budtoh3zo
Registered User
I have a feeling there going out how much time do i have left about? thanks
Head gaskets
- Thread starter budtoh3zo
- Start date
argve
Resident Fruitcake
habeeve habeeve *as I wave my hand across the cystal ball*
I see here in X days you will - oh wait I see something else....
No seriously there is real no way to tell. If your starting to burn coolant or seep coolant out the edges or oil is shooting out the head to block mating surface then it's time. There is no crystal ball on these things but typically it's around the 150+ mark that we start seeing them - but by the same token there are guys running for 300k+ with original gaskets (not many mind you). So I would wait until they fail then go from there...
I see here in X days you will - oh wait I see something else....
No seriously there is real no way to tell. If your starting to burn coolant or seep coolant out the edges or oil is shooting out the head to block mating surface then it's time. There is no crystal ball on these things but typically it's around the 150+ mark that we start seeing them - but by the same token there are guys running for 300k+ with original gaskets (not many mind you). So I would wait until they fail then go from there...
Dsl_Dog_Treat
I lost my face to the jaws of a poodle
budtoh3zo said:
Done a coolant pressure test, see or smell any coolant leaks?
Made the mistake er a right choice cause my last motor had 263k on the clock and was seeping and could smell the coolant.
Put the tester on and charged it up to reccomended test pressure and
time to change.Just a thought.
Oh and dont' do what I did and blast off a couple of head bolts in the block.
No way round it tho. Now I have a project motor taking up space in the shop.
Ron
budtoh3zo
Registered User
its eating the coolant, Im losing it and cant find a leak and i can smell it. i dont know how much yet.
L.Wilkinson
Its an Arktos not a Sub
budtoh3zo said:
When you commit to the head gasket job, make sure you have the heads gone over. Valve guide life can be rather poor, but more importantly they fracture and give "loss of coolant" symptoms as you have mentioned.
Lorne
Fred Hemer
Full Access Member
The heads usally start leaking at the bottom corners!Look closely put some card board under it and park it in a dri location overnite
budtoh3zo
Registered User
already did the cardboard trick, nothing. if its the valve guides can that be replaced?
L.Wilkinson
Its an Arktos not a Sub
budtoh3zo said:
Sorry, my post was too short. My mention of valve guides was simply to put the expected life span of the heads in perspective, but not that the guides themselves relate to fractures (although a fracture into a valve guide bore, or valve seat does happen). Improved valve guide selection/ installation can improve the otherwise shockingly short life of the guides.
Rather, the fact that coolant may be dissapearing internally through a fracture was my recomendation on having them gone over. Fractures vary in seriousness, some facilities do stitching (results can vary too). I had a stitch repair done on one of mine a number of years back (same symptoms) and the workmanship was garbage, as was the head eventually.
Lorne
dave85
Registered User
I'm a dummy here......
but I would look at the heater core. I've had to do the HG's and awhile back thought "Not again!!!" Smelling and losing coolant. Turned out to be heater core.
Dave
budtoh3zo said:
but I would look at the heater core. I've had to do the HG's and awhile back thought "Not again!!!" Smelling and losing coolant. Turned out to be heater core.
Dave
Fred Hemer
Full Access Member
Daves point is a good one aswell I just done the HC in my heep! it was an odvious puddle on the floor thou!
budtoh3zo
Registered User
Just redid the heater core. any tips on doing the HG if i decide to do them depends on cash, might have to wait tell after summer.
L.Wilkinson
Its an Arktos not a Sub
budtoh3zo said:
One more thing, if you have access to a Stant rad pressure tester, then pull your glow plugs and leave the engine parked with full pressure on it for minimum several hours (or more depending on if pressure drops rapidly). If someone cranks the enine over you can watch to see if a vapor spout shoots out of any of the open glow plug ports, that would indicate the internal HD gasket leak or fracture. If it leaks down fast, then don't wait so long to try cranking, to avoid hydro locking.
budtoh3zo
Registered User
Thanks, I will try and get one
There's a man in the west....Idaho maybe?....who can fix just about any damn thing you can name. Heads, blocks, any other kind of casting.
I'm not sure if he's using an actual welding process...or something related....or.... ??
I can't recall the name, but he would post from time to time on threads on the ACMOC antique CAT bulletin board. Usually on a thread about "oh ****, my head's cracked", of course...
google on ACMOC, and sift through a few threads from the past year, and you oughta find him.
But heads are cheap for these anyway....lotsa junk motors lying around for a couple hundred bucks...running ones for 400-600.
hey, even if the HC is new, check it anyway. Just saw one put in a '79 F250 that leaked from the get-go. I don't know if it was factory-defective or if the guy cracked the nipple-joint during install, but it leaked just like the old one...
good luck with it !
I'm not sure if he's using an actual welding process...or something related....or.... ??
I can't recall the name, but he would post from time to time on threads on the ACMOC antique CAT bulletin board. Usually on a thread about "oh ****, my head's cracked", of course...
google on ACMOC, and sift through a few threads from the past year, and you oughta find him.
But heads are cheap for these anyway....lotsa junk motors lying around for a couple hundred bucks...running ones for 400-600.
hey, even if the HC is new, check it anyway. Just saw one put in a '79 F250 that leaked from the get-go. I don't know if it was factory-defective or if the guy cracked the nipple-joint during install, but it leaked just like the old one...
good luck with it !
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