I am getting a new converter really soon, and once i get that in maybe a little while down the road(after i recover from buying the converter ) i would like to maybe go to some 181 Delivery Valves for a little extra kick. Right now with my 16cm housing my boost is at about 32-33lbs wide open. I was running 40lbs with the stock housing. Seems i hear stock head gaskets are good till about 45-50lbs of boost. Would i be fine going to the slightly bigger delivery valves? Im thinking with the bigger D.V.'s i still wouldnt be over 40lbs. I just dont want to get into head gasket problems but would like a little more power. Thats all i plan on doing for a while. Just would like to be able to out run all the new stock trucks by a little more. Cant be cutting it to close So how many lbs of boost blew your stock head gasket, and should i be fine? Thanks.

Eric

 

You should be fine.

 

Timing has a lot to do with it too, and so does backpressure from a tight turbine housing!

Have you had it timed, yet? Looks like you took care of some of the backpressure with that 16cm housing.

Right now I'm running a #10, 300's, and 181DV's (from a 215 pump I've got sitting here ) feeding a B1 and boost is 42-44psi from 2500-3000RPM. Timing is also at 17* and I haven't had a problem yet with 290K on the stock headbolts! I think I'm still gonna pick up a set of ARP studs in the very near future .

Chris

 

I think you'd be fine up to 50 psi, with a head gasket that's in decent shape.

I suspect the guys that have problems at 50 psi, and below, are not letting their trucks get FULLY warmed up before playing hard.

I would worry more about adding a new TC to a stock Valve Body with 175,000 miles on it....especially if your drag racing. JMO.

RJ

 

Thanks guys. I really think i should be fine; i just dont want to get into head gasket stuff if i can stay away from it. I still need to do timing, and plan on probably going with 16 degrees. I usually drive my truck easy when its cold so i think i would be ok. On the valve body; it actually only has probably 100k on it as it was rebuilt a while before i got the truck. I think the valve body is fine. It works great with the transgo shift kit. Im more worried about the clutches and seals in the tranny. I e-mailed dave though and he said if the tranny is working fine then i should be fine with just a converter so i dont know. I think im gonna call him ad taslk to him about it sometime soon and see what he says. Thanks again guys. Getting closer allt he time to having this truck how i want it.

Eric

 

If you're planning on 16* timing then that should help too...higher timing "can" help kill a headgasket in the right conditions!

Chris

 

i wouldn't be too worried about even getting to 50 psi with the stock turbo. you'll put that thing through the hood before you see that kind of pressure.

dave

 

My understandin

the head gasket TYPICALLY SHOULD handle up to 50PSI max, with better studs and a marine gasket you can go to 85-90PSI... but like swank said, u are not gettin that out of a stock turbo.. ull probly grenade it or do more harm than good...

Tx