JUNK! Blowpro

[Old Fiat Driver]

Guy's, there is one thing that I haven't seen in these articles, maybe I missed it, The head bolts on these motors are so long that they nearly bottom out in the block when torqued. If you shave heads or blocks the bolts can bottom out and the head won't seal properly. I always remove the head bolt washer, put everything together without the head gasket or torqueing the head, just make everything slightly snug and see how much clearance there is between the head bolt and the head. I have had to grind down the thread area of head bolts more that once. I was alerted to this by PBS who learned the hard way. I have never had a head gasket problem however, on the higher compression motors I do o-ring the block and have always used standard head gaskets.

Hope you find the trouble
Charlie

 

[MikeHynes]

In the marketing world, this is known as brand identity inertia. Once a brand identity (what any given qualities associated with a given brand) has been established, it becomes ingrained into the market's mind and is very difficult to change. This is why car manufactures go racing to win. These victories become the public image of that brand, over time and publicity those victories and good PR becomes ingrained into the market's mind even when their production products have ZERO commonality with the vehicle that did the winning. What the market cares about is that public image of being a winner and being associated with that brand-tribe, it is also know as Social Status.

Fel-Pro is an established American "Hot Rodder" brand. They built their reputation for quality gaskets many decades ago. Much like Fram's oil filters that were once good, they have been de-contented by bean counters, management, driven by the President-CEO and Board of Directors to produce as much profit and return on investment for their share holders, investors, bankers all else does not matter. The brand rides on their past of being good even if their current offering is junk. In the market's mind, their past reputation is reasons enough to make the purchase. The other way this game is played, customers are offered ZERO purchasing options for what they need aka Monopoly.

*Think of that ad lingo, "Pennsylvania Grade Crude Oil" being advertised as the best for making engine oil and how that stuck in the market's mind for decades.

These days, products offered by companies must be very carefully analyzed before even being considered to be used. Brand and reputation should have about zero value as how their product-offering actually performs matters most. It is only after their offerings have been proven in the most demanding conditions that a return purchase should ever be considered.



Bernice

Rupunzell, you make a very valid point. I think Fram oil filters are an excellent example of this. But let's not forget that "internet myths" also fit into the same category.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

Charlie's discussion of head bolts leads to my contention that converting to studs should help prevent some issues. Any reason not to do so?
Likewise, I also think use of a MLS style gasket would avoid many failure issues, especially with an increased compression set-up. Again, why not?

 

[Rupunzell]

Unless there is very significant incentive to re-use critical threaded engine fasteners like cylinder head screws, connecting rod bolts-nuts, main cap screws and such, using the correct hardware negates the PBS observation of cylinder head bolts being too long. This could have been true back in the days when all one could get was stock FIAT hardware, no longer true today.

Other than the possibility of studs getting stuck with the cylinder head (can be prevented by coating the studs with anti-corrosion coating) using ARP studs, hardened washers and nuts is the better way. There are very few negatives. ARP did not exist at the time when that PBS book was written and there were very few alternatives to using FIAT oem engine hardware back then.

There is an awful lot in that old PBS race prep book that is obsolete or mis-guided, much as moved on since the time when that book was published by PBS. If the information-knolwedge continued in that book resulted in a winning car that would give that book's content some validity, but it did not. PBS had very limited success with what they did to the exxe. There are some small bits of useful info, but the overall concept did not work.

-Just because it was published in a book, does not give the book contents validity.


Bernice

 

[Rupunzell]

These beliefs work in primal instinctive need for belonging to a tribe (Tribalism), taking the easy and lazy way out of accepting what is "good" (wishful thinking) and looking only at the short term benefits of the item or to do action.

More than a few companies and individuals fully understand these human failings and exploit them to gain an advantage allowing them to forward their agenda. Sadly, this works too often more than not.

And this applies to a LOT more than just moto-vehicle stuff.


Bernice

Rupunzell, you make a very valid point. I think Fram oil filters are an excellent example of this. But let's not forget that "internet myths" also fit into the same category.

 

[mikemo90]

when they went to the10mm tty (torque to yield) no re torque was necessary. on the older bolts I always went 2-3 pounds more than called for. and did a recheck to make sure all was good. and never had a problem. was the head pressure tested?? there has to be something warped to cause that or a hairline crack between the cylinders. doesn't take much to be a headache forever.