504 head retorque

gpurrs

Member
I went ahead with the 504 swap into my 1270. Did a complete overhaul as it had a bad crank. Used a Reliance overhaul kit. Runs great but all three head gaskets leak. I didn't retorque after I ran it like the book says. Local long time case mechanic says they usually don't. Got about 30 hours on it. Don't know if it's leaking because of torque or low quality gasket. What's the chance of retorque now sealing it. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.
 
I've had nothing but bad luck with
reliance lately. It was once a great
resource for engine parts, what once
was reliance has been gobbled up and is
making inferior parts.
 
Didnt really have the propper tool to check protrusion. Used a straight edge and feeler guage. seemed to be within spec.Zero to .006 I think.Its not bad enough to drip on the floor but it did make a mess down both sides of the block in 30 hours.
 
Retorque will not cure the issue unless bolts are truly loose. I know the book mentions to retorque and is a good practice but truthfully most of the time it does not get
done and yet results are normally good. It is hard to say what is at fault in your case without being able to check everything out. I will say on the 504's I refuse to
use any head gasket except the Victor brand supplied by CASE or Federal Mogul, I believe now labeled FP Diesel. I have thrown some of those new head gaskets away that
are supplied with overhaul kits out there. Rod.
 
Sleeve protrusion is very important. I play musical chairs with the sleeves, moving them from hole to hole & checking protrusion. Even though the manual says flush is acceptable, it is not for me. .002" is my minimum. Also, I would never have a .002" & .006" under 1 head. .002" is the most difference I want under 1 head. Just me. And I always re-torque the way CASE says: after initial warm up, starting with the pattern, back off 1/4 turn & come back up to torque. Then move to #2 bolt, repeat & ect. Many steps go into a successful overhaul, head bolts should be wire brushed & lightly oiled, the top of the block needs to be clean. More time is spent in preparation than assembly.
 

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