So, my EA82 gave me some blown head gasket symptoms the other day. overheating and loosing coolant, but no white smoke, ran like a$$. I had to hit town and grab Mt. Dew so when it was cold I pulled the radiator cap, topped it off and started it and it started pumpin coolant out the radiator cap hole.?. I ran it for a minute and shure enough, exhaust started pumpin out throught the hole. Ever see that before? I pulled the heads today and cly 1 had a pretty fat crack, the others are normal little ones. I've done lots of theese head gaskets before and every head I'ever pulled had cracks, but none as big as this one. Ever have exhaust blow from the radiator? not me, till now anyway, but I've never ran one like that either...... A blown head gasket is the only thing that'll cause that, right? What other thing can cause that?

If the crack is deep enough the exhaust port can crack all the way through to the coolant jacket.

 

I've seen 4 foot gysers of coolant from engines with both head gaskets blown out. Cylinder compression is around 150 psi - more than enough to propel coolant skyward.

 

GD

Are Still Repairable a Head with That Deep Crack?

well... anything can be done with lots of time and money:grin:

well... anything can be done with lots of time and money:grin:

 

Why even bother?

i just did head gaskets and left one with a larger than normal crack under the advice of others who suggest these cracks are normal and rarely problematic on non-turbo's. and like you said, nearly every one i've ever pulled had at least one crack. now i got zero compression and am doing it again with new heads this time. i'd suggest not using that head.