Advanced Engineering Tech - "Pushing water"

I’m planning a turbo setup on my 2000 Camaro.

Forged pistons H beams stock crank heads new cam, springs.

Would like to run low 10’s on pump gas.

My question is I here the term “pushing water” used
a lot when power adders and LSX builds are talked about, what does this mean?

Is this new slang for a blown head gasket?

Just trying to cover all the bases before I start buying parts.

pushing water means that you blow your head gasket and sometimes it goes in to the cylinder and it gets pushed out of your exhaust.

the reason why you mostly hear FI guys talking about it is because most ls series motors have 4 bolt heads and the heads will lift at big boost levels. and when heads lift water can escape between the cylinder head and the block.

i really hope you understand how much it will cost to properly turbocharge an ls series motor.


good luck

High HP shot Nitrous motors tend to lift the heads too and push water. If the car wasnt street driven, there are options to avoiding this but with a FI street car, coolling is very important.

Most builders recommend studs over bolts (ARP of course), and maybe "O"-ringing the head. Some have gone as far as putting in bigger diameter studs as well as going to newer blocks like the LSX.

if your goal is 900whp and you have the money and actually understand the expenses of properly turbocharging a 4th jen to that level, then i would seriously consider the lsx block.

O-ringing an engine over 800hp to me is like wearing a condom. Keep all of your fluids inside for cheap. Also you will be able to reuse the head gasket if your wife doesn't mind you using the oven for annealing the head gasket just always replace the o-ring wire every time you have the head off. Alot of builders use mls gaskets so only the head gasket gives out if you have a problem instead of melting a piston or a head.

high horsepower, but most regularly detonation will cause the center of the heads between the head bolts to lift up off the block, this allows combustion pressure into the coolant system and displaces the water, and the water gets pushed out into the overflow.

you will need to get a stronger cylinder head, a more resilliant head gasket, or more bolts holding the heads down

Will ARP bolts do for 8 to 10lbs?

I would get a lsx block or hard fill a stock block half way if you don't want to push water.Ford guys in the nmra have been running 4 bolt stuff for years.Gm stock bores are thin and also with no simieese bores they distort easy under boost and even worse with nitrous.

lifts between the bolts, ive never seen harder or bigger bolts really do much good, you are talking steel vs. aluminum. its between the bolts that moves.

We have lifted on steel blocks pretty bad.We hard blocked half the block and problem solved.If it's studs moving or bores hard block cures the water issue.Also water temp dosn't sky rocket after a pass with hard block in it.

we're playing with hardblock and double o-rings on my boosted LS2 setup...moved ~1/2 pint of water, which seems more consistant with thermal expansion more than "pushing"

gonna try the next highest rated pressure radiator cap (using a cap off a 98 car which is probably well worn and opening less than 18 psi :secret2: )

Will ARP bolts do for 8 to 10lbs?

do the arp studs, not the "bolts"

we're playing with hardblock and double o-rings on my boosted LS2 setup...moved ~1/2 pint of water, which seems more consistant with thermal expansion more than "pushing"

gonna try the next highest rated pressure radiator cap (using a cap off a 98 car which is probably well worn and opening less than 18 psi :secret2: )

Wondering if i got this right. When you prep the car the radiator is full but the expansion/overflow tank is empty? At the end of the run you see how much coolant got "pushed" into the overflow? I think i got confused thinking this was a street car and the coolant level was set to the full hot line.

Wondering if i got this right. When you prep the car the radiator is full but the expansion/overflow tank is empty? At the end of the run you see how much coolant got "pushed" into the overflow? I think i got confused thinking this was a street car and the coolant level was set to the full hot line.

yes..overflow starts empty...

yes..overflow starts empty...

How do you know if its cylinder pressure leaking into the coolant system vs the coolant getting very hot?

1. smell the coolant...if it smells like exhaust...its pushed
2. quantity of coolant...hot coolant won't move 1qt

1. smell the coolant...if it smells like exhaust...its pushed
2. quantity of coolant...hot coolant won't move 1qt

Would a 6 bolt block solve these problems or should the 6 bolt be o-ring'd too?

unless you plan on crossing the 2K hp level, you should be fine...

unless you plan on crossing the 2K hp level...

doo it!

doo it!

Im going to attempt to build a single digit "street" car. Looking for 1000-1200 hp, only reason i want the 6 bolt block is to avoid hg problems no need for 2k hp.

i am satisfied with mine completely. i just use a 6 bolt fel pro mls gasket