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Well, serious drawback :[

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regularman said:
(snip)It is the wrong head gasket. Its been so long I cannot remember where i bought the set, but the head gasket appears to be for a Mini or a Bugeye. The gasket hanged over the cylinder and there is a hole in the gasket between 2 and 3 that was stamped in there, but the over hang left almost no gasket meat to seal between the cylinder and that hole. Pics in a minute.
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Congrats on finding the problem, and on the problem being so relatively easy to rectify. Are you saying that the bad gasket was for a smaller bored engine?
 
Kim, make sure you buy the Payen brand.
Extra $ or two is WELL worth it.
Glad it's nothing major.
 
58Custom said:
regularman said:
(snip)It is the wrong head gasket. Its been so long I cannot remember where i bought the set, but the head gasket appears to be for a Mini or a Bugeye. The gasket hanged over the cylinder and there is a hole in the gasket between 2 and 3 that was stamped in there, but the over hang left almost no gasket meat to seal between the cylinder and that hole. Pics in a minute.
Click to expand...
Congrats on finding the problem, and on the problem being so relatively easy to rectify. Are you saying that the bad gasket was for a smaller bored engine?
Click to expand...
Yeah, for a smaller CC A series like the Bugeye or mini. I paid no attention to it at all when I put it on. I just checked some pics before ordering the new gaskets and the hole in the middle of the burned up area is not there on the correct 1275 gasket. Things could have been much worse, imagine if I had decided to drive the mustard midget to MO and that thing went out on the roadside. I was really down to 2 cylinders running correctly. The good new is that even with that problem the oil pressure was fine and it did not overheat and I could still maintain 45mph on level ground and make it home ok. I love the A series. Had the head off in 20 min. No timing belts or chains to remove. Pushrods and simplicity.
 
Now, I must wait 2-5 business days after the order is processed on the next business day which is Tuesday. So, probably week after next when the parts get here. I need to get that trailer and start on it, now.
 
Yep, get to work on the trailer.
 
I'm glad thats what it was. Head gaskets, there seems a lot of them, and alot of small differences. Where does one go to get a good one.The better question is probley how to decide whats rite for your car? I know a lot of us are swapping heads and such. I for one I'am putting a 12g295 on a 948 -(971 30 over) block so.. what head gasket do I use?
seems alot of them are sort of generic. Where do you get a good one that fits correct. I know the last one I purchased thru VB was of ok quality but it sort of hung in to the cylinder a little sure enough 1 week later it fried.
 
texas_bugeye said:
--SNIP--
what head gasket do I use?
seems alot of them are sort of generic. Where do you get a good one that fits correct. I know the last one I purchased thru VB was of ok quality but it sort of hung in to the cylinder a little sure enough 1 week later it fried.
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at this point, on other forums, I usually suggest starting a new thread with the topic and "survey" in the title to collect measured and annecdotal info from people which will condense the info and so that it can be easily found by searching.

A thread for people to show pix of various brands and applications of head gaskets and to show the measured cylinder bore opening of the gasket Vs. the measured bore of the engine block, combined with any found factory data to establish what is considered the norm would be useful.

I can tell you that the correct head gasket bore for any 4" Ford engine bore (289, 302, 351W, 351C, 351M, 332, 352, 400) is 4.1" However, this info is not very useful here.

Too bad my 1275 engine is back together because now I am real curious.
 
I don't think head gaskets are that big a problem with steel heads and blocks as long as you get the correct fitting one to begin with. I don't remember the A series in the mini giving much blown head gasket problems. I even remember a couple of times on beater minis we reused the old head gaskets when replacing a cracked exhaust valve or whatever and it worked just fine as long as it was the metal type with some copper in it. I would not recommend this for a keeper car but you can do this in a pinch.
 
There are only two basic head gaskets for the A series. The small bore version for the 948~1098, and the big bore, for the 1275.
In the picture, the small bore version is at the top. Note the oblong cylinder holes as opposed to the round bore holes for the 1275.
Incidentally, this shows the top of the gasket, with the front of the engine at the left.
If you put the 1275 gasket on a small bore, you'll fill the cylinders with coolant when you add it after the gasket change.
I don't see how <span style="text-decoration: underline">anyone</span> could fit a small bore gasket to a 1275.
Wait a minute, I guess I <span style="font-weight: bold">can</span> see, now.
Jeff
 

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Bugeye58 said:
There are only two basic head gaskets for the A series. The small bore version for the 948~1098, and the big bore, for the 1275.
In the picture, the amall bore version is at the top. Note the oblong cylinder holes as opposed to the round bore holes for the 1275.
If you put the 1275 gasket on a small bore, you'll fill the cylinders with coolant when you add it after the gasket change.
I don't see how <span style="text-decoration: underline">anyone</span> could fit a small bore gasket to a 1275.
Wait a minute, I guess I <span style="font-weight: bold">can</span> see, now.
Jeff
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Nice! This is a great forum.
 
:lol:

And please note Barry's comment about Payen sets. They are the correct gaskets. Use "white box" replacements at your own peril.

JMHO.
 
Nice pic Jeff, makes it very clear.
 
No, I just keep a supply handy for refreshing the race engines, etc., just as I keep an inventory of other parts. Usually, should something break, I have it, rather than having to wait for a supplier.
I haven't blown a head gasket on an A series in a looong time.
Jeff
 
Bugeye58 said:
No, I just keep a supply handy for refreshing the race engines, etc., just as I keep an inventory of other parts. Usually, should something break, I have it, rather than having to wait for a supplier.
I haven't blown a head gasket on an A series in a looong time.
Jeff
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Good to know, Jeff. Its been near 20 years since I had oodles of minis to play with but I don' ever remember a head gasket blowing on one and we ran them pretty hard. I just feel good knowing what the problem was. I just checked and the gaskets I got coming are Beck/Arnley, so maybe its good that I ordered two. I just can't believe that none of my local car suppliers did not have one in stock. Usually, if you have a spare fore something it will never fail. That or you have the wrong spare :wink:
 
regularman said:
Bugeye58 said:
Usually, if you have a spare fore something it will never fail.
Click to expand...


And that's why I carry an extra fan belt, I don't want mine to fail.
Click to expand...
 
Great pictures of the different stle head gaskets.
and info on the rest.Now I know what the 2 gaskets are that came with the grab bag of parts I was given!
 
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