I hate to start another thread but.. Went to put the heads on and found only 1 alignment dowl in the block. I thought that can't be right there where none stuck in the heads, so there where 3 missing already, went down to the parts store and none of the felpro sets say they will fit, and it doesn't say the size of them so I can't just buy one that is close. Anybody have any sort of part number for them. Now I have to wait longer to do my heads and it's already been a month since I pulled them.
Head alignment dowels
- Thread starter S-west
- Start date
icanfixall
Official GMM hand model
Don't have the size but if you have a lathe make your own. Just find some pipe close in size and turn it to fit. Cut to length and your golden. They just have to fit tight like the oem ones do in the heads and block. I find it best to install them in the block so the head gasket has a place to hang on. I think the holes in the heads are slightly larger but have never really measured it.
Knuckledragger
blowing chunks and grabbing porcelain
I made my own because I ran into the same problems finding any and Gary is right, the head holes are a little larger. Probably so the heads could slip on without having to pound on them.
I am not sure anyone has them but Ford, and even then they are expensive or not available. The good news is that you can make them out of anything, aluminum, brass, iron, whatever. Once they have aligned the heads, the bolts hold everything together. You don't even need a lathe or machine shop, although that makes things a lot easier.
You can grind them to approximate size by hand. Make sure the center hole is big enough and put it on a bolt with some washers and a nut to hold it while you grind. Even if you make it a little undersized, you can deform it a little with a hammer or squish it in a vice to keep it from falling out of the block while the heads are placed.
I am not sure anyone has them but Ford, and even then they are expensive or not available. The good news is that you can make them out of anything, aluminum, brass, iron, whatever. Once they have aligned the heads, the bolts hold everything together. You don't even need a lathe or machine shop, although that makes things a lot easier.
You can grind them to approximate size by hand. Make sure the center hole is big enough and put it on a bolt with some washers and a nut to hold it while you grind. Even if you make it a little undersized, you can deform it a little with a hammer or squish it in a vice to keep it from falling out of the block while the heads are placed.
Ya unfortunately I sold my lathe a while back, I don't mind making my own I just want to see if I could get them first. It just amazes me that at some point somebody put these heads on with one dowel on one head and none on the other. I guess it could be done but I prefer to have the dowels
bbjordan
Snow Monkey
Gonna keep an eye on this one. I've had difficulty find these dowels. I wound up reusing the ones I mangled trying to get them out.
Nrliftedranger
Full Access Member
got them from international dealer 2.00 each
I'm going to try a ford dealer, the guy at the local international dealer had never heard of a 6.9 and said that international engines where never in a ford haha. He said he couldn't look it up either without an international vin number...what an idiot. I went to a napa and advanced auto and both can order felpro alignment dowels but felpro doesn't list any specs so I would have to pay for about 10 sets of dowels just to find out if I can make any work, no thanks. I'm about to call felpro but I doubt they would be any help
Provide him the IHI dealer the block serial # and he should be able to look it up don't take no guff from them boys...we know it's an IH engine...take a valve cover with the decal on it
icanfixall
Official GMM hand model
Even a drill press can spin fast enough to mills something soft like aluminum. Its not rocket science.. Its idi science... Way better than the rest.. Just make them a tad bit short so they don't hang up the head and cause a gasket leak. Its possible to make them too long but not too short... So I think...
Ya got any copper tubeing around? A 1/2" ID would be about the right size, if need be just split it so you can size it
The dowels not only align the head for assembly they keep it located when the block flexes and the heads scrub.
All motors do this to some extent which is why steel is the only material to use.
The bolts are only there to hold the head down not to keep it from moving.
Copper doesn't work. I tried on a 460 irrigation motor once.
All motors do this to some extent which is why steel is the only material to use.
The bolts are only there to hold the head down not to keep it from moving.
Copper doesn't work. I tried on a 460 irrigation motor once.
I don't know how much that actually happens on these motors if that is true, because the motor had no dowels at all in one head for at least the past 50,000 miles. I don't actually know how long it's been since the headgaskets where done, and the only reason I even think they where done is because 3 dowels where missing. And if the ford dealer doesn't have them I'll make them, it should be hard, I have a milling machine still with a rotary table
