Head Gasket Part 2

[Large Arbor]

Yes, very helpful and thanks for the tips! Educating me is always a a good thing as I know less than most! (:

Phil

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Large Arbor

Yes, very helpful and thanks for the tips! Educating me is always a a good thing as I know less than most! (:

... but more than some.

[blykins]

Originally Posted by Large Arbor

Brent,

Thanks and I did what you suggested and the response was Felpro did not make them in that size and his experience was good with Cometic. I also did not mean to be flippant, it just makes me nervous to move away from what the builder recommends, I certainly have seen your work and do respect your opinion.

Pat,

The owner dropped the engine in.

I was just curious what others are using and what has worked for them.

Phil

Didn't the builder use copper before?

I use that Felpro on every Pond block that I use. No issues with the larger bore. If you use the Cometics, I would at least try and spray them with Hylomar. Aluminum moves around so much (decks grow past sleeves) and you want the gaskets to do their best to seal.

[Large Arbor]

The owner used copper coated gaskets on the exhaust before and exhaust for cylinders 2 and 5 leaked a bit.

In regard to the heads, the engine builder advised using permatex aviation form a gasket around the water passages on both sides of the gasket. I will also look into the Hylomar.

Thanks for the sage advice.

Phil

[DanEC]

I finally used a regular old Fel Pro 1442 for my exhaust gaskets and they have been fine. I tried the SEC copper gaskets (actually have about 3 sets hanging on my garage wall) but I was not completely satisfied with them. My main problem was not their fault - I ended up with a header bolt washer trapped between the header and the block that drove me nuts until I figured it out. But every time I removed them I could see evidence of tiny leaks at nearly every port. The Fel Pro 1442 were recommended to me instead.

[Large Arbor]

Heads off and now to have them cleaned...

[Large Arbor]

One more...

[Large Arbor]

Cometic Head gaskets are installed. It seems like this stick up in the intake and don't allow for a tight fit w/o gaskets. Does this look right?

[blykins]

You'll have to bend all those tabs down or they will keep the intake manifold from sitting all the way down.

[Large Arbor]

Do you just bend them or cut them off entirely? I just don't want to harm the gasket.

Phil

[blykins]

Bend them.

Make sure none of the riveted tabs are in spots where they could hold the heads off the block. When I use them on FEs, I usually have to drill the rivets out along the bottom.

[Large Arbor]

I bent them down and trial fitted with the gaskets on and who they fit much tighter now. I owe you a lunch next time I am in Louisville Brent!

Phil

[Large Arbor]

Well I got the headers back on (ugh), the fuel pump, oil filter holder, and a few other small things. Put the intake on and then pushrods, rockers, and could not get one rocker bolt to tighten down. It was a longer one in the middle and the threads stripped out. It appears they were an insert. I got all the threads out and out of an abundance of caution, pulled the intake back off and cleaned everything again. Now to tackle the rocker bolt hole. I am thinking a helicoil insert. Anyone ever ran into this?

Phil

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Large Arbor

... could not get one rocker bolt to tighten down. It was a longer one in the middle and the threads stripped out. It appears they were an insert. l

The bolts at the oil feed positions are a little bit longer and have a necked down shank. Any chance you accidentally got the oil feed bolt mixed up and in the wrong hole?

[Large Arbor]

No chance, I made sure the same bolt came out and went in the exact same place.

Phil

[patrickt]

Good enough -- just so you know the bolts on the #2 support on the left head, and the #3 support on the right head are different. I don't even know where you get them if you break or lose one, they're not in the ARP catalogs. Blykins probably has them though.

[Large Arbor]

I numbered each bolt and the location they came from. I think the loosening and tightening simply wore the threads lose. I will try to find a helicoil insert and that should fix it. It's just a pain in the..... However, seems like a reasonably easy solution.

It's on the drivers side head, third bolt from the front.

Phil

[Large Arbor]

After checking it is the 2nd bolt drivers side. It used the same length bolts as all the others on that side except the rearward bolt is shorter. All the others are the same. Pic below.

Phil

[Large Arbor]

Also, all the bolts are the same length on both side and same neck size.

Phil

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Large Arbor

After checking it is the 2nd bolt drivers side. It used the same length bolts as all the others on that side except the rearward bolt is shorter. All the others are the same. Pic below.

Phil

The bolt that goes in that hole is different from the others. It allows oil to come up to the rockers. Maybe Blykins can post a pic of one so you can see the difference.