Head gasket is blown

641Dave · Mar 29, 2012

Between 2 and 3.

Valves look alright though.

So, now what?

Mike (WA) · Mar 29, 2012

Scrape everything down good, buff the surfaces up a little with steel wool, put on new head gasket, replace head, go bale some hay.

Some will say mic the head, mill it .005, etc., but in all liklihood, the head gasket just got old and a little too hot once too often, and the new one will last you another 20 years. Best not to overthink these things. Its a tractor, not a rocket booster.

OK, B & D, where have I gone wrong here? Besides not quadruple posting, for emphasis. . .

RayP(MI) · Mar 29, 2012

Uh, yup, it looks blown. I would be looking very carefully at head, and block to see if either or both needs to be resurfaced before I"d throw a new gasket in and bolt it back together.

641Dave · Mar 29, 2012

Alight then, let me get things cleaned up and looked at and we'll go from there. (notice the "we'll")

...and thanks fellas.

rrlund · Mar 29, 2012

At the very least,after you get it cleaned up,lay a straight edge across it amd see if it has any obvious warp in it. Just a big steel square like you use for woodworking is enough.

donjr · Mar 29, 2012

Just use a good straight edge and look at the head and block after you get them cleaned down good. And make sure you torque down the bolts in the sequence recommended, Then, run the engine for a while, and re-torque the bolts again.

Janicholson · Mar 29, 2012

Use a .003" feeler gauge under the straight edge to
check for flat. From end to end, .006 is OK in a
12" span .003 Jim

john in la · Mar 29, 2012

For that Ford head it is .005 over the entire head or .003 in any 5 inch span.

BCnT · Mar 29, 2012

all i can add to advice already given is screw plugs back in and fill combustion chambers with gas...see if any of them leak down faster than the others.
also i use a good sharp putty knife to get gasket residue off...wire wheels and such just burnish the trash and make it look clean.

RBnSC · Mar 30, 2012

If it were mine I would have it cut .050 and pick up some compression. Then again I would port and polish it and put a sporty valve job on it. But that's just me.
Ron

buickanddeere · Mar 30, 2012

Can't see how a quad posed caused you so much pain. I'm trying to thumb type on a weenie little iPhone screen and sometimes miss or dupplicate . Did the gasket fail due to corrosion from old coolant? Detonation ? Or did somebody miss torquing evenly years ago? Certainly one would be daft to not use a straight edge and check for warping. I've also seen a few heads and blocks that somebody swore we're scrapped clean down to the metal. Some more scratching proved the "dark stain" was still several thou More of old gasket. Do you want somebody to say "it's probably good enough to do" in a hospital, public transportation or on a nuclear reactor?

641Dave · Mar 30, 2012

I don't know why it failed. When I got a stick through my radiator it got hot, but I watched it creep to the hot side and shut her down.

I was working the he!! out of her though and ran her a few days box blading my pond in 100°+ temps. That in itself pretty much kept her and me in on the hot side. Those were the days I had a bucket of ice water and towel to throw over myself and took breaks when my hands wouldn't let go of the steering wheel.

So yeah, I'm pretty sure this is all on me by mistreating her in the heat.

I'll get back to working on her Monday night, I got to head down and get stuff done at the new place that doesn't require the tractor. ...also meeting a fella about fabricating a steel building with me. I think I found someone that will let me do what I can and him do what I can't. Going to make a home for the 641!

Guys, I much appreciate your help!

By the way, I'm going to go ahead and order a headgasket. I'm thinking I probably need a new manifold gasket, water pump and thermostat gasket as well?

rrlund · Mar 30, 2012

If you order a "head gasket set" it should have all of those in it.

old · Mar 30, 2012

All it takes to blow head gasket it get one a little to hot for a little to long and yep they will in fact blow. Had it happen on my 841 many years ago. replace the head gasket and it has been fine ever since it is just one of those things and as long as the head is not warped you should be fine

Head gasket is blown

641Dave

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Mike (WA)

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RayP(MI)

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641Dave

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rrlund

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donjr

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Janicholson

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john in la

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BCnT

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RBnSC

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buickanddeere

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641Dave

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rrlund

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old

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