Blown Head Gasket = bad rings? Please Help!

[vrynice51]

I have a 502ci engine w/ a blown head gasket...... The mech. is telling me that I should not just put a new head gasket on that i need to pull the engine out of the boat and take it apart to look at rings!!!!! Does that make sense? Engine didn't get that hot!!!!! Please advise!!!!! I thought i could just get head resurfaced and check to make sure block was ok and put new gasket on........

[Moneypitt]

I have a 502ci engine w/ a blown head gasket...... The mech. is telling me that I should not just put a new head gasket on that i need to pull the engine out of the boat and take it apart to look at rings!!!!! Does that make sense? Engine didn't get that hot!!!!! Please advise!!!!! I thought i could just get head resurfaced and check to make sure block was ok and put new gasket on........
How hot is "that" hot? Remember the combustion chamber sees alot more heat than the cast iron around it. Only way to be sure is to disassemble and inspect. Rings are the weak link in the mechanical end and will loose their ability to seal. A good ring is brittle, won't bend much without breaking. A cooked ring will twist up like a pretzel, and no longer has the tensil strength to maintain a seal. You can quick fix it, but you're taking a chance on an oil blowing, low performing engine that you will eventually have to fix right.........MP

[GofastRacer]

You say "Engine didn't get that hot" how hot did it get???. Heat kills rings, and depending on the quality of rings you have in there that could be a factor, that's why he recomended tearing it down, I've seen rings collapse at 250 degrees, so if it got real hot I would recomend the same thing, besides it wouldn't hurt to look around in there and make sure everything else is right on, it's just some time and cheap insurance!..

[Wicked Performance Boats]

As long as you can afford it. I say surface the head, install a new gasket, put the head on and go for it! after all, it's the middle of the boating season. Budlight

[Goober]

First off how did you blow the head gasket. If you say you over heated to motor then you need to pull that think apart.
IMO when something like that happens that means you got a lot of hours on a motor/ or something is wrong and the motor needs some tlc.