[TR] Spitfire head gasket

[Roger Elliott]

The shop did the head rebuild and install both times, so I am not sure 
if they followed the correct procedures. It has AARP studs. They were 
new when they rebuilt the head the first time and have not been replaced.

The first time they rebuilt the head, the head gasket blew at 800 
miles.  (It had been retorqued).  I replaced the head gasket that time 
as I didn't want to wait to get it in.  I used a better head gasket, 
discovered the timing was way too far advanced, I figured that was why 
the head gasket blew.  I followed the manual for tightening specs and 
order.   Actually I used the AARP specs for tightening, I think they 
were a bit higher than the manual.

Then one of the valves froze at 2000 miles after the head rebuild - 1200 
after I replace the head gasket.  Head had been retorqued. This is when 
they said nothing they did caused the valve to stick.  They added an 
external oil feed  as they said it was not getting lubrication, plus new 
valves, seats and guides.

When I checked the block it seemed good, but I was doing around the head 
studs.

Oh, when I got it home and started looking at it, 2 valves were less 
than .004, the rest were one each .005 through .010.

Just looked back at the head gasket.  It doesn't look so good. It has 
holes around the sealing ring.

Roger

On 04/03/2017 06:11 AM, ptegler wrote:
>
> upon installing the head after the first rebuild, did you re-torque 
> the head after the intial warmup up/cool down heat cycle?
>
> did you use new head studs? what spec did you torque to? proper order 
> of studs?
>
> Paul Tegler ptegler at verizon.net www.teglerizer.com
> On 4/2/2017 10:25 PM, Chris Simo wrote:
>> Any chance the block is not flat?
>>
>> On Apr 2, 2017 7:55 PM, "Roger Elliott" <elliottr at rmi.net 
>> <mailto:elliottr at rmi.net>> wrote:
>>
>>     Hi All,
>>
>>     I have a 1980 Spitfire, the head has been rebuilt twice in the
>>     last 2,500 miles.  (Shop claims something happened between first
>>     and second rebuild, so not their fault)
>>
>>     Anyway, I have taken it for a few drives ~60  miles at a time and
>>     all seemed good, so we were going to take it on a bit longer drive.
>>
>>     35 miles from home, the temp gauge is pegged, I put in lots of
>>     water - maybe not quite a half gallon.  Started up to try to
>>     drive back home, there was lots of white smoke from the exhaust. 
>>     I don't think it was smoking much if at all before it overheated
>>     as I was kind of keeping an eye on the car behind us and did not
>>     see smoke.
>>
>>     I got 3 miles and decided to call a tow truck.  It was low on
>>     water again - at least a quart in those 3 miles.
>>
>>     I used a leak down tester - though didn't really do a real leak
>>     down test - to see if the cylinders were holding air.  All seemed
>>     fine except 4 which was not holding air and I could hear the air
>>     coming through the radiator water was bubbling.
>>
>>     So, I took the head off expecting the head gasket to be blown or
>>     something obvious with the head.
>>
>>     Head gasket was fine.  My checks of the head with feeler gauge
>>     and straight edge indicated it is flat.  I don't see anything
>>     wrong with the head.
>>
>>     Do I need to have it checked for cracks?  Or what else could be
>>     wrong?
>>
>>     Or could it be that the overheating loosened the head enough that
>>     water got past the gasket?
>>
>>     Thanks,
>>
>>     Roger Elliott
>>
>>
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