bad head gasket

[plymjim]

    I just pulled the water pump on my '48 thinking it was leaking. Turns out it was the head gasket. 

Never seen this before but look a the picture. This is the bottom of the old (left) & new (right) gaskets.

There is a water passage that was not fully covered by the old gasket which I purchased from a

popular Mopar vendor. The gasket on the right came from Auto Zone at half the price of the

defective one. The water passage on this one is open & fully surrounded by gasket material. 

   The defective gasket is stamped v-924, don't know the brand.

   The proper gasket is a fel-pro part # 7564 c.

   By the way, we are talking about a 218 engine

[Don Coatney]

Does your engine have internal or external thermostat by-pass? Is there a bump out in the front of your engine block to match the new gasket?

[Niel Hoback]

That gasket is for pre-50, (I think), engines that have an external bypass from the WP to the head. The gasket on the right is for the later engines that have an internal bypass. Someone just got the wrong gasket on that block. Check to see that the head matches the block with or without the water passage.  

[Dave72dt]

I think you're looking at the difference between internal and external bypass head gaskets and using the wrong gasket for the application.

[dpollo]

If there is a mix up of heads and blocks, you must ensure that the hole is covered.  It can be blocked entirely by threading 9/16

NF and making a plug from a bolt with the same thread.  A wheel bolt is 9/16 NF.

 

The extra water passage appeared in 1951 except on Spitfire engines.  It eliminated the extra plumbing atop the water pump.

In practical terms you can live without it.

[Young Ed]

FYI you can use the newer gasket on the older engines without issue. I've got them in both my car and truck without issues. 

[plymjim]

Thanks for the replies, folks. Just when I thought I knew it all I learned

something!  

All the water passages on my block & head match the new gasket so We'll

assume that I've an internal bypass. No bypass hose on the thermostat

housing.

I'm not sure of the year of the engine as there are no numbers on the block

number pad just a bunch of random dots. Obviously a transplant engine.

[greg g]

If your thermostat housing is a stamped steel piece and not a big lump of cast iron, it is internal bypass.