Felpro Head gasket opinion |
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Carlsjeep
Member Joined: 15 Jan. 2011 Location: Taylorsville Ky Status: Offline Points: 2642 |
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Posted: 16 June 2012 at 2:12pm |
That was lucky it failed close to them. Installing the core plugs is always an issue, did I hit it to much, did I hit it enough.
With all the bad comments I read about the steel sided gasket I'm using a fiber both sides gasket. As to a sealer on the gasket, it's an option to use or not use.
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Life is only as good as you make it.
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Oilleaker1
Member Joined: 06 Sep. 2011 Location: Black Hills, SD Status: Offline Points: 4412 |
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Walcks had the double fiber gasket that I ordered. They said no sealer. When I pulled the head, the steel side let go easily. The fiber side was stuck well enough to leave some of the fiber on the head. I had no sealer on that side. You could see black combustion residue between 2 & 3 on the steel side. I'm going to try the fiber next. I will re-torque as soon as the engine gets up to operating temp. The fun part is that the back three head bolts won't clear the firewall, so they will be thread doped and taped in the head before I install the head. The machine shop that bored my block came out and helped me parking lot install another soft plug. He was surprised it came out, but you never know with a new engine what you have in store. It failed in walking distance from them. The rule of thumb I've always heard was you need to put 500 miles on a engine before you can say it's good to go. Oh, this engine is in my '53 Jeep pickup. The soft plug looked correctly peened in the middle, If you go too far with the peening, it will be loose again like Carl mentioned. I'm still thinking about taking the steel sided gasket back out of my new M38 and going fiber. What a mess if you do it later. John
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Green Disease, Jeeps, Old Iron!
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Carlsjeep
Member Joined: 15 Jan. 2011 Location: Taylorsville Ky Status: Offline Points: 2642 |
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A couple of threads I read about head gasket failure said to use a gasket with fiber on both sides and to use copper coat on both sides. It suggested the Victor 1023 gasket as being the best.
Be sure you get the surfaces clean and dry. Even if the engine got hot and boiled the water out the core plug should not have blown out. It sounds like the plug was not correctly installed.
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Life is only as good as you make it.
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Dez
Member Joined: 05 May 2008 Location: Pinedale, WY Status: Offline Points: 774 |
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I had a felpro on mine when I removed the head to see what was damaged in the cylinders, It looked like someone sprayed something on the head to help seal. I know this engine has 4,000+ on the rebuild.
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hillbilly21
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 18 June 2006 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 4964 |
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IF YOU CAN FIND A COPPER ONE YOUR BETTER OFF...MCCORD GASKETS
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Oilleaker1
Member Joined: 06 Sep. 2011 Location: Black Hills, SD Status: Offline Points: 4412 |
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The F and L 134 felpro gasket sets I've got and used came with a steel on one side fiber on the other side head gasket. I was told to spray a decent coat of gasket sealer on the steel and not the fiber side. Install with the steel on the block, fiber on the head. Both head and block were decked on my Fhead, and torqued in steps to 65 ftlbs. It failed and leaked antifreeze into 2 & 3 in about 20 miles. I did not re-torque it in that time space. I've ordered a all fiber one and am trying it next. The block did have a crack that was pinned and milled between 2 & 3, but not into the valve pockets. The gasket is quite thin in width here. The compression from 2 or 3 appears to have leaked by the gasket and into the block. One of the rear soft plugs was pushed out and dumped the antifreeze. I did not get the engine hot. Shut it off immediately when the plugs fowled. I could touch the radiator on top with my hand. Have any of you guys had failure with these type head gaskets? I have another L head with one in it and haven't started it yet. I'm prone to remove it and go fiber. Any opinions? Funny how they removed the victor rubber rear main seal and put in rope and then sealed the box. Maybe they should do the same with the head gaskets. John
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Green Disease, Jeeps, Old Iron!
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