Opticool Head Gasket

T

tcomet

New member
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
26
Age
45
Location
West Michigan
Hey Guys.

I have kind of a different question for you. Late in the season I purchased an 02 Viper w/ 3400 miles on it. Looks like it was treated pretty well in its past life and is, from what I can tell, essentially stock with the exception of the SRX dog bone mount.

I know through this website that it is widely regarded that an opticool head gasket from bender is alomst a must regardless of it being modded or stock.

While it is absolutely my intention to get one my question for you is this.

The photo on benders website shows two tabs on each end of the gasket which essentially would stick out from the head. In looking at my sled I can see those same tabs sticking out. I know this is a crazy question but does the stock head gasket have those tabs as well? Just wondering if the sled doesnt already have one. Trying to save myself the work and $$ if necessary.
Also - no rear exchanger as of yet.

Thanks!
 

Good to know.

I know that is kind of a crazy question.

I am going to order one anyways.

Cheap insurance and easy to install.
 
tcomet raise the needles also. Along with the head design these things usually come set lean in mid range. Mine is set to 3.5 at high altitude.
 
Im not 100% sure but I thought when I put my bender one on the shock yamaha head gasket has sliver rivets on the tabs and the bender one has gold rivets.
 
What do you mean about head design .Does the head gasket take care of it or do you have to get a diff head my wifes went down going slow (25-35 mph) ridding my kid (center cyc.) and plug was gray . I have the rear heat exchanger in it because it overheated last year
 
09nytro said:
What do you mean about head design .Does the head gasket take care of it or do you have to get a diff head my wifes went down going slow (25-35 mph) ridding my kid (center cyc.) and plug was gray . I have the rear heat exchanger in it because it overheated last year
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Yes the bender head gasket should take care of your overheating problem. My vipers piped, has a srx rear cooler and bender head gasket. Haven't had a problem with it overheating. And the head design i dont know what stingray719 is meaning by that.
 
The "head design" is one thet does not cool very well. By design it does not flow the coolant as desired. That's why the aftermarket gasket is better. If you look at the water ports on the new gasket you will see they are different sizes, this ie to try to even out the flow through the head. Just make sure you put it on correctly so the ports are in the right spot.
 
Man we rode this thing for about 5500 miles with out the rear heat exchanger and with no problems , it overheated last year on low show con. so i put the srx heat changer in like i said worked good for most of season . Then i thought i would take the kid for a ride ( It was warm out to about 35 ) and boom . Been a great sled wife loves this sled . So i'm going to put main seales in and do the center cyc. and raise the needles up so this head gasket will do the trick and is there anything else that i should know about ....Its all stock
 
is the head in good shape still? Some people actually use a srx base gasket also. I think it has different size water ports also. Kinda like the optocool.
 
Getting a peak performance aftermarket head is also a great option. Bender sells them now. Mountain Performance inc may also still them too.
 
When I replaced my OEM gasket with an Opticool, the OEM gasket has tabs but no rivets just gasket material. The opticool gasket will have a gold rivet in the 2 tabs.
 
ottawaair said:
is the head in good shape still? Some people actually use a srx base gasket also. I think it has different size water ports also. Kinda like the optocool.
Click to expand...
Yes the head is still good , aren't people using the srx head too ...What is the srx base gasket smaller or thicker ....I see bender has a head mod for the viper too . I got some work to do this summer i guess
 
09nytro said:
Yes the head is still good , aren't people using the srx head too ...What is the srx base gasket smaller or thicker ....I see bender has a head mod for the viper too . I got some work to do this summer i guess
Click to expand...

Benders viper head mod is just for triple pipes. It evens out all the compression in the three cylinders to 125psi. If you get it done make sure the compression is all the same before you run it, because I got one hell of a story for you about what happened to my viper due to this.
 
ottawaair said:
lets hear the story
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I had my head moded for bender when i triple piped my viper. 60 miles after i put my milled head on from bender I ate up a piston and cylinder going down the trail at 35mph. So I toke it back home on a trailer to see what the hell happened. Checked the compression from the pto side and I had 125,85,175. So I took my head off and looked at it and the milling was all messed up. Only one out of the three domes were cut right. After talking to Bender the compression was to be 125psi across all three. So i sent in the head, piston, and cylinder so their tech could look at it. A few weeks later I got a call from them that I was 100% right they cut my head wrong and that they were going to make it right with me and send me the parts I needed to replace. After I rebuilt the engine the compression was all the same at 125psi. I got about 350 miles on the rebuilt with know problems this winter. I give them credit for making it right with me.
 
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