Author Topic: head gasket  (Read 4170 times)

iann

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head gasket
« on: June 05, 2007, 09:20:29 PM »
has any one made their own head gaskets. Im tired of stripping the head
to decoke and find that i have to buy another gasket. I'm thinking of
getting Cu sheet say 1.5mm thick and using the old gasket as a
template, drilling the holes for water and engine studs. I'll cover
both sides with sealant.

What are you thoughts on this?

Thx Ian

P.s. has any one come across an Onan 48S-6 WW2 battery charger? i now
have one and want to get it going again so need a parts list/manual.
1953 lister CS 6/1, lister B, Villiers XIIc, Seagull 40+ outbourd

mobile_bob

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Re: head gasket
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2007, 09:37:36 PM »
This goes back many years but i remember
smokey yunick used a product made by Milidon if i recall

basically it was a gskt sealer that you brush on and assemble with
the nice thing was you could remove the gskt, clean it with solvent and reapply the sealant
and reuse the gskt

he reused gskts up to 20 times with this stuff during dyno testing high compression
performance engines.

all i know is he swore by it,,, and i figure if it is good enough for him it is good enough for
the typical lister.

bob g
otherpower.com, microcogen.info, practicalmachinist.com
(useful forums), utterpower.com for all sorts of diy info

snail

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Re: head gasket
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2007, 12:16:43 AM »
The aluminium paint trick has always worked for me. ie spray a thin coat of aluminium paint onto a clean(ish) used gasket and simply reuse it. If you've got a twin,make sure that it goes back on the same cylinder.

Cheers,

Brian

hotater

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Re: head gasket
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2007, 12:24:42 AM »
There has been several long and detailed threads on headgaskets and how to make them, but I think in the middle of making a better gasket we found out why the old ones blow.    I have a STACK of blown ones!

Here's what we found--  The cylinder liner protrusion must NOT be more than .010" above the deck.  Five to seven thou is pefect, some are more than .040!  A little protrusion gives the different rates of expansion of the liner and block to 'catch up' with each other.  Mine is currently running at .004 protrusion flawlessly.  If it's too 'tall' the head bolts are pulling the head down like a skull cap.

I still think the only time my Listers have ever REALLY scared me was one cold morning winding up the crank handle with a snort of starting fluid in the intake and when I dumped the lifter the head gasket blew a spitball of semi-frozen gasket goo directly in my left ear.   :o

The OEM gaskets have a powder dry artificial (I hope) asbestos felt between two sheets of copper.  This liner absorbs some water and can leak.  The solution seems to be to thin gasket shellac , available at the auto parts store, with denatured alcohol about one part goo to ten parts solvent and stir it up with a little acid brush or dauber and really soak that liner.  Paint it on both sides and bend the copper back carefully to get some liquid on all sides of all the holes.  By the time you're finished with this job anything you touch goes with you...that shellac stuff is STICKY.  Wipe both sides of the gasket with alcohol to remove fingerprints and excess goo.  Spray paint the gasket with alumimum paint and let it dry, but only about half hour.  Dry the paint but not the goo inside.

  I torqued the head down two grunts tight six months and 2300 hours ago with absolutely no leaks and no problems.

It's customary to re-use headgaskets unless they're blown on Listers.  NEVER thow one away!   You can run a Lister with a circle of copper wire strung around the fire ring of the blown gasket in a pinch.  
7200 hrs on 6-1/5Kw, FuKing Listeroid,
Currently running PS-Kit 6-1/5Kw...and some MPs and Chanfas and diesel snowplows and trucks and stuff.

rjcroc

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Re: head gasket
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2007, 09:38:25 PM »
Hotater

I dont mean to laugh at your misfortune but the first time I read about the water in your ear
I really cracked up at the mental picture, now this mention and I still get a good laugh.

Rick

ps Dont start that Joe Pesci "I make you laugh" bit
« Last Edit: June 06, 2007, 09:45:47 PM by rjcroc »
"THE GREATEST DANGER FOR MOST OF US IS NOT THAT OUR AIM IS TOO HIGH AND WE MISS IT, BUT THAT IT IS TOO LOW AND WE REACH IT"  MICHELANGELO
6/1 METRO, 6/1 LISTER SOM, 6/1 LISTER, 1 1/2 HP LISTER D, LISTER PUMP,LISTER PETTER LPWS4