Author Topic: Where to get 6/1 head gasket  (Read 2181 times)

tubes_rock

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Where to get 6/1 head gasket
« on: November 06, 2020, 06:21:10 PM »
At the advice of this forum, I tracked down the sister of the guy who did the 6/1 head gaskets at Gaskets To Go. She still had a few left over and I ordered three, and they look beautiful. Nice fire ring, siliconed paper, and a built-up area of silicone around the water jacket passages. They look great.

I'm running a 1999 Metro 6/1.

I checked the head for warp, and it's good. I had the cylinder decked by a professional shop and got the cylinder liner cut from a protrusion of 0.011" (yikes...!) down to 0.003", so everything seems to be in nice spec, according what what I have researched both on this forum and in other places.

The thing is this: I torque the head down to 150ft/lbs in the standard criss-cross tightening pattern, stepping the torque values up in about 20-lb increments from 50 up to 150 (as far as my wrench will indicate).

The thing is the engine runs great, but it weeps coolant (standard green glycol) over time. Not a puddle, but the head gasket is always wet and every now and then, a drip slides down the outside of the cylinder and collects at the base gasket.

I took it apart, and used Hylomar sealant on the next gasket and socked it down again. It still leaked. I'm thinking that the fire ring is maybe too thick and it all torques up before the edges seal, or the fire ring is make of steel that's too tough and it's not crushing enough.

So, the question is: what can I do differently, or what other brand gaskets can I get that others have had success with? Maybe 150ft-lbs is the wrong value? I'm using the numbers I found, but am open to advice!

Thanks in advance!

--Justin

mike90045

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Re: Where to get 6/1 head gasket
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2020, 06:17:39 AM »
I too, have a Metro, and it seeped a little bit for a year. then stopped for 5 years, and this summer, it started to seep again.
As long as it's not showing up in the oil, I can live with it.

38ac

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Re: Where to get 6/1 head gasket
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2020, 08:24:32 PM »
When India decided that 5 studs was good enough instead of 7 they created an issue were as If everything isn't perfect the gasket will seep. I have used the Gaskets To Go head gaskets for 10 years with no complaints.  I personally have never seen a head that was flat after being torqued down over excessive sleeve protrusion. Small seeps will soon plug up with rust , other wise pull it back apart and double check the head and sleeve. A small amount of RTV around the water jacket slots both top and bottom of the gasket is good insurance on a 5 stud engine
« Last Edit: November 07, 2020, 09:04:39 PM by 38ac »
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tubes_rock

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Re: Where to get 6/1 head gasket
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2020, 01:10:04 AM »
Thanks for the advice. I am not a fan of RTV on things and was really looking for a way to avoid it. It sounds like I'm a not out of luck on this since it sounds like it's a pretty common problem. RTV it is!

Thanks a lot!

--Justin

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Re: Where to get 6/1 head gasket
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2020, 03:09:37 AM »

I like to soak the gaskets in "Mop and Glow", let it dry then apply a bead of silicone around the
water passages. Let it set up about an hour ( not fully cured at this piont ) then install and torque
to specs.

Never had one leak yet.

Gary


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cujet

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Re: Where to get 6/1 head gasket
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2020, 03:45:00 PM »
I guess the OP indicates that "Gaskets to Go" is no longer an option for modern style head gaskets?
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38ac

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Re: Where to get 6/1 head gasket
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2020, 06:23:02 PM »
Just bought quite a few 114.5mm  and 120MM bore head gaskets from them last month.  I think then O P was referring to the old cyber store that John's sister ran.
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BruceM

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Re: Where to get 6/1 head gasket
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2020, 09:45:37 PM »
I've had to resort to silicone RTV on a gaskets to go gasket also, on my Metro Listeroid 5 bolt head and cylinder that were hand flattened.  It started weaping out of the water jacket holes after a couple hundred hours.  Fine after RTV.  So I can confirm 38AC's wiser perspective that Rajkot 5 bolt head "innovation" is not an improvement.

The stock Rajkot copper- asbestos- copper gaskets, with asbstos sealed with Permatex Aviation Gasket sealer diluted slightly with alcohol, are the best at staying leak free, so that's what I've got in mine.  With copper gasket spray paint, I've found they are OK to reuse.

Never a head gasket leak on my neighbor's CS 8/1 clone from DES, but it's got no liner, 7 bolts, and is running with reduced compression (0.6 inch shim under cylinder) on propane/spark.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2020, 10:02:43 PM by BruceM »

tubes_rock

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Re: Where to get 6/1 head gasket
« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2020, 12:51:24 AM »
Just bought quite a few 114.5mm  and 120MM bore head gaskets from them last month.  I think then O P was referring to the old cyber store that John's sister ran.
Interesting. I contacted Gaskets to Go directly back in June, and he said he did not have any, and wasn't making any, and that I needed to email his sister to see what she could find. Based on this, I was under the impression that he wasn't making them anymore and that I was stuck with whatever overstock his sister had stashed. I'm relieved to hear that you were able to get some recently. Perhaps I just fell victim to the COVID slump that struck in the spring when nobody was making anything. Whew.

Mop-n-Glo and RTV (and a little pride swallowed in having to resort to RTV) and I'll be leak free from the sounds of it. Thanks for the help!

--Justin

38ac

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Re: Where to get 6/1 head gasket
« Reply #9 on: November 09, 2020, 10:55:26 AM »
Hmmm, I can't explain that either? He still advertises his buisiness at quite a few old engine sites?  I contacted John late in September and ordered 50 headgaskets for CS type 114.4 MM bore and 120mm India clones. He said no problem and 3 weeks they were here.
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