Maybe I Was Beginning To Feel A Little Too Good About Myself

[Jim Shepard]

Well, I had just under one month on my new motor and everything was running sooo nice... Yesterday after stopping to fillup at the local Shell station, I started it back up and it sounded like crap! Like it was running on 4 pistons. Pulled over to see if anything looked obvious. I did notice a little back fire through the carb when accelerating. Drove home under hardly any power. Today I did a compression check and no. 1 and 2 cylinders had no pressure. 3 through 6 all at 110psi. Looks like I blew the head gasket between 1 and 2.

[48Dodger]

oh no......

I was driving home from Sacramento yesterday with a 73 dart on my trailer....was gonna just stop in and see you. Thought turning around on your street would be a task...so I didnt. Guess I should of.....

48D

[B1B Keven]

Dang Jim, that sucks.

[NiftyFifty]

I know your pain, complete rebuild on my motor last summer and about a month in I was heading to town and the temp gauge spiked... Started burning antifreeze... Then it really leaked.

Just put the head back on last night, and I'm still a ways away.

[pflaming]

How 'sensitive' are head gaskets? You guys are good mechanics, I'm beginning get paranoid on what my novice rebuilt engine is going to do. I'm certainly going to put a couple gaskets under the seat, maybe prepay a tow truck owner for a lift.

EDIT: Mike: Need to put your comment in ". . . things I wish I had known. . . " I'm going to put a torque wrench under the seat and torque it regularly for a while when I get it on the road. My check off list is down to: reassemble the suspension, fuel line, windows, tires and get it licensed.

Edited April 25, 2012 by pflaming

[olddodgeguy]

I blew 3 head gaskets in about a month on my 39 DeSoto. I was going crazy because I checked everything for any warpage or some such. Nothing. Finally my dad mentioned that if I retorqued the head after warming it up it would probably stop that. After that I rechecked the torque about every 6 months or so and never lost another one. Might be something to consider. Mike

[greg g]

My guess would be that the head gasket has failed between 1 and 2. The area between the siamesed pistons is the thinnest part of the gasket, so the most suspect.

And since most gaskets are being made "elsewhere" these days no telling how thier QC is. Apparently not goos withthe number of faild gaskets reported recently.

[Dave72dt]

Unless it specifically states not to, after you've put a heat cycle through the new gasket, retorque it, and again after 100 miles and 500 miles. It may be a good time to replace head bolts. They may be stretching from fatigue.

[John-T-53]

Jim,

Sorry to hear that....on the bright side at least that's the only problem, and the head is easy to pull and replace. In addition to retorquing after initial heat-up, use "Copper spray-a-gasket" on both sides of the new gasket before putting it in. I've had good luck with Fel-Pro head gaskets in the past and present.

[Mark D]

My recent saga of a blown head gasket... I've checked torque a few times now and was surprised to find several bolts that still need a twist or two to get to 70 ft/lbs. I did go with all new head bolts from Bernbaums.

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=31705&highlight=stuck+valve

[Reg Evans]

I blew 2 head gaskets on Old Yeller until I torqued them to 80lbs. Old head bolts though.

[Jim Shepard]

Sure enough, the gasket blew between 1 and 2. Got it fixed, torqued bolts to 75 and will start it up today and re-torque. Damn that head was heavy!

[Mark D]

It's a good feeling when it's all done and back together. Glad it went well for you.

[John Mathias]

Sure enough, the gasket blew between 1 and 2. Got it fixed, torqued bolts to 75 and will start it up today and re-torque. Damn that head was heavy!

Makes me glad I got an Edmunds finned aluminum head

[Rusty O'Toole]

Good advice about torquing the head cold, then hot, then after 100 miles and 500 miles.

It helps to check the head bolts for stretch (measure them, if any are longer than the others get a new set) clean the threads in the block with a tap, blow out the holes, lightly oil the threads. If the head has been milled use washers on the bolts to take up the space.

The block and head must be true. Draw file the block, check the head with a straight edge.

If everything is right the gasket should last the life of the motor.