The V8 Owners Forum -

Hello all,

Should there be any sealing ring around the oil feed holes in the head gasket on the rover v8, when using composite gaskets?

I'm using elrings....and looks like oil has been leaking from here then through the gasket.

And can someone confirm which side of the gasket goes against the block, as the gasket isn't marked "top, so I want to make sure I didn't fit them upside down.

thanks

scott.

I've just looked at a photo of a recent build and the gasket was fitted with the metal strips connecting the fire ring on top. I seem to remember that there is a very feint TOP mark somewhere on the gasket.
There is a red ring around the oil feed holes which I imagine is a seal of some sort.
If someone can tell how to put up the photo I will do it.

Regards Denis

cheers, yes just found a very faint "top" on the gasket, so it was the correct way up.

Looks like ive had no compression leakage or blown gasket....I did a compression test earlier and no problems.

Only problem I seam to be having was a loss of coolant & oil leaking from the side of the engine.....

Just wondering if I need to pressure test the block before making any expensive moves.

its happening on both sides, so would the block really crack both sides????...

or just really a head gasket problem????

scott

I used to smear a very thin ring of silicon around all the water and oil holes in the gasket on both sides of the gasket, let this set for an hour or two before fitting the gasket. The last set of gaskets that I fitted were completely sprayed on both sides with a copper/silicon sealant. Again this was left to cure before the gaskets were fitted. So far these gaskets have held up very well to all the NOS I chuck into my engine!

cheers that's interesting idea...

I've just found a pair of new head gaskets in my garage, and inlet manifold....

Might clean it all up, and do as you suggest, then if it goes again, then engine out and pressure test.....

But that would be a job for next year......

scott

change my mind, after taking other side head off....

Engine out and strip down for block pressure test......

Its the only way I am going to be sure, a cracked block or slipped liner isn't the problem on my 4.6 block.

Anyone recommend a place to get it pressure tested close to the north east of England.

cheers

scott

Seight-V8 wrote:change my mind, after taking other side head off....

Engine out and strip down for block pressure test......

Its the only way I am going to be sure, a cracked block or slipped liner isn't the problem on my 4.6 block.

Anyone recommend a place to get it pressure tested close to the north east of England.

cheers

scott

A pressure test is unlikely to give an answer to the oil leak problem.
Are you sure the heads are flat ?
What type of head bolts are you using?
Is the coolant loss visible like the oil leak or is it vanishing without trace?

Denis

took the head to work and had them checked with an accurate measuring machine for flatness, and came back at 0.052mm & 0.060mm...

So I think they are ok, need to do the same with the block next too....

Its still been loosing coolant from somewhere, no leak outside the engine.....right hand bank, some cylinders look clean....as if washed....

Gasket & head was covered in oil when I removed them, made sure it didn't leak down the bolt holes when I took the head studs out.

Didn't take any effort to remove heads & gasket, they just came straight off...

so somewhere between gasket failure and block or head sealing maybe.

Block is ready to come out now, but cant get a crane till next week.

cheers

scott

Just how loose were those head bolts?

my engine has got ARP head bolts, and it was the first time I have every used them when I built the engine, torqued them to the recommended values...with a good make wrench....

Just been reading about gaskets & blocks, surface finish & flatness....

Wondering if the block faces are flat & maybe the correct surface finish....

think I want to get the block tested just for piece of mind, otherwise I need to check the block faces for flatness and maybe use a cometic head gasket this time round.

Need to spend a bit more time checking before I put anything back together, hope to get the block out this week and back to work to have it checked on the measuring machine.

cheers

scott