The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Perhaps I should quit while I'm behind?

Yesterday I pulled the car cover back on Christine ('54 Bel-Air) to check the new 235 to see if any rust is forming on the valvetrain while the valvecover is off. I pulled back the towel draped over the head and took a look around. Valvetrain looks great, no signs of rust or anything from sitting up.

However, I see antifreeze seeping between head gasket and block below sparkplugs. I retorqued the head while I was in there, but I have a sinking feeling I know what happened. When I installed the new copper head gasket and head onto the short block, I used that spray copper coat on both sides of the gasket. The first time the gasket contacted the block, the bolt holes didn't line up perfect, but the spray copper coat stuck to the block. So I had to gently peel the head gasket back up and reposition. I may have created a void or something when I repositioned the gasket.

Question- The engine ran fine until the oil pump went. No signs of overheating or coolant in oil, or coolant loss. Can I run this thing like this for awhile, at least long enough to see if the bottom end survived the oil pump failure? Could it possibly stop seeping coolant after more break in time? Or do I have to pull the head and change the friggin head gasket?

I'm starting to really dislike 235s.

help,

chiphead

Chip it is not uncommon to have to retorque a head after a certain amount of time. Is your car sitting in a different or colder spot than where you did the orignal torque setting? Have you noticed any water in the oil or if you take a plug out is the cylinder full of antifreeze? I say leave it and it will likely be okay, unless water is present in the bottom end now.

Chip, why would you use a copper gasket on a street engine?

Why not? I put in the copper and sprayed both sides. I believe I got it from Patrick's. It has sealed perfectly so far.

Try retorquing, my Jeep seeped a bit and the properly torqued bolts had loosened up a lot in the 1st few miles. After this the coolant seems to have stopped.

Oddly, most of those miles were on a trailer, it hasn't run for more than 30 minutes total before needing a retorque. Will check again in a few more miles.

-Boyo

No water in oil or combustion chambers. No water loss or overheating noticed during the 125 miles the engine ran. TonyM is right, the copper clad head gasket comes with Patrick's rebuild kits.

Will also let you guys know what I have to do to get a distributor.

Anybody else wanna chime in?

Chip

Hmmm, I took it to mean you are using a solid copper gasket, do you mean a composition or multi layered gasket?That would be a different story.

hello chiphead. i have read most of your posts and replies about the distributor troubles. you get the award for having the most patience from this gallery! anyways, i had some coolant showing up at the head gasket line on my 235 like yours is , and it turned out to be a small leak at the water pump and the coolant was making a small stream along the gasket line of the head,[the pump bolts were not tight]. i hope your sighting is something this simple. good luck.

On yur kewlant leek, iffen re-torkin the hed duzn't wurk, put in sum uf that powdured stawp leek that kumz in a tewb. As fer yer bawtum end, slap in a nu pump an run her. If she don't nock, yer okay. If yer bawtum nocks, try sum prepurashun H.

Hoap y'all kin reed thiz, I iz stuk in radnek manglish moad.