Farmall A Head gasket leaking

Bmiller12345678 · Feb 5, 2018

Guys,

Put a new head gasket on a with a super a motor. I torqued to
65 ft/lbs. before I started I filled with oil and when I added
water, it started leaking out the distributor side.

I pulled the head and noticed that the new sleeves were ever
so slightly higher than the top of the block.

Should I try another gasket and torque to 80 ft/lbs or try to
shave the tops of the liners down?

I made sure top of block grooves were clean.

Thanks

Bob · Feb 5, 2018

Sleeves ALWAYS have some "standout" to compress the "fire ring" in the gasket and make a tight seal, and the last thing you want to do is to hack that off!

It shouldn't be excessive, unless you didn't clean up the "step" where the flange at the top of the sleeve seats well enough.

Also, there's a revised (higher) torque "spec" which I don't know, offhand.

Bottom line is ASSUMING sleeve counterbores were cleaned up well, simply tightening the head down a bit more, then re-torquing after a run/warmup would have likely stopped the leak.

Also, if a laminated metal-faced head gasket I would have sprayed both sides with a couple of applications of CopperKote or cheap dollar-store aluminum paint before assembly.

khouse6 · Feb 6, 2018

why was the gasket replaced? leaking? etc? did you have the head checked for warp? was head shaved?

Red Dave · Feb 6, 2018

Do everything Bob says below, plus why did you only go to 65 ft/lbs?
Modern gaskets require 80 ft/lbs of torque on the head bolts. Make sure that you bring the torque up in several steps, then do the final torque starting in the center, working out to the ends of the head.

Start it, get it warmed up and run it a while, then do the head retorque and check the final valve adjustment.

I would not be too worried about a little bit of seepage until after the warm up and retorque.

rustred · Feb 6, 2018

you did not torque to spec .old gasket will be fine if not damaged. listen to bob.

C.Amick · Feb 8, 2018

I would be tempted to spray it with some of this before I put it back on, see link.
Copper Spray

Michael hicks · Feb 8, 2018

My Dad and I recently ran into the same problem with a Farmall 100 we were rebuilding. We used a kit with new sleeves and pistons plus the gasket set that came with it. We did everything listed above and the head gasket leaked like a sieve. Even warmed engine up a couple times. Probably over torqued the gasket by the time we were done. Took it apart and could not see anything wrong. I did not really like the gasket so I talked my Dad into ordering one from Case-Ih. It was thicker. Put it on, no more leak. Period.

Farmall A Head gasket leaking

Bmiller12345678

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Bob

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khouse6

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Red Dave

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rustred

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C.Amick

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Michael hicks

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