Joe,

I don't really know, I just remember somthing being said in your previous post about a gasket being swapped backwards/upside down/eetc could cause symptons as you describe.
It wouldn't necessarily mean that coolant was getting into the combustion chamber.

Good luck
Bobby

 

GASKETS
The head gaskets can be installed backwards real easily.

It takes a Hole for water to pour out of when not under pressure and heat expansion.

Go to: http://groups.msn.com/FordFlathead19...3/general.msnw

You'll have to join, its free. Explain your problem and ask for some help. Given your location I wouldn't doubt that you can get someone at your door within a few days. Anoth super group of Flatheaders overthere.

 

i have seen something almost identical to this yrs ago... i dont remember the exact leak meaning "where it came out" but i do know what caused the issue.. a car came into the shop i was working at after having head gaskets replaced at a differant shop..... after the engine was reassembled they had a pisser of a leak....again i cant remember exactly where the water/coolant was running but what had happened was the shop that had done the gasket job had snapped off a head bolt...drilled it out to extract the broken piece..but drilled right thru the casting aswell...when we removed the stud u could see a perfect hole at the base of the "hole" ... im sorry i dont remember more specifics of where exactly it was coming out...it may have been the exact situation... this was almost 20 yrs ago....
long story short the car went back to the original shop that did teh work and they replaced the motor..... i ended up w/ the old motor...i remember turning a "slug" on the lathe made from brass or aluminum and slopping it up w/ some kinda sealer... the slug fit down in the hole..kinda a mushroom shape... then the stud pushed it and held it in place.... i had this motor in my 49 for a few yrs..and it held water tho i never ever drove it.. ran it around the parking lot but never on the road..... i removed it and joined the darkside...... looking at that cutout engine in the previous page i cant for the life of me remember where the water was leaving my engine and it certainly doesnt matter now.. again..the issue was caused by a broken stud being drilled out.... if u have the same situation maybe u could do the same as i did....seemed to work........ Mr. M Mouse'd it... but.........

 

If my block proves to be useless, I had a question. I have a spare block I found down in San Clemente last summer (about 45 minutes from here) and it was cheap so I bought it. It's been sleeved and looks good except for small cracks between the center head bolts and the water passages. I've been told this is very normal for flatheads, but I'm leary of using this old block because of the cracks. Anybody have an opinion? Like I said they are just little hairline cracks (maybe 2cm) between the head bolt holes and the water jacket holes. Wouldn't a crack like that screw up your torquing when installing the heads??

 

Ford gave those cracks part numbers they are so common.
I get leary if I don't see them because the stress has to be releaved somewhere.
Your not building a HotRod truck so sleeves are OK.
Now back to the problem, I still think you need to check the installation of the head gaskets.

 

Well, I'm going back to the shop tomorrow and I'll broach the gasket issue with the guy working on my truck. I have a few spare head gaskets, and looking at them you'd really have to be tired and out to lunch to install them upside down. The front of the block has those kidney shaped openings, and it just seems obvious. Anyway, I'll ask........but I'm gonna say you guys made me!!!! I know he's gonna give me one of those "do you think I'm an idiot" looks. This guy runs a transmission shop; I just don't think he'd make that mistake!

 

think it isn't just upside down, it's a left-to-right issue; to make a left gasket fit on the right bank, I think you also have to flip it over. The cylinder banks are offset relative to each other, so the two gaskets are not identical. If you put a left bank gasket on the right side, some of the water jacket holes aren't covered. If the heads are off and you play around with them, you'll see what the issue is.

I am running with one bank that has the crack at the center water jacket hole. Absolutely no issues. You want to torque only to specified values!! Somewhere on here or another forum I recently saw a picture of a flatty block being lifted by a hook screwed into that hole -- Gee, is that a good idea?!?! It's a thin area.

 

It's not a top to bottom flip. The bolt holes wouldn't line up.

But you can flip them front to back - the correct gasket on the correct side, just flipped end for end. I've done it and they leak that way.

 

perserverance jreilly . dont give up it'll be worth the aggravation you'll see . when we had mine apart the ol girl looked like it had never been apart so i geuss i got lucky including no cracks around the bolt holes that seems to be prevalent on everyone elses . the gasket kit i got from dennis carpenter , the head gaskets were marked left and right top and bottom , so i'm assuming this is a pretty common screw up amongst us flathead rookies .there is nothing wrong with the flatty in my case just the rookie working on it .

 

Hey thanks to everyone for all the advice and moral support. Hopefully we'll get this running, but if I have to re-build the motor once again with my spare block, I'll do it. This truck IS gonna run again. Today when I was out walking the dogs an old timer drove by in a beat up old '49 F1. He looked so happy and content, and the sound of that ol flattie was just music to my ears!!!

 

I bought an engine rebuild kit from Fel-Pro....wrong head gaskets, not even close...had to go to a local "old school" shop and he dug thru the back shelves and cam up with exactly what I needed. My opinion (worth very little) is to pull the head and see how the gasket lines up.
I wish you well on the motor, Ed

 

Hmmm. your block has a helicoil in it. Could they have drilled thru the bottom like 49 F1 mentioned when installing the HC? Do flatheads have freeze plugs, I can't remember?

 

Sorta - they have a couple on each side under the oilpan rail. Not where it would help. They're mostly there to help get the casting sand out.

 

Also a slight chance that the helicoil that was too high has warped the head when it was torqued down.

 

Actually a pretty good chance, good catch!