1450 broke down!!

tubbyfirefighter · #1 10-11-2010, 07:02 PM

Was doin a little grading today with the 1450, all was well until the pin sheared off on the lift arm. So that shut me down. Parked it in the shed and noticed that there was oil all over the back of the headlights, guess what, its coming from the gasket. So do i need to tear her down again and flatten the head with sand paper or do you think that maybe the bolts need to be torqued again?

R Bedell · #2 10-11-2010, 07:42 PM

Tubby:

You may get different opinions on this.

I have always been taught and believe, that a Head Gasket is only good once for a compression. Thus, if I had to remove the head, I would put a new head gasket in. They aren't that much money and it is well worth it if you consider the time and trouble if the old one don't seal.

Next, check you studs. see if they are in good condition. I have also read that some guys go and install new studs every time they pull a head because they feel the studs (or bolts) get stretched.

Flatness of the mating surfaces is important also. Do the up-most procedure to ensure the flatness of the surfaces.

Once you have done all of the above, use a good torque wrench and tighten to specifications. I usually torque in 1/3's. The first torque is 1/3 of the final value, then the next torque is 2/3 of the final value, then the full final value.

You should be good to go.

I know there are other procedures, this is what works for me.

william1041200 · #3 10-11-2010, 07:50 PM

You have bigger problems, if its oil spraying from head gasket. She must have been smoking like a steamer.

Matt G. · #4 10-11-2010, 08:01 PM

You have to retorque after 30 minutes of run time or it will blow the head gasket again. You might find this helpful.

tubbyfirefighter · #5 10-11-2010, 08:04 PM

No, she wasn't smoking at all, i just noticed it and there wasn't really a lot, just enough to get dirt stuck on it. The rings and piston are new, the only thing that is not is the head. I'll check the rings and make sure they are off set and not lined up.

tubbyfirefighter · #6 10-11-2010, 08:06 PM

Matt, I'll bet the guy that worked on the motor didn't do that. I haven't really worked her till today and that's when I noticed the oil coming from the gasket.

_DX3_ · #7 10-11-2010, 09:38 PM

I definately made sure to run mine for 30 minutes after I had resurfaced the head and put on a new gasket. No leaks yet so I think all is good. I was amazed at how little carbon was on the piston and head... Looked like they had been cleaned fairly recently.

clint · #8 10-12-2010, 06:41 PM

I would like to chime in on a few opinions here. This is my opinions, and some I have experience with, again other is just opinion.

First I'm not to sure how flat you can get a head/mating surface with sandpaper and even a cast iron surface plate with out a lot of practice, much less a piece of glass that i read so much about here... however I have not tried this procedure to to the extent others have, so this is just some food for thought. If you want a perfect mating surface then have someone mill the head, and set the engine block up as well to mill it flat... I'm not sure about this, but I have thought about the laser levels if you could set up a jig that and shoot a line across the mating surface it may show you any imperfections... again this is just an idea... Egyptians years ago could make extremely flat mating surfaces with "so called" ancient tools ( I'm still on the fence on this myself).. My point is look at your options.

I agree with the head gasket, never use used head gasket, they are dirt cheap compared to the time invested, but many times it's the inconvenience of not having one right when you need it.. might be handy to have an extra one or two on hand at all times if they are hard to get in your area... I look at a head gasket like a tune up item... There are other options, i have never used one BUT searched the internet, and it seems custom made copper head gaskets work great, and can be used over, and over with no problems.

Matt G. · #9 10-12-2010, 06:58 PM

The manual spec for flatness of the gasket surface of the head is such that you should not be able to put a 0.003" feeler gauge anywhere under the head when it is placed on a flat sheet of glass. All of the ones I have checked after using the sandpaper 'n' glass method have been less than is measurable with a 0.001" feeler gauge. I'm not sure how you'd see 0.001" with a laser line...

I have also had to fix a couple of heads that had the gasket surface milled yet was somehow not flat. In order to mill the surface flat on a head, the head must be clamped to the table so that the end mill is normal to the surface of the head, which is easier said than done. Not everyone has access to a milling machine, either, and the surface finish is much better with the sandpaper anyway.

Yosemite Sam · #10 10-12-2010, 08:01 PM

I gotta agree with Matt about milling the head, if the mating surface is not flat, the other side isn't going to be flat either (not so sure it ever was).

I do a LOT of work on my mill and without some kind of fixture to hold the head in place, I don't know how one would go about clamping a head down to the table.

I personally don't use the glass and sand paper method, only because it's just as easy to rub the head around on the belt sander (motor not running of course). I've never had to take much off of a head, not near enough to clog the belt anyway. However, I have a 100 with a warped head that will need a butt-load of sanding, should I decide to use it (its warped so bad that I would bet that you could push nickels into the cylinder from the front of the engine).