatic trans in second gear (no kick down) for 300'.... AND this is a tubbed, back-halfed, ladder bar car that hooks HARD at the track. So NO, your car did NOT do that.
I felt bad for Leo at and im so glad it wasnt a catastrophic failure. I hate to see someone as eager as Leo who wants to be a good employee having to deal with a possible failure in his assembly etc. its such a morale killer when that happens and embarrassing if friends are present. The good news is hes got someone like Nick guiding him so he will learn improve and get better every day. I was afraid the balance issue might be the pistons were assembled backwards on the rods or similar but thankfully it was a head gasket and the balance was just an incorrect flywheel. In the end this all works in Leo's favor as a valuable learning experience to check every detail in the future, if its any consolation Leo ive seen that same flywheel mistake made on 400 chevy small blocks with externally balanced flywheel and harmonic balancer. Either the gasket on Leo's engine wasnt up to snuff or a bolt didnt get properly torqued but either way it sounds like the engine ran well after reassembly with new gaskets and the correct flywheel, im really happy for Leo I know what this first build meant to him. Keep going Leo you will do well with Nicks teaching and as more experience builds up, it turns out you built a nice engine and I wish we could have seen the dyno runs with new flywheel and gaskets. Congrats on building a good engine Leo, im very happy for you.
I think Chrysler went from '1972 emissions slug 360 engine' to 'magnum 360 version' of production engines in 1994... but should have done it more like 1976 or so when GM and Ford were starting to offer improved engines like in the 30 MPG Pinto Pony 4 banger, Pontiac 301" V8 16 MPG city/ 23 MPG hiway, and Pontiac Iron Duke 4 with 28 MPG city/34 MPG hiway... Chrysler 360 was still like 9 MPG city/ 11 MPG hiway rating in 1993 !
@@jeffreybiscoe6 - On a SBC 400, the front dampener is also very unbalanced... and newer 350's starting 1986 also have unbalanced flywheels, but dampener stayed balanced...
Nick right away got the motor started in the first crank if I lived in Canada I will go to Nick and have him built my 400 to a 512 good going. Nick great mopar knowledge .
This was the BEST EPISODE in a long time imo ,Leo congrats on the engine and your (Nick)Mentors Guidance to get this done, Fabulous engine gonna make the wheels fly off your Charger👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Nick, to see you work with that young man was fantastic, he was so excited he couldn't stay still. Nice to know that there wasn't any internal damage. During the whole test you were cool and calm. Not your first time around the block!! Nice job..
It's really nice watching artist at their craft. You guys make it look so easy. Me. I have trouble putting a salt shaker cover on straight. Great filming only makes this video even better. Thanks.
Put Head Studs on that motor. With that higher compression, the head gasket failed because the studs lost clamping force and allowed the head to lift just enough for the combistion gases to get to the soft material past the fire ring on the gasket. Also, next time re torque the head studs after a heat cycle. Good luck!!
@@keithtaber1712 Pease explain this in Detail, as I am very interested to learn about it, as I am in my 30’s….. and love to learn from the ole’timers about that stuff! Thank you
Also, I know that gut wrenching feeling watching your build being put to the test. I still have my 1997 Honda Civic with a fully built LSVTEC (1.8L DOHC non-VTEC block with a VTEC head) that I assembled and I remember the knots that I had in my stomach when my tuner put it on the dyno for the first time. It went on to make 709 whp at 29 psi.
