[submariner409]

Almost a month ago, dubya opined that there might be a Northstar bandaid applied by running the engine colder.....phooey!!! An internal combustion engine is a heat creator and a heat user: the hotter it runs (within limits) the more efficient it is. Problem is that we need to use low boiling point coolants under pressure to insure that the car and engine accessories don't cook. It makes not one whit, temperature-wise, where the engine runs, as long as the various gasketed parts are held tightly together and expand and contract at pretty much the same rates.

The problem with the Northstar is that 10 head bolts (per head) is damn few for an aluminum engine with high power-per-cubic-inch ratings, especially one that has an inherently weak open deck design. There would be NO head gasket problems if there were a half-dozen more head bolts, or if the deck had been closed and supplied with necessary coolant and steam passages. The block should have been inserted as a part of the original casting process and fitted with studs, not bolts. Less than 1/4" of gasket between cylinder wall and coolant passage, especially in an aluminum engine, is a sure recipe for disaster and if someone wanted to ruin GM, start a class action lawsuit with head gasket failure customers. Ask for a new, redesigned Northstar which would at least operate in the original warranty period. Our problem is that, unlike a sponsored IMSA or NASCAR, we can't afford to rebuild/buy new engines every 1,250 miles.