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+--- Thread: Headaches (/showthread.php?tid=291)
Headaches - Steve Berg - 01-10-2017
Oh dear! Whilie running the engine on my Nippy I recently noticed traces of black oil coming up past the centre cylinder head stud accompanied by occasional bubbles. So "off with its head" and go for a decoke, the first for 10 years and 3000 miles most of which were to Beaulieu and back in 2012. It certainly needed that; I've never seen such a roasted gasket before! All was cleaned up nicely with my grandson's enthusiastic help and the valves reground and fitted. Then when it came to re-fitting the head, an original 9E Nippy head, I noticed it was cracked! All the way across the top of the casting from the sparking pliug hole, round the edge and partially along the flat surface over cylinder No. 2. Ripe expletives!
So, while sorting out what to do about this - repair with metal stiching? new head? - I decided to fit the Supalloy head that the Nippy originally had when I obtained it in 1968. This went without a hitch - nice layer of grease on the HC gasket, cool the head in the freezer and fit it while cold, run the engine. Perfect! Then fill with cooling water and run engine again. Perfect again! Lovely smell as the excess gasket grease that had squeezed into the cylinders burned off!
A couple of days later the car would not start, it seemed almost like a kick-back as if the ignition were far too far advanced. A bit of investigation showed that water was leaking into the cylinders, particularly 1,2 and 3 and to a lesser degree No. 4 as well. Of course some water also got into the sump! What mystifies me is that the gasket should have been so very leaky. From "reading" the gasket it appears that the water may have been emerging from the central water passage, next to the central head stud since this passage in the Supalloy head is not concentric with the passage in the gasket and, in addition, is slightly corroded on one side. The surface area of the gasket that should seal this area is very small. I am also wondering whether I applied too much grease to the gasket and that the thick grease layer could be burned away from the cylinder(s) to the water passage(es) thus forming an escape for the water. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
What I also noticed while examining all this is that neither a low compression nor a high compression gasket really fits either cylinder head properly. The LC gasket has more "meat", covers the sealing head surfaces better but also overlaps the edges and the head side of the gasket is exposed to the gases in the cylinders. I think I may have originally used LC gaskets with the supalloy head when I first had the car since I still have one of those non-copper (fibre?) LC gaskets and I do recall that this type of gasket was the only one that ever "blew" back in the 70s. All things considered it seems to me that the HC gasket is the most appropriate though two sources have advised me to fit an LC-shaped gasket.
In all this I should mention that I have not checked how flat the heads are - that would now be only relevant for the Supalloy head.
In the meanwhile I see that new 9E heads are available from Seven County Austins - maybe that's the way to go!
I'd really appreciate any remarks and ideas about this business. Thank you everyone for your help!
Best wishes
Steve
RE: Headaches - Ruairidh Dunford - 01-10-2017
Sorry to hear your story!
Someone is producing the special gaskets for 9E heads - Ian Williams perhaps?
RE: Headaches - Ian Williams - 01-10-2017
It was me but I am afraid all have been sold now, I could get another batch but there would need to be enough orders. It seems quite common for modern gaskets to leak water when first fitted, this is not something I recall being such a problem in the past, perhaps something to do with the material used in place of Asbestos not compressing as readily.
RE: Headaches - Austin in the Shed - 01-10-2017
David Cochrane has them I believe
RE: Headaches - "Slack Alice" Simon - 02-10-2017
"It seems common for new gaskets to leak water...."
I fitted a new gasket recently, and had a water leak into No.2 cylinder.
Until now I have always used my Dad's method: "As hard as you can pull on a 3" length of spanner equals 15 foot pounds", but I went out and bought a cheapie torque wrench.
This told me I was only putting between 10 and 15 on the head studs, taking them up to 20 has cured the leak.
Simon
RE: Headaches - Chris KC - 02-10-2017
Can't help with the gasket but I'd suggest well worth checking the ally head is flat. Also after first engine run I always drain coolant and wait till cold then re-torque the head nuts (following correct sequence). Not teaching to suck eggs Steve just thinking of newer readers.
RE: Headaches - Steve Berg - 02-10-2017
(02-10-2017, 10:15 AM)Chris KC Wrote: Can't help with the gasket but I'd suggest well worth checking the ally head is flat. Also after first engine run I always drain coolant and wait till cold then re-torque the head nuts (following correct sequence). Not teaching to suck eggs Steve just thinking of newer readers.
Thanks, Chris, for the tipp about draining coolant after the first run and re-torqueing the head nuts. I was going to re-torque when cold after running the engine a bit more but was caught out! No problem about sucking eggs
, I maybe an old dog but I'm always ready to learn new tricks 
As for the ally head - yes, I will get it checked and also see whether the corroded water passage can be repaired (filled) so that there is more "meat" for the gasket to bear against.
(01-10-2017, 08:36 PM)Austin in the Shed Wrote: David Cochrane has them I believe
Yes, those will be the ones for Ricardo head. I'll try one of those.
(01-10-2017, 08:27 PM)Ian Williams Wrote: It was me but I am afraid all have been sold now, I could get another batch but there would need to be enough orders. It seems quite common for modern gaskets to leak water when first fitted, this is not something I recall being such a problem in the past, perhaps something to do with the material used in place of Asbestos not compressing as readily.I'd be interested, Ian. Do your gaskets compüress better?
RE: Headaches - Chris KC - 02-10-2017
I have in the past plugged and re-drilled coolant holes in a head, just be very sure you don't distort it in the process - in any case you'd do well to lightly skim the gasket face afterwards.
RE: Headaches - Colin Reed - 02-10-2017
Hi Steve. I would also check the Block for being flat and no cracks and any corrosion on water jacket holes as the gasket seals between two faces not just the head,
Torque the head down in 5lb increments until you get to the required setting
RE: Headaches - Steve Berg - 03-10-2017
(02-10-2017, 08:11 PM)Colin Reed Wrote: Hi Steve. I would also check the Block for being flat and no cracks and any corrosion on water jacket holes as the gasket seals between two faces not just the head,Thanks Colin.
Torque the head down in 5lb increments until you get to the required setting
I am aware of a small crack between the central stud and its ajacent water jacket hole and also a short crack propagation from the hole in the direction of the valves. I was hoping this would not be too much of a gamble and that the head gasket would seal these. The alternative would be a new block, cylinders, pistons ............. There is a crack above the side water manifold but this has given no trouble so far.
I'll check again for corrosion and flatness.
At the moment I'm rather loath to removing the engine from the chassis and dismantling it further but maybe I should bite the bullet and give myself a good project for the winter months.