Uh-OH I think the drag racer's blown a headgasket.

Mike Puckett

SCCoA Member
I lost a little coolant last week and wondered if something was afoot. Except for too much wheelspin all day the car ran great the last 2 Sat's. My check radiator light came on once in staging but after my run when I stopped at the watering station the overflow jug seemed to be Ok. I wiped the slime off of sensors and the light was off. The coolant temp was always normal and I checked the oil frequently for signs of coolant and found none, it's still clear with no cloudiness. Well, last night when I was working at reconfiguring the air intake I noticed the overflow jug was empty this time. No signs of leaks or puddles or antifreeze smell anywhere but nothing unusual looking in the tail pipes with only a quart or so consumed. But, there is a bit of ominous looking debris floating in the coolant when I remove the radiator cap. Something does not feel right here. It's never consumed coolant w/o an obvious leak before. I think it blew through from a water port to the cylinder. I'll pull the #1 & 3 plugs tonight and check them and pressure test the cooling system tomorrow. I think I've nipped it in the bud, though. The ARP head studs are on the way, I got the Fel-Pro head gasket kit today, and I've got Rick Cunningham scheduled to do the job next week. Why does this always happen when the season opens instead of ends? Last year it was the burnt up plug in the 2nd race. I guess I'll run the the 35th instead this Sat, slipping overdrive and all. I'll keep it in low D and hope the rest of the tranny is healthy. I need a sponsor!
 
Mike Puckett said:
I need a sponsor!

Thats what I am saying to Mike with my project. It would help out so much. Hope you get your drag racer back togather soon!

Shane
 
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