To all,
One thing I learned on the race motor... the specs call for oil or moly on
the studs when torquing and re-torquing the head. Use the moly. This is
critical.
Always have the mating surfaces slightly scuffed... like with a Scotch-Brite
pad. Use a copper coat or silver paint on both sides of the "competition"
(steel/asbestos/copper) gasket. Torque in the proper order, with a reliable
(known to be good) torque wrench. On a new gasket, I run the motor up to
temp, and re-torque warm.
If you continue to have troubles, replace the studs, preferably with the ARP
studs.
By the way, the Fel-Pro gasket is the same as the "competition" gasket from
specialty houses.
WST
Team Thicko
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-spridgets@autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of Brian Thornton
Sent: Monday, October 19, 1998 8:22 AM
To: Bkitterer@aol.com; dhiley@cadvision.com; spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: Part 2 - Torqueing the Head
I experienced what you describe at Conclave 96 in Asheville, NC. I was en
route to dinner with fellow SE Michigan club members in my 67 MKIV Sprite
when all of the sudden, my car became the worlds most effective mosquito
fogger. I had developed an oil leak between the block and the head where
the oil passes up to the rocker gear. The oil was spraying directly on the
exhaust header causing quite a smoke screen. The Richard Longman head on
my engine has been milled and the block has been decked. Moreover, I was
running a competition copper/asbestos head gasket. The engine probably had
8-10K miles on it at that time. It just happened, no warning signs,
nothing!
I re-torqued the head like you and found that it made no difference. I was
not happy with the prospect of removing the head at the meet but this was
the only way I could resolve the problem. Besides, home was over 1000 miles
away and I had to drive to get there! My wife went to the pool, my fellow
club members kept me supplied with cold beer and I proceeded to perform an
impromptu tech session in the hotel parking lot. The look on peoples faces
when they walked by was interesting to say the least. Most people want to
help a fellow Healey owner in despair, not that day. They just assumed,
either the guy is nuts or he must have it under control. All told, the
repair took about three hours to perform. I never did find anything wrong
with the gasket, block surface or head surface. All I could do at that
point was install a new head gasket and pray. As it turned out the new
gasket did the trick. In fact, I participated in the gymkhana the next day
and took second place in the street prepared Sprite class!
I don't have any advice as to what caused the leak in the first place. In
fact, the gasket that's in the car now is the same one that you received
from Winner's Circle (steel/asbestos). I've probably put another 2000
miles on it since and still no problems. Who can figure.
Good Luck!
Brian Thornton
At 10:40 PM 10/18/98 EDT, Bkitterer@aol.com wrote:
>
>In a message dated 10/18/98 1:28:14 PM, dhiley@cadvision.com writes:
>
><<I let the engine warm up thoroughly sitting in the driveway with
>occaisional sustained moderate rpm and there was no leakage. I then took
>it out onto the road and ran it it up 5k in second and third and the smoke
>began pouring out of the engine as the oil hit the headers. It is
>definitely not coming from the rocker cover or timing chain cover. It is
>definitely coming from under the headers somewhere.>>
>
>Dave,
>
>We have experienced the same problem. Have been resisting pulling the head
>but I think that there is an oil port on the front corner, manifold side of
>the block / head. At this time we are guessing that for some reason the
head
>and block are not perfectly parallel at this corner and under load oil
leaks
>out between the head, gasket and block. Once it is warmed up it is fine
>except on occasion when pushed hard. When cold we let ours idle about five
>minutes letting it come to operation temperature for several minutes before
>driving off. Then we try and avoid routes, freeways and steep hills, that
>would load the engine for anther five minutes or so.
>
>This is not much help in solving the problem. We will keep listening and
if I
>break down and pull the head will post what we find.
>
>Bob and Annice
>1960 Sprite (Mk IV in disguise)
>
>
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