does a n/a head fit a turbo 2.5?

[sleeperspirit]

i recently got a head, i know its a dodge 2.2 or 2.5, i was told the turbo and non turbo heads were interchangeable within the 2.2 l and the 2.5. i have a 91 2.5l. the head has roller rockers, and a cam, i can get the numbers off of it if its needed. i just want to know because i dont want to take it to the machine shop to have it pressure tested without knowing if it will work with my car. also is a na and a turbo cam the same? thank you

[2.2turboscotty]

go to the dodgegarage and recheck but i remember it saying that a non turbo head will not last on turbo motor. it will fit but you will have problems with the valves. there is a marking on the side that will tell you if it is a turbo head or not. some of the guys on here are running carb. cams on the turbo motors but i do not know what the part numbers are. like i said go to the dodgegarage and check.
scotty

[william]

There were two basic head castings, early (445 or 287 also called G or bathtub) used up to 85, and the swirl head, 86 and up. I believe turbo heads had the valve area partially deshrouded, although the jury is out as to how big a difference this made. Turbo heads also used different exhaust valves. Lots of us are running NA exhaust valves with no trouble, but there have been lots of cases where the NA valves burned in a turbo application. Intake valves are the same between turbo and NA. Valves are NOT interchaneable between the G and swirl heads. Your 91 will have a swirl head, and if the replacement is 86 or newer, it should be a direct swap. Check for OSJ stamped on the head, as this denotes oversize cam journals, and a standard cam will not fit. Most people will recommend a Mopar headgasket when you do the job. Like scotty said, check dodgegarage.

[RPMurph]

it will fit but your more prone to detonation due to the exhaust valves...but if you get new valves then your gtg

[william]

I think the detonation issue comes from the tapered shroud as found on factory turbo heads, not the valve material. I have never personally seen a problem from this, but my scope is fairly limited. If you are concerned, take the head to a shop and get them deshrouded.
The valve issue is purely one of materials, and there have been reports of burning the NA pieces. I have been running NA valves in my head (due to an assembly error) for almost a year now, and I drive the car over 50 miles per day, 6 days per week. I have had no problems yet, but I am only running 14 psi. I also have had no trouble associated with detonation on a NA head, but again, my engine is relatively mild. Don't skimp on the exhaust valves, but I wouldn't worry about the shrouding, unless you are going to be running significant boost. Anyone have real world examples of detonation problems on a NA head?

[sleeperspirit]

thanks for the info, im going to check the numbers on the head when i get home. do you think its just worth it to get a turbo head if its a non turbo one i have now? well im pretty sure my heads cracked as when its running when i pull the oil fill cap off one either every exaust or compression stroke it pushes air out of the cap, like a big puff and oil comes with it, also its white under the cap and the oil looks pretty chocolate milky. but it has good compression tho. it will also overheat if its running for more than 15 minutes. what else should i check for before? this is the 2nd headgasket i put on this after having the head decked. so i figure its cracked because it isnt warped. do you guys know of anything else i should look for? thanks for your info you guys help me out alot. -zerin

[william]

If you have a non turbo head now, keep it and use it, just swap the exhaust valves and all the springs (turbo springs might have been heavier as well, you might want to check?) from your old head.

[puppet]

Save yourself some time and headache's. Depending on the tools available to you and your level of experience you might just be better off pulling a turbo head out of a junk yard. They're a dime a dozen.

[sleeperspirit]

yeah thats what im thinking about just getting another head. i just dont want to get one thats cracked from the local u pull it. and are 2.2 and a 2.5 turbo heads interchangeable? are all the coolant passages and oil passages the same? also by my symptoms do you think the heads cracked? please let me know before i go out and get a head on saturday

[puppet]

Could be ... could be a couple other things too. Hard to tell from here , heh.
You aren't drivin' him around with that trashed oil/coolant ... are you?
You said that this was HG #2 ... when you did the install on that one did you flush the coolant real good and also an oil/filter change till there was no trace of contamination in either?

[sleeperspirit]

hey yeah i did a change and there was no antifreeze left in the engine i drained it all and replaced it with new stuff. also when i have the cap off the radiator i see bubbles coming up. so idk i think im just going to get the other head i have pressure checked and decked as i printed the "head guide" from thedodgegarage out and mines got the ts or whatever stamped on the side and it appears from the numbers and stuff to be a turbo head from a 2.5 so im pretty well off. what else should i look for when i have the old head off this weekend?

[DaytonaTurbo87]

are you sure your current head is cracked, not just a blown HG? Also, remember that in 1988 chrysler switched over to roller cams, and in 1989 they changed the cam sprocket, so if you get a head that's older than 89, be prepared to have to swap over your cam/possibly the roller rockers as well.

Yeah like said, turbo heads got different exh valves, as well as a different cam profile and stiffer valve springs.

[sleeperspirit]

kk heres the story on this thing. i bought it and it wasnt running, i pulled the valve cover off and one of the roller rockers came out. i fixed that and she ran like a dream for like 2 weeks. then the headgasket blew out between cyl 1 and 2. so then i purchased a mopar performance gasket and did the head gasket myself. it lasted about a month until the gasket went and it blew coolant out the side of the timing belt because i torqued it too much and it crushed the corner of the gasket. then i did another headgasket and soon after i think the thermostadt stuck opean and it overheated and then i replaced it and it just kept on overheating after that and coolant got in the oil . so then i took the head off and had it decked at the shop because the gasket was shot again between the cyl and the coolant passages. keep in mind ive been using mopar performance gaskets. then after it was decked i put it together and thought i would try my luck with a felpro gasket. this didnt work very good either and the gasket lasted about 2 or 3 weeks (im running 15psi of boost). so i got pissed off and did a quicke head gasket change (the 2hr one where you lift it up by the cat) and replaced it with a mopar gasket. i let you know that i used new bolts every time. that lasted ONE trip to work and back (20mi) and it started running like crap and coolant was in the oil again and now it puffs out the cap of the oil filler and im just sick of this thing and im just going to get that head on and hopefully i will stop having so many problems with it. i should have had it pressure checked to begin with but i didnt think i would have to because it didnt overheat the first time it blew the gasket. well tell me what you guys think i should do?

[sleeperspirit]

oh yeah and let me tell you ive been working on this thing 10 times as much as ive driven it. fast as hell WHEN it runs.

[DocFish]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleeperspirit oh yeah and let me tell you ive been working on this thing 10 times as much as ive driven it. fast as hell WHEN it runs.

Welcome to the world of turbo Dodges!