[Healeys] Four cylinder woes, part two!

gradea1 at charter.net gradea1 at charter.net
Thu Mar 12 11:06:50 MDT 2020


Hi Steven-good to hear from you!

	That's a nice test, but I would magnaflux the head for cracks between
2-3 and have it shaved flat...could be a head gasket leak due to
warped head...especially if valves and rings checked good.

	Also, I don't recommend NGK plugs- use Champion N-5...maybe cause of
carbon on valves. Unless cam is flat, valve spring broken or tappet
rods bent/broken, problem is in head-block fit.

	Regards, Hank Leach

	-----------------------------------------From: "Steven Kingsbury via
Healeys" 
To: healeys at autox.team.net
Cc: 
Sent: Thursday March 12 2020 9:40:25AM
Subject: [Healeys] Four cylinder woes, part two!

Okay, here's the latest! I finally got to pull my head. If you
remember, I had 155 lbs of pressure in cylinders 1, 3, and 4 and only
25 lbs in cylinder number two. So with the head off, I was prepared to
find a problem with I flipped it over to expose the valves, no such
luck. Other than number two exhaust valve being a bit black, no
cracks, nothing stuck and it looked fine. So then I went to look into
the cylinders themselves, walls smooth, flat high compression pistons
smooth, number three a bit rough on the top, but other than that and
good. So then I went back to the head, put the spark plugs back in and
filled the combustion chambers with paint thinner to see where it
would leak out. Filled each chamber evenly and waited. Twelve hours
later, and other than evaporation, no leaks! All chambers still even
in their fluid retention.  So then I rotated the crank to get all the
pistons to an almost even position and put paint thinner in the
cylinders at the same depth. No quick leak, not one cylinder faster
than the others and all the fluid finally drained out smoothly and
evenly in each cylinder.  I'm a bit stumped. My next step is taking
the head to a guy in town, an old machinist who builds his own engines
and runs his car at Bonneville in the 300 mph range. He knows what
he's doing and I'm sure he will give me some sage advice and help.
Also as a side note, I went over the head with a magnifying glass and
can see now cracks, but that doesn't mean they are not there I know. I
was just thinking with a 100 pound plus difference, something would be
obvious.  I am also going to be taking off the tappet cover on the
side, inspect all the lifters and see what I can find there. Like I
said, I'm a bit perplexed, but I'm not done. I will find something
wrong! Here are some photos for you, maybe you can see something I
can't.
Here's the head, upside down and you can see the exhaust valve on
number two is blacker than the others, but no cracks, chips, or
visible damage.And here's the fluid I placed in the combustion
chambers. It didn't drain out and just sat there.
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