Forum

[PeteF]

Well simon,


My thinking is that lifting the head isn't something you do every day so why not spend the extra half hour or so and check the valves?


If you are an experianced mechanic you might be able to guess 24ftlbs on a ring spanner but I certainly couldn't.


Evenness is not as important as exact poundage - sorry, it's just not.


Not enough torque = leaks. Too much torque = stripped threads. Those head studs are only into alloy and pretty crap alloy at that.


Not that I use a torque wrench all the time but in this case I do.


Just my opinion - other opinions are available.

[PeteF]

I've just checked, Hitchcocks reccomend 22 ftlbs on the head nuts.

[Alan R]

Hello Shipmate Navylark !!!! Ex-Engineroom Tiffy hailing.     ---Did basic Nuclear course at Faslane then spent most of my time on the old "Ton" class sweepers,(Typical Pusser's "Draughty") some on"Leanders" and a "Tribal"  PLUS----- Reserves activity in Germany and finally as ME Instructor for the local Sea Cadets. These Bullets are easy enough aren't they?? The other lads have covered most of what you need to know. Question }----What type of gasket was fitted (Copper or composite ??) & Why did the gasket blow in the first place ??  Before final assembly, with the head and barrel cleaned, place the head onto the barrel and using some feeler gauges check the small gap between the head and barrel and make a note. If there is no gap at all that's OK.  Now measure the thickness of the new (?) gasket. You need the gasket to be thicker than the gap ----- the difference being the amount that the gasket will be compressed by before the lip on the barrel makes contact with the cyl head. I tend to look for at least  25 to 30 thou min. (Same gap as your spark plug). Welseal needs to be applied on both mating surfaces and left for 5 mins before assembly. Really clean out the exhaust port whilst you can then try white bathroom silicone as a sealant between head and exhaust pipe----- any leaks here will give annoying back-fire's on the overrun. Finally, don't forget to re-torque the head after the initial run AND re-check those tappet settings.  Heave-ho me hearty !!

[Gwilly]

Plus one with Alan (old bird) its vital that the head will sit low enough on the barrel to properly compress the gasket, especially if using copper type. Is composite gasket much thicker? never seen one. regards gwilly.

[Alan R]

Hello again Gwilli, (don't you know ??) Dashed shame this gasket jobby, eh--wot, wot. Chappie is one of Her Brittanic Majesty's all-at sea crowd and, damm-it-all man deserves our  efforts. So, wot-say we give the blighter our very best ?? Weigh anchor !!----"5 tons, sir" (good man !!), Check the mizzen mast ------ "it's gone alright"  A free run ashore with "Pompey Lil" ---- "Jesus H "  Hey, Navylark--does she still haunt Nelson barracks after pipe-down ?? Cor !! Luverlee.   This isn't getting your gasket done but might give you a chuckle or two when you have just stripped that last thread. Do they still have "Snottys" on board ?? A "Dartmouth darling".  Back in the day ( oh gawd--'es orfrt agayn ) after the tot (grog issue) it was quite common to see the Engine Room duty  watch, when standing-to, swaying gently back and forth-------Problem was, we were still tied up alongside Har-Har-Har !!  Oops--here come "rounds"------ leets oot ,peep doon.

[Norm]

 Just to throw something in here while talking about heads. Fitting our hosts barrel studs is a really good thing to consider particularly if you consider torquing down to 24 lbs, to me thats too much on the ally but thats what they recomend. The Hitchcocks studs have a square end and as I found out last weekend with a barrel and head that were stuck really hard, I was able to screw the studs out and this then allowed me to lift the barrel and head off together so I could work on separating them up on the bench.

[Alan R]

Ahh---shiver me timbers, Navylark. Our Norm means the Cylinder Heads, not the Navy Heads ( For our civillian clientele' that's the John, the dunny, bogs, der toiletten, thunderbox, kraphausen, the throne, et al.). For Sub-mariners }-- Order-of-the-day is "Off cufflinks"  

[Alan R]

Hello Norm---so they are worth the money then ?? I did toy with the idea of having some during the recent winter  top-end overhaul but my good friend Miss Fiscal Frugallity won the day. Forgot to tell Navylark---back in the day ROMFT was deicately enscribed within any cubicle, washroom, bulkhead, turbine casing, back of the skippers chair on the bridge( double points for that one !!)----anywhere difficult, unusual etc. Much like modern graffiti is to-day. It stood for }----Roll On My Final Time, or subtle variations thereof, and was a generally accepted "gripe" by person(or persons) A-Nony-Mouse ie the crew. The yanks had SNAFU = Situation Normal, All Fixed Up----again with local variations on a theme, if you get my drift ??

[grunda 12]

hi allan, i fitted hitchcock barrell studs to my 350 the grunda as the poor quality indian market barrell studs let go ooh her missus all the best ttfn paul.

[Navylark]

Well, update required, thanks for all the comments especially Alan - I'm still chuckling.


 


All surfaces nice and clean and some gaskets have arrived through the post.  i am going to try and source some gasket sealant locally if I can.  I have now got to get myself a valve spring compressor tool, any tips on variety or size required.


 Alan, slight confession, 26 years in the FAA but I am also tiffy but of the electronics trade, known within the branch as Pinky F"£&£*.  Also I have been dragged up through the hawser and promoted after being stood afor the mast - yes one of your Dartmouth darlings.  However, one that swears and curses unlike the proper officers.


 


Thanks for your ditty's they make me laugh, not many in the RN these days with a sense of humour with redundancies about and such like..


 


Well lets see what tomorrow brings in with the tide, hopefully a valve tool.


 


All the best shipwrecks