Working out a head gasket failure

[Andy Bennett]

Following on from my 'what have you done' post where we were trailered home following what I suspected was a head gasket failure, here's what happened next. Appreciate it is an old story for most experienced hands but I am pleased to have (hopefully) discovered the cause and it might be interesting for some as such failures are usually spoken about in relation to the condition of the block, either surface or cracks etc.

The head gasket last failled only 3000 miles ago, albeit it was 6 years ago as, due to a house move and 2 1/2 years of restorations where I have had to learn how to plaster, install stairs, kitrchens etc I haven't had much time for jaunts, the old girl was also sitting about 300 miles away from me for much of the time.

Anyway, head off this morning and as you can see the gasket had blown straight between 2 and 3.

   


A clean up and the block seemed to me to be relatively OK. No cracks, damage etc.

   

A close look at the head and you can see that the witness marks from the edge of the gasket are missing from the area where the gasket failed.

   

Then a bright light and a steel ruler revealed daylight from a depression in the head.

   

Luckily I have a nice ground head bought a few years back from the much missed Dave Orange.

   

Tomorrow it all goes back together.

So, any suggestions for someone I could send the failed head to for a skim, ideally North East?

Thanks
Andy

[Reckless Rat]

Lucky it's the head and not the block - a lot easier to sort. Any decent motor engineer with a surface grinder should be able to rectify it.

[Tony Griffiths]

The ground low-comp head looks to have had a decent amount taken off. Probably first with a fly cutter and then ground. Decades ago I milled a head with a large endmill using a very slow feed. The resulting finish looked to be excellent and I used it successfully on the car "as was".

[Chris KC]

If you're the patient type you can lap a few thou out on a surface plate.

[Andy Bennett]

Thanks all. I would like to find someone to clean it up for me if I can and Reckers if only it were that simple. Motor engineers are getting like the village blacksmith, retired, closed and converted into Air B&Bs.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

If you cannot find anyone more local to do this, I am happy to help, Andy.

Info@albaaustins.co.uk

[Steve kay]

After breakfast I will take a Ford 8hp head to Our Mikey for a skim. Sadly Brynmawr is not even faintly in North Wales, let alone North East England. Engineers are not exactly extinct, there must be three or four within twenty five miles of me. They just have to be unearthed, one brilliant lad with a magnificent CAD/CAM workshop in the corner of a very muddy farm yard says he has never had to advertise, he’s always busy. Another one may be a Trappist monk as well as a good engineer, he never answers the phone. Giving him a job or finding out if it is finished requires turning up and knocking on his door.

[Andy Bennett]

Thanks again all. I have just had a lead for someone local might be good for it. I will investigate and might well come back to you Ruairidh if doesn't pan out.
What we do still have here is a real throwback local garage. Only problem is he is as likely to be at the race track with his son as at the garage. Last week I turned up for an MOT and all was closed, phone call later and it turned out his son had booked a track test day so off he went. His paper booking diary was in the garage so he couldn't call the days bookings to cancel them. But we all know trhis so make sure we leave plenty of time to rebook just in case.
Andy

[Chris KC]

Andy, be sure and tell them to remove as little metal as possible - just enough to rectify flatness and no more. If they are half-competent they should be able to measure the depth of the depression and get it more or less right first time.

[Jeff Taylor]

Hi Andy,

Although I haven't used them myself, I've had good reports on the high quality of work carried out by the family run business 'Engine Services Motor Factors Ltd' of Dunston, Tyne and Wear - they're more or less between the Metrocentre Railway Station and the River Tyne but a short distance eastwards along the A1114 towards Gateshead. This recommendation was from an old friend of mine and former rally driver who has spent his entire working career in the motor trade.

https://www.google.com/search?client=saf...8&oe=UTF-8

Jeff.