engine advice

[mauricedocton]

I blew the head gasket in Large Marge last week and need some advice. I think there is more to it than just the head gasket - the engine didn't overheat, so I suspect that I'm having other issues internally. It's a 251 Spitfire engine; I don't know if it's better to try and find one, start a rebuild, or to adapt a 318 V-8 - will the 318 bolt up to the drive train? My rolling restoration backfired! Thanks for any help.

[Gordon Maney]

You could be having other issues internally, but I wouldn't simply assume that.

It's very easy to replace the head gasket on that engine. I would remove the head and do a thorough visual inspection. If you find no horrifying details like a big crack in the block, I would put another gasket on try it. You might put another gasket on that engine and run it another 10 years. Don't rush into anything.

Get a straight edge on the head to check if for flatness or have your machine shop do that.

[mauricedocton]

Thanks Gordon - that's what I'll try first - I've heard some differing opinions on gasket types - copper vs other materials - any opinions there?

[Gordon Maney]

I would just get what the first line gasket company offered or what your machine shop offered. Fel-Pro is a good line, and there are others.

I don't know that you will find any solid copper gasket anymore.

[mauricedocton]

Gordon, in reading one of the old threads I came across this from Charles Talbert, "check closely to be sure no coolant is escaping into a combustion chamber, that is immediate bad news that will need to be investigated very conclusively." In the case of my truck, white smoke was coming from the exhaust and coolant was leaking out from around one of the sparkplugs that vibration had loosened up - when I searched my references(so I didn't look like a complete moron on the forum), the signs of a blown gasket included antifreeze in the oil, white smoke, and antifreeze shooting out of sparkplug holes in extreme cases - does this change the outlook ?

[Gordon Maney]

It could be because of the gasket.

Visually inspect to the best of your ability for cracks. If you find none, try a gasket.

If this was a V-engine with two heads that were hard to remove, I might have a different answer.

[mauricedocton]

Thanks again - glad you are patient!

[Gordon Maney]

This is why we are here.

Your address must have changed, your notification emails are coming back.

[mauricedocton]

More help

Once again I'm going to reveal my neophyte status - In the references to remove and replace the cylinder head, they refer to cap screws and stud nuts - all 21 look the same to me, but they have different torque values - what am I missing? Also, any suggestions for getting them loose? I've tried penetrating oil, but am afraid to apply too much force - worried I'll break something off in the block.

[Gordon Maney]

Look carefully at all the bolts. Clean them up with a wire brush if you must. You should be able to tell if it is a bolt or if it is a hex nut screwed onto a stud. I might be wrong, but I don't think you'll find any studs on that engine. Others may disagree with me soon!

Get your long breaker bar and break them loose. Penetrating oil wouldn't make any difference anyway, because the threads are a bolt length away from the surface. It is extremely unlikely you will damage anything. Assuming you turn the ball in the correct direction. It's a right hand thread remember, just like almost all the fasteners on the truck.

[gmharris]

Make sure you use a 6 point socket. An impact socket is even better. Use a good quality name brand socket.

[Gordon Maney]

Good observations.

[mauricedocton]

Thanks

Thanks for the great suggestions - I'll give it a try.

[wayneh]

So there are different torque values for a reason... Some of the bolts are just head bolts, and others look like nuts where the top part you can thread things into to hold stuff on the engine. They have slightly different torque values. I screwed that up when I did my head gasket, but it still seems to be fine and I didn't break anything off. The head gasket is not a hard job.

Wayne

[mauricedocton]

Next steps

I pulled the head today and everything looks good - the gasket was intact, with no obvious defects?! Could it have been just a head bolt torque issue? Some of the bolts were harder to break loose than others. One head bolt had a bracket for the spark plug wire tube between the bolt and the head. The bolts did not appear to have any thread sealant on them, but the leak was big, with antifreeze coming out of one of the sparkplug holes and lots of white smoke/antifreeze in the oil. Should I be looking deeper?