Head gasket problems

[Oli]

Hey guys my name is Oli and I am from Iceland, sorry about my bad english typing but i will do my best. I own a Dodge Dart 75 and the engine is a small block 360, bored 030 over, a 340 X steel heads, 12.5 compression and I have just changed head gaskest, I used a copper head gaskest from SCE and the block is O ringed, but when i was putting the coolant on it already started to leak, then i started the engine and it put water in the oil and it seems to me that it olso blows out to the exhaust on cyl 1. Maby i did a major mistake on the assemble or somthing With hope for some help from you great guys out there.

Thank´s and best regards Oli

[John Kunkel]

Welcome to the board, Oli.

From my experience, solid copper head gaskets do a good job of sealing compression when used with O rings but they don't seal fluids as well as composite or embossed metal gaskets.

Try a head gasket sealer like Coppercoat.

[Oli]

ok so I should keep using SCE copper gasket? What about the fel pro gaskest such as the black one´s before i changed to copper there was a fel pro blue gaskest and they didin´t hold. I have heard that there will always be a problem using copper gaskets if you have iron block and iron heads?

Thanks for the quick answer

[340_GTS]

If there is ANY water or oil in the threaded holes in the block, you will get improper torque readings, and thus, leaks. Check all the holes, and to be sure chase the threads. Then make sure you use something like ARP's assembly lube on the threads when you put it back together.

[JVMopar]

You can keep using a copper gasket. Just coat it with sealer before you assemble. I've been told by an old diesel mechanic to coat the copper gaskets with Permatex #2. Diesels have high compression, and are iron block and iron head.

[chirorod]

I think your English is a lot better than the English often posted, so that speaks well for education in Iceland. Very exciting to have an international forum, with your voice from Iceland and those from Australia, New Zealand, Russia,etc. Were the heads surfaced? This suggests to me that there is warpage. No gasket or sealant can correct that. When the heads were off, did you check the surfaces with a straight edge and feeler gauge? Since leakage began before starting the engine, something was misaligned. I do agree that anything in the block threads would cause problems, but you don't see that too often. A further suggestion is to check manifold to head alignment. Machining one part can cause misalignment of others. For example, milling heads and/or block deck often requires a compensatory milling of intake manifold.

[Oli]

Thank´s for all of your great answears gyus, i went and took the driver side head of, and the O rings was all in place and in their groove, but on this copper gaskest have silicone around the water holes and it seems to me that silcone has not bean pressed out

[Oli]

can you guys tell me how much i should tighten the head bolts for the copper gaskets? i am using ARP studs and molly grease under the shims

[mopar29mod]

I had decked my block and it took several passes to clean up the deck, the low spots were mostly between the bolt holes on the outboard side. I just had another block decked and although not as bad was still pretty ugly. the worst took about .022 to clean up and the best was about .016.

[aarracer]

Oli

You may wish to check that your cylinderhead alignment dowels are not bottoming out in their respective holes in the head?

[Oli]

I found out what was the problem, the cut in the block for the O rings was not deap enough for this type of thikkness og gaskets, the cut in the block was already made before i got the car, just had a fel pro gaskest, so i just did not know better, next move is to cut a deaper groove in the block and put the engine back togeather and hope that that will do the trick

[JVMopar]

Torque the ARP bolts to ARP's specifications. You can find the spec's on the website if you have the part number for the bolts.

[pishta]

Cometic MLS gaskets are the best. I ran an O ringed 340 block, X heads and a "regular" head gasket and it held up to a stock "10.5" 68 motor, Cometics would hold up better if you dont want to run a copper.

[fox]

It is most important with copper gaskets that the block deck and the head are true and straight.

[teringer]

anouther good gasket is fel-pro 1008 stainless steelwire around cylinder bore,about 40.00 each, I ran 14to1 on streetstock eng.2/barrel carb,no problems