Blown Head Gasket

[Halfpint]

I filled up with fuel last night and PRU had a miss fire on the way home. Did a comp test... bloody head gasket. between 1 and 2.
Pulled the head off this arvo. Can't win at the moment. Thats the 3rd head gasket in 2 yrs. last one was at mokefest. Lucky for me the motor looked good on the out side for the day!
Halfpint... in the shed again....

[Terry]

Hi,

What sort gasket are you using, the same brand each time?

Terry

[Halfpint]

This one was a copper gasket. Lasted till now. Last one was a composite one and blew out between 2 and 3. not sure what the first one was, came with rebuild kit from a mob in Sydney. Ordered a composite again today. Have had some niggling issues with this block, but when I found it, it had been a home to wasps for a while on my mates farm! Cleaned up pretty good, and all the checks had come up ok, Its a cooper s block but with a head without the extra 2 holes, so am starting to wonder if the 'normal' method of head tensioning is enough? I cant seem to find the thread" what is the best head gasket to use" that I saw a while ago. I think I need to have a good read again.
Cheers
Halfpint

[Terry]

Hi,

I have got very good service out of the mono torque brand head gaskets on my 998, having only poped one a few years ago after about 10 years of service.

I replaced one the other day when I swapped a head over, another mono torque that I put on in 1998 but the moke was just a few km's short of 40,000kms according to the odemter which is about 5% out.

Terry

[Halfpint]

I wasnt sure which was best the other day when I ordered the head gasket,  but someone had told me about the BK450 some time ago. Fitted the BK450 head gasket yesterday. So far so good. Will keep the Monotorque in mind, but hopefully I won't need to order one for a while.

A long time ago a mate showed me a short cut to set tappets, I wonder if any of you also use this method?
Get cylinder No 1 rocking then set tappets 8,7,6,4 (8,7,6,skip one do one)
then get Cylinder 4 rocking and set tappets 1,2,3,5 (1,2,3 skip one do one).

Also took forum advice and fitted H4 headlights, don't know why I hadn't done it years ago.
Also bought a water heated inlet manifold from minisport to suit an 1 3/4 carbie and fitted it using my stock 1 1/2 for now. Working on the 1 3/4 carbie.
Still have to have a go at the wiper mods Spider suggested, but just want to drive it for a while.

So thanks everyone, its great to have so much good advice. It's sorta like having our own R & D department, only better.

Cheers
Halfpint

[moemoke]

Never heard of that tappet method, when I rarly do my tappets I use the 9 rule, adjust no 1 with no 8 fully open
adust no 3 with 6 open etc etc, pretty simple and if you get lost just remember that they add upto 9

The 1 3/4's (HS6) are pretty rare in Aus most of them were fitted to Jag's I think so are pretty dear
I've been loking on UK ebay were they are a for hif44's which are a bit more plentiful and not to dear

[Halfpint]

Yep, I like it cause you only need to get it in two moves and don't have to keep rocking it for each valve.
The follow up check, after a couple of hundred K's should be done by the book though, but ive found it very close each time.