MR VENOM
Enthusiast
I have read the posts......not if, but when. How about you "high" mileage guys? Have you changed the gaskets? How many miles, now, and at the time you had to "change" gaskets? 
Gen 1 Head Gasket Horror? What is your take?
- Thread starter MR VENOM
- Start date
Give me a call and I can help you with this. We have fixed many Vipers with this problem with no repeats.
ruckdr
Enthusiast
MR VENUM
You have a Email.
Later,
You have a Email.
Later,
SNAKE BITE
Viper Owner
My 94 has 14,000 and needs new gaskets once I get it out of storage.
obaa996
Enthusiast
31k... Mine's in the shop right now...
According to the archives, they can be nursed along for a while with frequent head retorquing (per an old JonB post),
but yeah, it definitely appears to be a matter of when...
According to the archives, they can be nursed along for a while with frequent head retorquing (per an old JonB post),
but yeah, it definitely appears to be a matter of when...
Tom F&L GoR
Enthusiast
My '94 has 70,000 miles, daily driver, on the original gaskets. If there's any truth to the story that the OEM gaskets are mediocre at best and easily corrode, (vs. the cylinder bore shift version) you might want to think about coolant chemistry.
I'd love to see a documented registry of how many were changed, what was found (gaskets or cylinders,) what the coolant used was, how frequently it was changed, how many miles, etc, etc. I've heard about far too many OEM gasket stories to think that Dodge couldn't figure out how to keep liners in a low RPM engine in place.
I'd love to see a documented registry of how many were changed, what was found (gaskets or cylinders,) what the coolant used was, how frequently it was changed, how many miles, etc, etc. I've heard about far too many OEM gasket stories to think that Dodge couldn't figure out how to keep liners in a low RPM engine in place.
joe117
Enthusiast
My car had the engine replaced, due to head gasket failure, under an extended warranty. Why they didn't rebuild, I don't know.
This was before I bought the car but I have all the paperwork that was generated by the event.
The gaskets failed at 95k miles.
Didn't someone say that Neons were built with the same gasket material for a time and that they had the same problems?
This was before I bought the car but I have all the paperwork that was generated by the event.
The gaskets failed at 95k miles.
Didn't someone say that Neons were built with the same gasket material for a time and that they had the same problems?
FRANK
Enthusiast
Its not a "horror" Just get the upgraded gaskets and put them in and forget about it. I did mine last year and not a drip! Retorquing may help but is doubtful. I retorqued mine and it still leaked but not as bad as before retorquing.
The job wasn't bad at all. Take your time. Call Chuck for the best price on the gasket set. He is great to deal with!
Chrysler is NOTORIOUS for poor head gasket design. All 2.2, 2.5 and the old "hemi 2.6" etc motors from 1981 to the 1999 Neons all are know to have leaky head gaskets. The problem is in the poor design. Chrysler always comes out with a new design to remedy the situtaion.
The job wasn't bad at all. Take your time. Call Chuck for the best price on the gasket set. He is great to deal with!
Chrysler is NOTORIOUS for poor head gasket design. All 2.2, 2.5 and the old "hemi 2.6" etc motors from 1981 to the 1999 Neons all are know to have leaky head gaskets. The problem is in the poor design. Chrysler always comes out with a new design to remedy the situtaion.
Photo pro
Enthusiast
I just bought a 96 RT-10 (9,900 mi). How do I know if the gaskets have been replaced.
Was it a recall?
Are there any records of its replacement?
What are the early warning signs of problems?
Was it a recall?
Are there any records of its replacement?
What are the early warning signs of problems?
ruckdr
Enthusiast
Greg -- Photo pro,
Send me your email address, and I will send you many pictures of leaking head gaskets and how to see from the pictures which gaskets you have. Too many to post here.
I purchased my Viper, 1996 RT/10 (Gen 1 Engine), in Feb. 2001, out of warranty with low miles (2700 miles). The heads started to leak, and last winter (2002 - 2003) I had the head gaskets replaced by our local Viper Tech (has his own business), and does essentially all the club work. Some (most), in the know say that it is not IF but rather WHEN the gaskets will leak. You have a low mileage car, and I personally (from working with cars all my life), think that sitting around does harm to all gaskets, or at best does them no good. Replaced with the upgraded gaskets and all is fine. Now have 10,000 miles.
You may not be able to see the drips, like on my pictures, but if there are leaks, you will see the dark stains.
Later,
Send me your email address, and I will send you many pictures of leaking head gaskets and how to see from the pictures which gaskets you have. Too many to post here.
I purchased my Viper, 1996 RT/10 (Gen 1 Engine), in Feb. 2001, out of warranty with low miles (2700 miles). The heads started to leak, and last winter (2002 - 2003) I had the head gaskets replaced by our local Viper Tech (has his own business), and does essentially all the club work. Some (most), in the know say that it is not IF but rather WHEN the gaskets will leak. You have a low mileage car, and I personally (from working with cars all my life), think that sitting around does harm to all gaskets, or at best does them no good. Replaced with the upgraded gaskets and all is fine. Now have 10,000 miles.
You may not be able to see the drips, like on my pictures, but if there are leaks, you will see the dark stains.
Later,
Tom F&L GoR
Enthusiast
Craig,
I bought my '94 RT in November '98 with 28K kilometers, drove it from Montreal to home in snow flurries on the Northway. Changed it to Havoline DEX-COOL (with a few water flushes) and except for having to top off when the drop-center radiator cap malfunctioned, haven't touched it. Only have 70K because I was only 4 miles from work.
Folks, I know not to beat dead horses, but one of my favorite props when we did tours of the research lab was a glass bottle of four year old green coolant taken from a left-over drum. It was never in an engine. Easily visible was a huge dust bunny looking thing floating in it; the corrosion additives had precipitated and agglomerated. That is what initially coats the cooling system surfaces for protection, eventually comes back off, and the silicate component then wears the ceramic water pump seals, causing leaks. Avoiding leaks is why GM made it factory fill; they had significant water pump replacement costs under warranty. Kind of tells you how quickly the green stuff gets used up, and if the cheaper Dodge head gaskets are simply rusting, explains why the "Viper" problem can happen with low-low mile, 4 year old cars.
I bought my '94 RT in November '98 with 28K kilometers, drove it from Montreal to home in snow flurries on the Northway. Changed it to Havoline DEX-COOL (with a few water flushes) and except for having to top off when the drop-center radiator cap malfunctioned, haven't touched it. Only have 70K because I was only 4 miles from work.
Folks, I know not to beat dead horses, but one of my favorite props when we did tours of the research lab was a glass bottle of four year old green coolant taken from a left-over drum. It was never in an engine. Easily visible was a huge dust bunny looking thing floating in it; the corrosion additives had precipitated and agglomerated. That is what initially coats the cooling system surfaces for protection, eventually comes back off, and the silicate component then wears the ceramic water pump seals, causing leaks. Avoiding leaks is why GM made it factory fill; they had significant water pump replacement costs under warranty. Kind of tells you how quickly the green stuff gets used up, and if the cheaper Dodge head gaskets are simply rusting, explains why the "Viper" problem can happen with low-low mile, 4 year old cars.
