Head Gasket Leak CA72.

deafanddiabetic · Post by **deafanddiabetic** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:05 am

After fixing my leak on the cam cover end, I now can determine that my headgasket is definitely leaking on the right side.

I have the acorns torqued to 18 using the old zinc/copper washers (should I get new ones?), then retorqued to 22 after letting it idle a few times after engine rebuild. Also, what torque do the nuts below the spark plugs need to be? I have a huge torque wrench that I don't think I can fit down in there.

I have two gaskets in place between the head and the valves, they're NOS, didn't use sealer as per my mechanic. I've read about those acorns bottoming out, but I don't know how to tell.

Will new washers help?

I love everyone on here, you've all made this fun and worth the effort.

G-Man · Post by **G-Man** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 2:18 am

Remove the washer from underneath the acorn nut and put the nut back on. Is the gap thicker than the washer?

Studs stretch over time as people over-tighten them.

If that looks OK the knock pins between head and barrel may be too long and could be holding the two apart.

Are the O rings in place on the front two corner studs between head and barrel?

G

deafanddiabetic · Post by **deafanddiabetic** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 8:21 am

I do know the O-Rings are in place, I found that info on here while rebuilding. I'll try that acorn space test tonight when I'm off work. If that gap is smaller than the washer, that would mean the acorns have been bored out too deep and I'd need new head nuts, correct?

I'll also pull the top to check the knock pins, but I do remember cleaning out their holes because of sealant debris that the PO had left in there.

I saw a member suggest "tilting" the engine down towards you . I wish I would've known that the last 5 times I pulled the engine from the frame, haha.

Waveblaster · Post by **Waveblaster** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 9:32 am

I think GMan means gap smaller than washer. If the gap is larger when the acorn nut has bottomed out the head studs may have stretched.

G-Man · Post by **G-Man** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 12:32 pm

Yes, correct...

I would expect the clearance without the washer to be almost non-existent. That way the nut should pull up nice and tight without bottoming..

G

deafanddiabetic · Post by **deafanddiabetic** » Sat Oct 18, 2014 10:27 pm

So, observations.

When I take off the copper washers and screw on the acorns, they literally go all the way to the metal, no clearance at all. That's with the under-sparkplug nuts still tightened.

That means my studs are stretched, correct?

How do I fix this, will adding an extra steel washer underneath or something of that sort help?

I'm feeling pretty burnt out on this project, hoping to save another engine tear apart and rebuild if I can help it.

G-Man · Post by **G-Man** » Sun Oct 19, 2014 1:49 am

No that means that the studs are probably NOT stretched. If the studs were stretched there would be clearance.

G