head gaskets

[Turbo Tommy]

Hello all,

I have seen a number of posts about headgaskets and how much they will handle.

I don't know how much they can hold, but since I am really into the older fwd shelby dodges of the eighties, crhyslers golden age of turbochargeing, I can tell you this.

The consesus is that on the 2.2 / 2.5 turbo motors the mopar performance headgaskets are the best most reliable under all conditions. For 2.2 / 2.5 motors don't waste time or money on felpro or any others.

I don't know if mopar performance will make on for the 2.4 but it would seem to me to be the best choice.

Also, I would imagine that if the stage 1 or 2 kits that are comming are not including a new headgaskette, and since they will be running a much more aggresive boost pressure, then I am sure the stock one should be ok. Besides the stock mitsubishi turbo probably can't put out more than 18 psi anyway.

Tom

[COP TZER]

This is my main concern with my planned turbo upgrade. Hopefully Mopar will put one out. I'd imagine it will come with the stage II kit.

[Turbo Tommy]

My concern would be making sure you have enough fuel, you don't want to lean out. You'll need much larger injectors, higher flow fuel pump, and probably a good adjustable fuel pressure regulator. hope you don't live in Cali anywhere, smog police.

Also you will have to control the waste gate, make it (turbo) fit, and I don't know how well it will mount to the exhaust header, since it is kinda a propritary, limiting design.

Look into relentless raceing, Gary Donovan is working on some stuff with the 2.4 motor, different headders and such.

As for stage 2 I don't think it will have a headgaskette, I think it is only a different computer, bov, different turbo, a larger mitsubishi I think, but not sure what else.

Is your's a 5 speed or Automatic? That will limit you, since I doubt that either one can handle too much over 300hp. I don't know of any kits to build either trans up.

I would think that since chrysler has lots of experience with turbo motors, and lots of issues with headgaskettes in the past, they would have well worked out all the bugs, one could hope.

Besides this motor has run around in mexico for a few years in the stratus, common practice for chrysler is to use mexico for a test bed before introduction in the us. They did this in the eighties with the original turbo 2.2 and when they switched to electronic boost contol in 85. Lots of T-III cars were run in mexico first also.

[COP TZER]

It'd be a lot of fabrication...period.
And my GT is a Getrag 5-speed. I think it may hold up better than the autostick.

[PVO PT]

The Autostic sucks!!

[Turbo Tommy]

Well, since the 41TE autostick is basically a beefed up A604, I could see why you would think that. I think they are probably a lot sturdier than they used to be in the early 90's.

I have heard they are much better than the older versions. I have on in my pt, seems ok. I think there is a shift kit, or some upgrades for it, but not too many.

Alot of the problems on the older ones were electronics realted. or lack of good cooling. The programming wasn't designed for reliablity, just soft imperceptable shifts, that didn't help any.

Just be glad it's not a fwd ford trans, AX4S, AX4N, AXOD-E, they are very weak.