• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

General Tech Head Gasket

Share this page

KVH

KVH

Obi Wan
Silver
Country flag
Offline
I'm getting ready to reinstall my cylinder head with a new head gasket. It all seems so familiar. It also seems so simple. Are there any pointers I should remember? I plan to use no gasket sealing material. I have a new gasket from Moss and all looks fine. ARP head bolts, and I will torque spec.
 
Not all gaskets are manufactured correctly......Check that there is no intrusion at all of the edge of the gasket into the combustion chamber.
 
Most head gaskets look like they will fit with either side up or down. My opinion is that the side with the fold exposed should go on the top. I have had two fail over the years because water got into that fold when the fold was on the block side.
Charley
 
Coat both sides with cooper head gasket spray. Why take a chance?

Wayne
 
I can't argue with Wayne but if everything is in spec, e.g. liner heights correct, head flat, etc. the Copper gasket spray is probably not needed. However, the only down side I can think of using it is that it might make future head removal a bit more difficult.
Tom
 
I've been using the original Wellseal. I was sold when I heard it was developed to hold 3k horsepower in the Mustang Merlin engine! Currently you have to order it from the U.K., though.
 
CJD said:
I've been using the original Wellseal. I was sold when I heard it was developed to hold 3k horsepower in the Mustang Merlin engine! Currently you have to order it from the U.K., though.
Click to expand...

Is the Wellseal that's available here different than the stuff in the UK?? Pegasus shows it in stock. Not cheap, and there are shipping restrictions and costs. Pretty hazardous stuff it seems. :scared: I have a tube that I used during the resto, and I didn't send away to the UK for it, but that was a few years ago. I don't remember where I got if from.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=3304

 
I did my head gasket this summer. Original copper gasket didn't fail. I had a cracked head stud which needed to be replaced - went with ARP head studs.

No coating on old copper gasket and head lifted clean off.

I have 87mm pistons and shaved head with 180psi compression. Went with the Lucas gasket with silicone (touted as last gasket you'll ever need) which handles up to 89mm pistons. I super cleaned head and block deck incl several wipes with acetone.

Installed gasket dry and torqued to 110 lbs-ft (per ARP) in five stages over five days. Retorqued again after first 20 min heat cycle and good as gold.

Bob
 
RJS said:
I did my head gasket this summer. Original copper gasket didn't fail. I had a cracked head stud which needed to be replaced - went with ARP head studs.

No coating on old copper gasket and head lifted clean off.

I have 87mm pistons and shaved head with 180psi compression. Went with the Lucas gasket with silicone (touted as last gasket you'll ever need) which handles up to 89mm pistons. I super cleaned head and block deck incl several wipes with acetone.

Installed gasket dry and torqued to 110 lbs-ft (per ARP) in five stages over five days. Retorqued again after first 20 min heat cycle and good as gold.

Bob
Click to expand...

You're saying that after 20 minutes of start up you removed the valve cover and rocker arm assembly and re-torqued? I thought that was only after the first 500 miles? No?
 
Sounds good. But you must be really efficient at tappet adjustments. I slog through that for an hour each time.
 
Back
Top