Who Tows and hits over 30 psi on stock headbolts - headgasket ?

[JOHNFAK]

Lets see - open to ANY truck years as long as a CTD

[Mopar1973Man]

I do...16,000-17,000 GCW I can easily hit 35 PSI on hold it on a 7% grade but typically don't. If I had a 0-60 PSI gauge and a good adjustable boost elbow I bump the boost limit to 40 PSI. But I don't have either. :whistle:You'll find the people that blow headgaskets at a low pressure have not been keeping up with coolant changes and the gasket get weak and blows.

[dripley]

I can hit 32 to 34 psi with my current set up at 22.5k GCW. With my old 5th wheel I coud hit the same pressure at a GCW of near 20k. I only tow about 5k a year though. I can still hit those pressures empty, flogging it hard.

[JOHNFAK]

How often change fluid? Do we flush?

I think those are going to be variables out of the equation for now. Obviously not flushing the coolant is "probably" going to have impact on the gasket - but then when do you discount it - at how many miles ? So for now - just straight up - did you blow a HG towing over 30psi - whilst towing . If you have 400000 miles on the original OEM gasket and it burst whilst towing - just mention it in the thread that it DID burst but it also had 400k miles.

[JOHNFAK]

I flush and change coolant yearly (30K miles) and change the thermostat at the same time. Remember everything the coolant touches can be affected. So if the coolant pH level goes acidic (below 7) then oil cooler, head gasket, radiator, heater core, water pump seals, etc all are affected by corrosion of the acidic coolant. So I flush regularly to keep the pH at 7 as much as possible. I've never seen a scale bloom in my radiator nor a coolant leak yet. (Coming up on 200K miles 10 years!) So I know my head gasket is still strong and will take 45-50 PSI without thinking...

Agree. Problem is there are too many variables between trucks, fluids used, flush frequency so forth. So right now - since people are saying that going over 30 PSI whilst towing is bad - then lets collect some numbers on how many people actually saw there headgasket go whilst towing and doing over 30psi. If the HG did go - we can then see if they flush regularly and if the truck is original etc. I have said it before and I suspect that towing has little effect on HG failure as the fueling is pretty much the same (same injectors/chip) as when not towing ........ so cylinder pressures are much the same. Only difference could be people with non wastgated turbos and going well out of the MAP of the turbo. Still - 30-35psi on stock turbo and low fueling whilst towing I dont think should impact HG failure rate anymore than non towing. So point of this is to say based on the numbers - yes its relatively safe to go up to 30/35 psi on stock bolts whilst towing.

[War Eagle]

I have hit 30-32pounds on my 2nd gen while I had my camper on and pulling a good steep grade.I usually am not at that pressure for a very long time because you really use the fuel. If it is a really long pull then I start to back off a little to try and keep the mpg in check.I have 227000 miles on it and have never had a head off.

[Mopar1973Man]

It not so much the bolts that are a problem because there is several people that push 45-50 PSI of boost with standard head bolts and no problems with the gasket. The problem with the head gasket failing is either coolant or drug based. People that use high levels of Water/meth, nitrous, propane, etc. are more prone to head gasket failure. Kind of like you John I know your setup with Water/Meth so as long as your using more water and less meth your fine.Cylinder pressures are sharply increased with these drugs... Then coupled with weak gaskets from lack of coolant changes and BAM! Now you got a crowd of people claiming you can't make past 30-35 PSI towing without blowing a head gasket.Your right John there is a bunch of different factors the will reduce the longevity of the head gasket...

[JOHNFAK]

Yeah I just want to see the numbers of towing over 30 psi blowing HG. I don't think generally you'll find any correlation there .... Eg it doesn't generally result in hg failure

[volkswagon]

I hit 35 while towing. Didn't know there might be something to worry about there so I didn't worry! I checked my drive pressure doing that and it's still only 1:1 so I might try playing with my waste gate. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hd99fxr3]

I tow but don't have a gage. I just take it easy on the long hills.

[cajflynn]

I've towed a little. I have also replaced the head gasket twice. My thought is that it is not very smart for a lot reason to tow at 30 lbs of boost. The head gasket is no where near the most expensive thing you will break.

[dripley]

I've towed a little. I have also replaced the head gasket twice. My thought is that it is not very smart for a lot reason to tow at 30 lbs of boost. The head gasket is no where near the most expensive thing you will break.

Just be sure I understand what your are saying. Towing at 30 psi constant is the enemy but is ok climbing grades for a few miles and the level off to 10 or 15 psi with a heavy load. When i cross the mountains on I40 towards Tenn I see 30+ for the grade to Ashville, then level off to 10 or 15 psi except for a few areas on the way to Knoxville. Or shoud I baby it more pulling the hard grades?

[cajflynn]

I never really go over 20. If I cant hold OD there I let it slow down to 50, downshift to third, and hold it at 20. I can climb almost anything like this. I try not to wear out my transmission too fast.

[dripley]

I am not sure I could pull the Asville grade at 20 unless I dropped to 4th. Pretty sure I run near 30 in 5th for most of it. I could slow to 45 in 4th and accomplish that I think, I just never thought it would hut it in 5th at 30 psi for that 6 miles.You must be on vacation. I dont think I have seen this many post from you in the past year, much less the past 2 weeks. How many mile on the 53 do you have now?

[cajflynn]

Im on the road actually. This is my busiest time of year. The 53 probably has 1.2m on it. No way to tell. My 05 has 300 and I drive that most of the time. i just bought an 06 dually today. I am looking forward to driving that.

[dripley]

Maybe you ought to get the 01 bronzed and hang it next to the baby shoes. Good luck with the 06 and let us know how that works out.

[JOHNFAK]

I've towed a little. I have also replaced the head gasket twice. My thought is that it is not very smart for a lot reason to tow at 30 lbs of boost. The head gasket is no where near the most expensive thing you will break.

You also have a cam and about the best injectors you can buy. I *think* your saying that pulling the trailer up a hill with that much fuel/boost means you could break other things like a tranny ............

[pepsi71ocean]

i have always been under the belief that its better to be over prepared then under prepared.I have towed loads up and over 20,000lbs but this is with a truck that has not gotten over 30lbs of boost.Once i get the bugs worked out of the tranny i want to get up on the road, and haul again.

[cajflynn]

You also have a cam and about the best injectors you can buy. I *think* your saying that pulling the trailer up a hill with that much fuel/boost means you could break other things like a tranny ............

You are right on there. I know you want to go 70 up every hill and I admire that in you. I hope you blow by me one day going up some hills.

[JOHNFAK]

You are right on there. I know you want to go 70 up every hill and I admire that in you. I hope you blow by me one day going up some hills.

Haha well I do like to go a but faster up hills than others ... But I have two tranny coolers and monitor temps pretty well .... The point of the thread was really to show/determine that towing over 30 psi has no more impact on head gasket failure than just regular driving over 30 psi. Cylinder pressures and drive pressures should be much same ... Same fuel same turbo same boost .... Just different loading ... Based on results so far I'd say it seems true And yes I probably need to slow down a little ..... But 45 with OD off is a good hill towing speed for me for rpm and egt