Torque Settings On Head Bolts/head Gasket Issues

[XRDRIFT]

Hi guys, been away from the forums for many months due to my BA XR6T being a real bitch. Anyways, last5 October my car over heated sitting in traffic, and bye byes went the head gasket.

I pulled the head off and also found the bores had a hairline crack in number 1 and 6 cylinders 370+rwks will do that

I ended up getting another short engine and completely rebuilt it, new rings, bearings seals, gearbox was rebuilt back to standard as the dogbox had worn out (case hardening was wearing away and gears started to pit real bad) head was serviced and just got the engine and car runing as of this Saturday that just past.....

Here lies my problem

1: Ford manual says the head bolt torque settings is 40nm plus 90 degrees - Is there an actual overall unit of measurement for the bolts

2: The head gasket I used was very different to the one that was on the engines, old engine and the one I brought to rebuild. The water jacket holes

are smaller (approx a 1/4' hole) and the 2 front water jacket holes are blocked.

I went to Ford and asked for a genuine one and it was the same as my aftermarket one. Did Ford change the head gasket design for

cooling/heating reasons?

3: I started the car with just oil in it to make sure the head gasket would bond to the head and block, left it running till it got to 1/4 temp turned

car off let it cool down and repeated it. I put genuine Ford coolant in it and water to Factory specs and here in lies my problems....

Car runs fine like a dream, quite proud of my efforts considering I'm no mechanic, but once the car heats up, theres a slight mist in the head, you can see it when you remove the oil cap. It didnt do it at first but its doing it now. I've removed the rocker cover and theres a slight bit of that 'milky' finish on the inside of the rocker cover but not on the cams/cam caps or head, the engine oil itself is clean as well.

I have no idea why its doing it, did I incorrectly tighten the head bolts to the correct torque settings, is this head gasket an issue due to its different design than the original one (both GENUINE and AFTERMARKET metal head gaskets were identical) with some water jacket holes blocked. I dont want to pull the head off again as just getting the Turbo off itself was an immense task, stupid nut locations and that dumb ass bracket :smilecouncil:

I know this is a long post but want to be thorough to get all info and feedback.

Any help on the situation would be great, as the car is back appart, with the rocker cover off ready for the innevitable

Edited 04/02/09 08:16 AM by XRDRIFT

[ZAP]

The mist can be just slight blowby and is not a major issue, but the milky oli means water.

This might sound dumb, but did you put the headgasket the right way around ?

Also you need to torque the bolts int he right pattern. I have not been a mechanic for many years, but you generally started in the middle and worked your way out to the ends.

It is not normall for a headgasket to block holes, there is normally a problem then.

I do not have any suggestions aside from a compression test or headgasket dye check to see if it is blown.

[XRDRIFT]

Yeah, I did go from centre to outwards as per Ford repair manual, I have the manual on CD I plan to drain the water and put some cheap oil in, and restart the car and go from there. I highly dount the gasket would blow especially a new one.

If all else fails, will get a new head gasket but will speak with Spiro at Autotech and see what/where he gets he's gaskets from before I start spending more dosh. And find out what procedure his mechanics use.

[Guest EGOXRT]

Did you clean the rocker cover with degreaser and water?

[XRDRIFT]

Yeah I did, but that was last year. The engine was assembled ovewr Christmas and blow dried with an air gun, before it got put back together. All components didnt get assembled as I received them as I was waiting on parts from here and there. So I degreased as I go tthem and put them aside until I had everything for the motor.

The engine was bone dry when assembled. Im thinking due to the head gasket being a full metal kind, I might have needed to use a sealant or copper spray to bond the surfaces like most fibrous ones have.

Just a pain to see it sitting in garage all fixed up, all 370rwkws and cant use it!!!!

[Mike XR6T]

torque to yeild head bolts as the coons have are tightened by normally 3 step ups in torque then a final degree mesurement

most r like that due to inconsistencys in metal quality

in your caSE I would have done head bolts up finger tight then 20nm then 40nm the 45 degress then the final 45 degrees. u may find the head gasket has lifted at one end- to a cooling system pressure test and leave it for an hr then try start it and if it locks up u know the head gasket didnt seal. also make sure the head and block are perfectly flat(the blocks csan warp) and that the surafce was 100% claen.

and do up the head bolts in the following order

FRONT 8 4 1 5 9

FRONT 7 3 2 6 10

good luck bud

Edited 04/02/09 10:10 AM by Mike XR6T

[XRDRIFT]

Thnx Mike, will do. Will chase after this head gasket first and see if its okay that the design is different, also if the I can re use the head gasket as its barely been used, not fussed either way, I have a feeling the head will need to come off again.

[Mike XR6T]

me to dude:(

lots of head gaskets I have done have been differant to standard( due to improvements etc)

but u should still check!!!

if a sealent needs to be used it normally specifys clearly on the packet so be carefull using a sealer when not required is not a good thing

hope it all turns out to be something stupid and is sorted easily,

however your an expert now so what the hey

[XRDRIFT]

Lolz, yeah, Its not the first engine I've built, I did build few years back a 1.5litre Toyota engine for my Corolla, 1983 model, had twin 40mm DCOE webers, big cam high comp pistons yada yada, had 107hp at wheels and revved to 15k rpm, not bad for a push rod engine.

But this Ford engine is just shytn me me to be honest, I cant see anything I have done wrong and this happens, and your prob right, its prbably something small but a pain in the ass to fix. And the Engine kit did specify not to use a sealent unless specified by the Car maker manufacturer so I gather your right. But will check either way, Some ppl do things even if it isnt specified as a precaution and hasnt done any harm, but will check none the less.

Cars out of rego anyways so no rush, will cancel the rego and get a full blue slip for it. Checked over the Ford manual and got the run down on the pressure test for both Crank case and water systems.

Edited 04/02/09 10:40 AM by XRDRIFT

[Ralph Wiggum]

how hot do you think it got when you ran it up to 1/4 on the gauge with no coolant in it?