Is Tom Carnegie still selling a head gasket? I'm having trouble with coolant leaks and have been using the silicone gasket sold by the vendors. The engine was rebuilt a couple years ago and re-surfaced at that time. I have not tried a copper gasket.
The vendors sell copper head gaskets.
Ford-n-More's head gaskets has kevlar in them, I think.
Here's contact info: http://www.antiqueautoranch.com/fordnmore/
http://www.antiqueautoranch.com/
Replace the head gasket with a good copper one--coat BOTH sides with Copper Spray and you should be good to go. You might check the head for any warpage while you`re at it....good luck, Paul
Dave, you indicate that the engine was re-surfaced when re-built. If the head was re-surfaced by surface grinding it, that may be the problem. The large void of the combustion chamber on T head is a problem for this operation.
The stones will make a cut across the head at the end under pressure. That same pressure as the stones move over the interrupted cut over the combustion chamber can result in a deeper cut over the smaller area at the sides of the chambers. In effect, you can have a corrugated head surface.
It would pay to check this while the head i off for the gasket replacement.
Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.
I see that there are various types of copper gaskets available. Snyder's sells a copper clad one with a black core. What do you guys recommend? Mine is shooting water out at the ends, where the water jacket is narrow. Once l take it apart, l plan to slip a feeler gauge in there and see how bad the fit really is. The corrosion was pretty heavy in those areas.
The copper gaskets on both the '20 Coupe I had and the '27 Tudor I do have both failed but the one on the Tudor was leaking water out of the right front corner as well as had blown out between #3 and #4 cylinders.
I used the premium silicone head gasket from Lang's on the Coupe and had one on hand for the Tudor........end of problems.
I'd rather have a steel core any day.
As mentioned above I think you have a problem other than a head gasket.
http://www.modeltford.com/item/3002SIL.aspx
I am replacing the head gasket on my 25 roadster that I have had for over 40 years. I am not sure how it has lasted this long. Some one milled the head 1/8 inch and the bolts were bottoming out in the block. I'm doing a valve job at the same time. Still has the original two piece T valves in it. The exhaust valve stems are worn .012 undersize and the guides are oversize so I'm replacing all the valves with new 1/16 over size valve stems. Had to remove the rear pan bolts so I could raise the back of the engine enough to get the valve seating tool in next to the fire wall. I knew the valves were bad because it did'nt idle good at all.
Dave,
I suspect your cylinder head bolts may be too long. Assemble the head to the engine using the bolts with no gasket after you have cleaned everything. The bolts should screw in flush easily. If they do not you will have to cut each one off to size.
Any of the head gaskets currently being sold are excellent and should last decades if installed properly. You should not use a graphite gasket with aluminum cylinder heads, this can set up very aggressive corrosion.
When installing head gaskets all surfaces must be spotlessly clean and completely free of oil. The gasket needs to be sprayed on both sides with an appropriate head gasket sealant. I like to use Krylon dull aluminum spray paint or KW Copper Coat. Both work very well and you will not have a bit of trouble ever if these instructions are followed.
Bolt holes need to be cleaned with a bottoming tap, holes need to be vacuumed. Bolts are assembled with a bit of liquid KW Copper Coat on each one. Bolts are tightened from the center of the head out, using the head bolt wrench supplied in the tool kit, or a similar length ratchet or open end wrench.
After the engine is completely assembled and has coolant installed the engine is run until warm, then allowed to cool. The head bolts then need to be re - tightened once, using the appropriate length wrench once again.
Dave:
I like to use the improved head gasket T-3002-1-1c from FORD AND MORE 509-535-7789
If everything else is in good order, then ANY new head gasket should function just fine. I would also suspect that your head bolts are bottoming out against dirt in the bottom of the holes, or they are too long...
Many, many years ago, a friend of mine took a big loss when he sold a nearly new 1969 Dodge Dart 340. The car was blowing a head gasket on one side every couple of weeks. The guy he sold it to reported back that one of the head bolt holes was full of crud, preventing one head bolt from fully clamping the head.
Correction; The new valve stems are 1/64 over and measure .326 ...I am replacing the head with one the stock height so am using the same head bolts.
Royce...Great information and when replacing the gasket using your procedures the gasket will last until the engine needs to be rebuilt.
The bolt holes were chased with a bottom tap and washed clean when she was rebuilt 2 years ago. A leak had developed quickly during the first drive of the car and at that time l determined that the bolts were bottoming out.
I ground an eighth inch off of each and did a bunch of measuring, re-installed the head with a new silicone premium gasket. From then on, it held, but there were slight stains appearing at the joint in various locations, from leaks that were evaporating as it escaped.
The engine now has a tad over 5,000 miles on it, and was shooting coolant out at one of the rear corners yesterday. I am definitely suspect of the flatness of the head at this point, but am comfortable that the bolt length is good.
What would the technique be for checking the head?
Is the solid copper gasket still being sold?
Is the copper / composite gasket better than the steel/ composite/ silicone gasket?