Head gasket

[Classiccars]

Hi seem to have an issue with the head gasket fitted when the engine was refurbed as 2 and 3 are on 50 and 1 and 4 are on 150 Co.pressoo .I seem to remember people advisi g head gasket problems after fitting.Is there a head gasket I eould be advised to get to hopefully not have the same issue again thanks.

[les]

Seems you’re not having much luck with this refurbished engine. Regarding the compression readings, you may find the block surface has issues between the middle cylinders, if so a gasket may not solve the problem. Of course it might just be a blown gasket but again perhaps caused by the block surface. Whatever, not good news after a recent rebuild.

[oliver90owner]

Yep seems very odds on a head gasket. A very much outside chance for two adjacent pots having the same pressure and it being valves or piston problems in two pots.

What was meant by ‘refurb’? Was the head checked for straightness?
Was the head torqued down correctly? Was it re-torqued after the first heat cycle? Or even 500 miles of run time?
Even was it the correct head gasket?

Why were people warning of likely problems? Did they have good reason for the warning?

If the cause is other than the gasket, it’ll likely go the same way again, unless the root cause is attended to. Les may be right about the block - did you not check it?

These engines are not particularly highly stressed (well, not if the 150psi pots are actually trusted results). Basic engineering practice is all that is needed on these engines. If you don’t have it, get someone - who has - to do it for you.

[Classiccars]

Much to ponder over thanks.

[svenedin]

This is most unfortunate. My Morris has had one head gasket in my 35 year tenure. Even then I changed the gasket due to oil leaking not loss of compression. All the cylinders were the same. About 170 psi

[Classiccars]

Just one of the joys of classic car ownership I guess.Nice when you are out on the road and then all is forgiven

[svenedin]

Just one of the joys of classic car ownership I guess.Nice when you are out on the road and then all is forgiven

Very true. At least it is a pretty straightforward job on a Morris Minor. It is an absolute nightmare with many modern cars. Hours of work just to get all the stuff off to get to the cylinder head. None of that with a Morris Minor.

[oliver90owner]

Just one of the joys of classic car ownership I guess.Nice when you are out on the road and then all is forgiven

Very true. At least it is a pretty straightforward job on a Morris Minor. It is an absolute nightmare with many modern cars. Hours of work just to get all the stuff off to get to the cylinder head. None of that with a Morris Minor.

And even more for a ‘flat-head’ - although they were less likely to suffer head gasket failure unless the gasket had been used multiple times.