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Re: [Healeys] head gaskets

To: Bob Spidell <bspidell@comcast.net>, Blue One Hundred <healey.nut@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] head gaskets
From: WILLIAM B LAWRENCE <ynotink@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2015 02:35:40 +0000
Cc: "healeys@autox.team.net" <healeys@autox.team.net>
Delivered-to: mharc@autox.team.net
Delivered-to: healeys@autox.team.net
Importance: Normal
References: <150b4163b4e-1769-8b6a@webprd-m73.mail.aol.com> <SNT149-W31BB8C8746E4801D478FC8A52F0@phx.gbl> <CAFBXTk+3++G8V3OmBAL2W2ZQ9O3cuSrxBrbLwO3qxDBWG86Cow@mail.gmail.com>, <1005871249.2404114.1446214698773.JavaMail.zimbra@comcast.net> FILETIME=[D59F4210:01D11384]
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I was driving the car around town with everything seeming normal and sudden=
ly lost power on one cylinder. When I got home I performed a compression ch=
eck and found very little on #1. as I recall it was less than 20 PSI. I tri=
ed it again with a little oil squirted in the cylinder and got no improveme=
nt. If the compression comes up when the wet test is done it would indicate=
 bad valves. Since it didn't it had to be something wrong with the piston. =
The car always ran on when it was shut down and it had a ping under acceler=
ation. I hadn't paid much attention before=2C but on teardown I started che=
cking things out a little more carefully. I suspect I had several different=
 defects going on at once=2C lean mixture=2C suspect ignition timing and a =
cylinder head cut several times so that I don't have a clue what the real c=
ompression was.
Bill Lawrence=20

Date: Fri=2C 30 Oct 2015 14:18:18 +0000
From: bspidell@comcast.net
To: healey.nut@gmail.com
CC: ynotink@msn.com=3B healeys@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Healeys] head gaskets

Bill (side topic)=2C

How did you know you had a burned piston=3B i.e. what were the symptoms?

TIA=2C
Bob


From: "Alan Seigrist" <healey.nut@gmail.com>
To: "WILLIAM B LAWRENCE" <ynotink@msn.com>
Cc: "healeys" <healeys@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday=2C October 30=2C 2015 1:31:21 AM
Subject: Re: [Healeys] head gaskets

If you are worried about galvanic corrosion=2C copper gaskets are far worse=
 for aluminum than steel!
Yeah=2C if you can get MLS gaskets for our cars now (I didn't know you coul=
d)=2C use it for sure!!!

On Fri=2C Oct 30=2C 2015 at 11:09 AM=2C WILLIAM B LAWRENCE <ynotink@msn.com=
> wrote:
=0A=
=0A=
=0A=


Gary=2C
I've had a chronic problem keeping head gaskets in my 2660. A standard gask=
et would last a couple months before it burned in two between #2 and #3 cyl=
inders. I bought a solid copper gasket and it solved the burn through probl=
em=2C but it was impossible to seal the oil and water passages so I've long=
 had massive oil leaks and oil contaminating the coolant. I've tried o-ring=
ing the oil and water passages which helped somewhat but didn't last. I rec=
ently experienced a burned piston and so am rebuilding the engine. (I drove=
 it  as long as I could before pulling the engine.) The machinist who mille=
d the top of the block said that it resembled a ski jump. The block was low=
 on one corner and he had to take 0.012" off of it to make it flat. That ex=
plains a lot. It also displayed very poor workmanship by the last machine s=
hop having a very heavy and irregular tool pattern that militated against g=
asket sealing.=20
In researching theoretical fixes for head gasket problems I took to the int=
ernet and read up on the new technology which is the MLS gasket. Multi Laye=
r Steel gaskets consist of three layers of steel with their outer faces coa=
ted with a resilient teflon layer that is the actual sealing medium. The th=
ree layers of steel can slide over each other to a certain extent allowing =
the head and block to expand differentially in relation to one another with=
out stressing or damaging the gasket. The resilient layer seals and fills u=
nevenness in the mating surfaces. in order to work the mating surfaces have=
 to be machined very smooth (to a maximum roughness average (RA) of 60). Fo=
rtunately that is the standard for most engines these days anyway and is ea=
sily done. I'm in the middle of the rebuild now and I've purchased an MLS g=
asket from Denis Welch Motorsport. They claim it solves the gasket leakage =
problems that are so common on the 4 cylinder and it can be reused twice in=
 most cases. With a smooth flat engine block=2C a modern high tech gasket a=
nd a good rebuilt cylinder head (Needs a crack repair of course.) I'm hopin=
g to see a lot of miles disappearing in my rear view mirrors again soon. An=
d maybe even gain a little control my oil consumption.
Bill Lawrence
Date: Thu=2C 29 Oct 2015 10:52:47 -0400
From: warthodson@aol.com
To: healeys@autox.team.net
Subject: [Healeys] head gaskets

=0A=
I thought I could get a good argument started on the subject of head gasket=
s. AH Spares recently announced that they are offering multi-layered all st=
eel head gaskets for Healeys. Suitable for both competition & street engine=
s and aluminum heads to cast iron or aluminum blocks. Presumably=2C also ca=
st iron heads=2C but the ad did not state that.=0A=
=0A=
I know they are not alone in offering improved head gaskets.=0A=
=0A=
Being a cynic=2C I have to wonder if steel gaskets are really better that c=
opper gaskets or are they just cheaper to manufacture? =0A=
=0A=
Being an engineer=2C I have to wonder if a steel gasket is really a good ch=
oice for an aluminum head=2C especially in the sealing ring area around the=
 cylinders?=0A=
=0A=
Gary Hodson=0A=



                                          =

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<body class=3D'hmmessage'><div dir=3D'ltr'>I was driving the car around tow=
n with everything seeming normal and suddenly lost power on one cylinder. W=
hen I got home I performed a compression check and found very little on #1.=
 as I recall it was less than 20 PSI. I tried it again with a little oil sq=
uirted in the cylinder and got no improvement. If the compression comes up =
when the wet test is done it would indicate bad valves. Since it didn't it =
had to be something wrong with the piston. The car always ran on when it wa=
s shut down and it had a ping under acceleration. I hadn't paid much attent=
ion before=2C but on teardown I started checking things out a little more c=
arefully. I suspect I had several different defects going on at once=2C lea=
n mixture=2C suspect ignition timing and a cylinder head cut several times =
so that I don't have a clue what the real compression was.<div><br></div><d=
iv>Bill Lawrence&nbsp=3B<br><br><div><hr id=3D"stopSpelling">Date: Fri=2C 3=
0 Oct 2015 14:18:18 +0000<br>From: bspidell@comcast.net<br>To: healey.nut@g=
mail.com<br>CC: ynotink@msn.com=3B healeys@autox.team.net<br>Subject: Re: [=
Healeys] head gaskets<br><br><div style=3D"font-family:Arial=3Bfont-size:12=
pt=3Bcolor:#000000=3B"><div>Bill (side topic)=2C<br></div><div><br></div><d=
iv>How did you know you had a burned piston=3B i.e. what were the symptoms?=
<br></div><div><br></div><div>TIA=2C<br></div><div>Bob<br></div><div><br></=
div><div><br></div><hr id=3D"ecxzwchr"><div style=3D"color:#000=3Bfont-weig=
ht:normal=3Bfont-style:normal=3Btext-decoration:none=3Bfont-family:Helvetic=
a=2CArial=2Csans-serif=3Bfont-size:12pt=3B"><b>From: </b>"Alan Seigrist" &l=
t=3Bhealey.nut@gmail.com&gt=3B<br><b>To: </b>"WILLIAM B LAWRENCE" &lt=3Byno=
tink@msn.com&gt=3B<br><b>Cc: </b>"healeys" &lt=3Bhealeys@autox.team.net&gt=
=3B<br><b>Sent: </b>Friday=2C October 30=2C 2015 1:31:21 AM<br><b>Subject: =
</b>Re: [Healeys] head gaskets<br><div><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">If you ar=
e worried about galvanic corrosion=2C copper gaskets are far worse for alum=
inum than steel!<div><br></div><div>Yeah=2C if you can get MLS gaskets for =
our cars now (I didn't know you could)=2C use it for sure!!!</div><div><br>=
</div></div><div class=3D"ecxgmail_extra"><br><div class=3D"ecxgmail_quote"=
>On Fri=2C Oct 30=2C 2015 at 11:09 AM=2C WILLIAM B LAWRENCE <span dir=3D"lt=
r">&lt=3B<a href=3D"mailto:ynotink@msn.com"; target=3D"_blank">ynotink@msn.c=
om</a>&gt=3B</span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"ecxgmail_quote" style=3D=
"border-left:1px #ccc solid=3Bpadding-left:1ex=3B">=0A=
=0A=
=0A=
<div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><div><br></div><div>Gary=2C</div><div><br></div><=
div>I've had a chronic problem keeping head gaskets in my 2660. A standard =
gasket would last a couple months before it burned in two between #2 and #3=
 cylinders. I bought a solid copper gasket and it solved the burn through p=
roblem=2C but it was impossible to seal the oil and water passages so I've =
long had massive oil leaks and oil contaminating the coolant. I've tried o-=
ringing the oil and water passages which helped somewhat but didn't last. I=
 recently experienced a burned piston and so am rebuilding the engine. (I d=
rove it &nbsp=3Bas long as I could before pulling the engine.) The machinis=
t who milled the top of the block said that it resembled a ski jump. The bl=
ock was low on one corner and he had to take 0.012" off of it to make it fl=
at. That explains a lot. It also displayed very poor workmanship by the las=
t machine shop having a very heavy and irregular tool pattern that militate=
d against gasket sealing.&nbsp=3B</div><div><br></div><div>In researching t=
heoretical fixes for head gasket problems I took to the internet and read u=
p on the new technology which is the MLS gasket. Multi Layer Steel gaskets =
consist of three layers of steel with their outer faces coated with a resil=
ient teflon layer that is the actual sealing medium. The three layers of st=
eel can slide over each other to a certain extent allowing the head and blo=
ck to expand differentially in relation to one another without stressing or=
 damaging the gasket. The resilient layer seals and fills unevenness in the=
 mating surfaces. in order to work the mating surfaces have to be machined =
very smooth (to a maximum roughness average (RA) of 60). Fortunately that i=
s the standard for most engines these days anyway and is easily done. I'm i=
n the middle of the rebuild now and I've purchased an MLS gasket from Denis=
 Welch Motorsport. They claim it solves the gasket leakage problems that ar=
e so common on the 4 cylinder and it can be reused twice in most cases. Wit=
h a smooth flat engine block=2C a modern high tech gasket and a good rebuil=
t cylinder head (Needs a crack repair of course.) I'm hoping to see a lot o=
f miles disappearing in my rear view mirrors again soon. And maybe even gai=
n a little control my oil consumption.</div><div><br></div><div>Bill Lawren=
ce</div><div><br></div><div>Date: Thu=2C 29 Oct 2015 10:52:47 -0400<br>From=
: <a href=3D"mailto:warthodson@aol.com"; target=3D"_blank">warthodson@aol.co=
m</a><br>To: <a href=3D"mailto:healeys@autox.team.net"; target=3D"_blank">he=
aleys@autox.team.net</a><br>Subject: [Healeys] head gaskets<br><div><br></d=
iv><span style=3D"color:black=3Bfont-family:arial=3Bfont-size:small=3B" dat=
a-mce-style=3D"color: black=3B font-family: arial=3B font-size: small=3B">=
=0A=
<div><span style=3D"background-color:transparent=3Bfont-family:Arial=2CHelv=
etica=2Csans-serif=3B" data-mce-style=3D"background-color: transparent=3B f=
ont-family: Arial=2CHelvetica=2Csans-serif=3B">I thought I could get a good=
 argument started on the subject of head gaskets. AH Spares recently announ=
ced that they are offering multi-layered all steel head gaskets for Healeys=
. Suitable for both competition &amp=3B street engines and aluminum heads t=
o cast iron or aluminum blocks. Presumably=2C also cast iron heads=2C but t=
he ad did not state that.</span></div>=0A=
=0A=
<div>I know they are not alone in offering improved head gaskets.</div>=0A=
=0A=
<div>Being a cynic=2C I have to wonder if&nbsp=3Bsteel gaskets are really b=
etter that copper gaskets or are they just cheaper to manufacture?&nbsp=3B<=
/div>=0A=
=0A=
<div>Being an engineer=2C I have to wonder if a steel gasket is really a go=
od choice for an aluminum head=2C especially in the sealing ring area aroun=
d the cylinders?</div>=0A=
=0A=
<div>Gary Hodson</div>=0A=
</span><br></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div><div><br></div></div>=
<div><br></div></div></div></div>                                         
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