Head gasket: Fel-pro a dud? Anything better?

[Oilleaker1]

I'll weigh in too. Hawky is a close friend of mine. Copper is # 1, and gives a better 2nd torqueing than all fiber one. Both work well. My Minnesota friend said no copper coat on the copper gasket. Upon warming, I noticed the copper gasket seeping glue or sealer. I will now choose copper over all of them. The felpro one sided steel gasket---------never again. Oilly

[Lee]

I retorque 3 times, usually on the first, the gasket will seep coolant, the second torque will end this. Throw the metal sided gaskets out, nothing but trouble IMO!....

Lee

[specialty]

I have a industrial engine in my 49 I put in last spring and it has the
"INDUSTRIAL" on the head. From what I gathered the industrial engine had less compression although I can see no difference in power myself. If anything my industrial pulls much better but it was also just recently rebuilt. My old engine was worn.
Tim, I have not forgotten you on the hitch, like Dave mentioned, it is brutal cold here now so the Jeep stuff is on the shelf. Dave, good luck with your head gasket issue.
Ronnie

[squidtone]

January 24, 2018

Update: Preliminary indications are the new copper clad graphite gasket is working well. I mentioned that I may tweak the gasket between cylinders 3 and 4 to get the cylinder #4 compression ring to match better to the cylinder chamber opening in the head, but I didn't do this.
Instead I noticed that that I could simply shift the whole gasket toward the front of the block to get the compression ring on cylinder 4 to match up better, and the other compression rings still had acceptable overlap in cylinders 1,2 and 3.
Out of the box the gasket can't be shifted when installed over the studs, but it turns out only two of the holes are actually used for positioning; (see picture one, tools pointing to those holes) they are noticeably smaller than all the other stud holes (I noticed this on both the Best Gasket and Fel-pro gaskets). So I "slotted" these two location holes to allow the gasket to shift forward. See picture 2...it has been enlarged with a file.

I sprayed the gasket with copper coat stuff (recommended by Best Gasket), and put it one, and shifted it forward. Note in picture 3 how the gasket is biased forward relative to the stud in the middle of the picture. The head was installed and bolted down.

It fired up easily and runs very well with nice smoothness. I only have an hour or so run time right now, but so far so good.  If something changes, I'll update again.

[aboyandhisdog]

Nice work, Dave! 

Question for the panel:  Is it recommended that the head be re-torqued from time to time even though there are no signs of issues?  Or better to just leave it alone?

[1955CJ-5]

Nice work, Dave!�

Question for the panel:� Is it recommended that the head be re-torqued from time to time even though there are no signs of issues?� Or better to just leave it alone?

Both the builder of my CJ-3a engine and the builder of my Model A Ford engine(also an L-head 4 cylinder) recommended re-torquing the head,� when cold, after the first heat cycle to operating temperature.

The manufacturer of the Model A gasket recommended torquing it again, cold, after 500 miles.

I've torqued both motors several times, until I no longer get any head-nut movement when torquing.

Be sure to follow the torquing sequence.

Randy

[1955CJ-5]

I just happened to look in the Service Manual and in the "Tune Up" section, on page 20, torquing the cylinder head and manifold is listed...

[aboyandhisdog]

Thanks for finding that, Randy.  Another item to be put on the list!

I see it also says to check valve clearance every 6000 mi.  If a guy isn't hearing any valve/tappet noise at all, do you believe it is safe to skip messing with the valves adjustments this often?

[1955CJ-5]

6000 miles seems like a long way at 40-45 mph! It would take me several years....the other number, 250 hours, seems like an eternity also!

What you want to avoid is the valves being too tight. If a valve is tight it may not close completely, and you probably would not hear it at all.


I've got a couple thousand miles on my engine, and have yet to check the valves...sounds like a good project for Spring.......probably ought to torque the head also!

[aboyandhisdog]

Hmmm, very interesting.  I thought valves could only loosen...not tighten.  Another project.  Thanks!

[1955CJ-5]

Hmmm, very interesting.� I thought valves could only loosen...not tighten.� Another project.� Thanks!

OK...you got me thinking and sometimes that is dangerous, but i called a friend who was a mechanic all his life.

Naturally the answer was not a simple yes or no....

As you might guess, it can go either way. On engines like the flat head where there is very little in the way of valve train then wear on the valve and the seat can cause tightening, BUT, at the same time the cam and lifter will wear and to an extent will cancel any wear at the seat or valve. In the Model A Ford there was no provision for adjusting the valve lash, but it didn't seem to be a problem.

Unless there is an issue with the valve seat or valve itself then the valve lash will get larger, and the valves will get louder, as you said.