I remember reading somewhere on here that I should put sealer (threebond) on my base gasket as well on the Reed gasket, and a little between the intake boot and reeds. The manual does not say to do this. Is this recommended or am I imagining it? Also if it is is there any location that I should be particularly careful about putting the sealer on it?
I will be finishing the motor up tomorrow evening

Thanks for the help.
Yea man, get that sealer on there.
The one time i didn't put a little at the reeds showed a leak during my leakdown test.
Which gasket are you using? Oem style or Cometic AFM?
Thanks Q2W I'll make sure to put some threebond on those bad boys. so just to make sure that I do this correctly. It goes Cylinder head, Gasket with threebond, Reed cage, threebond, and intake boot.
Which gasket are you using? Oem style or Cometic AFM?
I got the Cometic it is not a metal gasket though, just seems like normal gasket material. It came in a Cometic top end kit.
did you do a squish test? You may need a different size base gasket.
I have not. I just now got my billet washers and RM bearing. I am not 100% sure on how I would do a squish test.. I am assuming that I would put the cylinder on without the gasket, torque the nuts and measure the gap between the cylinder and case? What should I be seeing for a gap? I believe that my gasket (its not currently in front of me) is a .0043 thickness.
Never mind on that how to. Skeans helped me out with that. Thanks Skeans!
Let me go take a measurement and I'll post up when I am done.
Alright so by following this link:
http://www.klemmvintage.com/squish&comp.htm I completed my squish test.
I had my .045in Head gasket, NO base gasket (mine got tore up somehow)
My solder ended up getting squished down to .033in
With these numbers what should I be looking at for gaskets?
I will need a new head gasket as well because when torquing my head nuts down I noticed a stud that would not tighten so I am guessing that I will have to helicoil that stud and thus my head gasket is garbage.
I noticed a stud that would not tighten so I am guessing that I will have to helicoil that stud and thus my head gasket is garbage.
Never heard of helicoil for a stud.Have to change the stud if its the problem or if your lucky just the nut stripped out.
I think he meant the stud is pulling up
I noticed a stud that would not tighten so I am guessing that I will have to helicoil that stud and thus my head gasket is garbage.
Never heard of helicoil for a stud.Have to change the stud if its the problem or if your lucky just the nut stripped out.
A helicoil replaces the pulled thread in the aluminum. You can screw a stud or a bolt into a helicoiled thread. We have repaired hundreds of stud holes with helicoils.
Standard base gasket measures @ .020" with your measurements you will be ok. You should be able to reuse that head gasket unless it sticks, typically a head gasket will not adhere until the engine is heated up.
Great Thanks Ice, BTW I noticed that the head gasket's coolant ports are not symmetrical, one is completely blocked off, and the others are not fully open. This makes me think that there is a correct and a wrong way to put this gasket on. Is that the case?
I was not quite sure about smaller motors but I have used helicoils when I built my 350 sbc and I had a small bolt get stripped in an aluminum intake manifold. I found that the helicoil is actually stronger then the original aluminum threads.
I have not yet pulled the stud to inspect the threads. Before I attempted to torque the head down I tightened the stud down and it seemed to tighten and stop like it should. however when torquing it it would not even torque to the initial 11 ft lbs. When I have time (probably Monday) I will pull the stud and see just whats going on in there. What are some other problems that may cause this besides the threads being stripped?
YEs the blocked part goes directly under the spigot. It could be the stud also I have seen some that are not oem or good quality stud's Stretch. More times than not someone tries to MAKE a head gasket seal by over torqueing it.
Quick update on the on going fight.
I ran a tap down the stud hole, cleaned the stud with a die, put JB weld into the hole and put the stud in. Let it sit for a few days then re attempted to torque the stud. Sale result, the stud would not hold 11 lbs of torque.
What I am doing now: I have a insert that fits securely to the stud, I will be putting this insert into the stud hole, and putting this SOB down for good

I have been having the hardest time finding the proper thread and size for this stud and stud hole. Any idea on why? the stud doesn't seem too worn is it just a difference in Japanese threads?
Quick update on the on going fight.
I ran a tap down the stud hole, cleaned the stud with a die, put JB weld into the hole and put the stud in. Let it sit for a few days then re attempted to torque the stud. Sale result, the stud would not hold 11 lbs of torque.
What I am doing now: I have a insert that fits securely to the stud, I will be putting this insert into the stud hole, and putting this SOB down for good
I have been having the hardest time finding the proper thread and size for this stud and stud hole. Any idea on why? the stud doesn't seem too worn is it just a difference in Japanese threads?
I,m sure someone will chime in that knows the exact threads but likely metric size and pitch.
Quick update on the on going fight.
I ran a tap down the stud hole, cleaned the stud with a die, put JB weld into the hole and put the stud in. Let it sit for a few days then re attempted to torque the stud. Sale result, the stud would not hold 11 lbs of torque.
What I am doing now: I have a insert that fits securely to the stud, I will be putting this insert into the stud hole, and putting this SOB down for good
I have been having the hardest time finding the proper thread and size for this stud and stud hole. Any idea on why? the stud doesn't seem too worn is it just a difference in Japanese threads?
The head studs are usually 8 mm x 1.25 pitch on both ends of the head studs. If it has the flanged head studs the part that goes into the cylinder is 10 mm x 1.25 pitch
Well I finally got the head torqued down. I ended up using a 8Mx1.25 helicoil. I the coil came with a 10Mx1.25 tap which I ran down the hole, then did the coil. The stud went in firm and torqued just like it should.
Right Now I have the frame cut to fit the new motor. I ended up cutting out the center bar. I will be welding the wishbone piece in soon.
I did snag a good deal on a LRD pipe. Which took some doing to get to fit correctly in the 85 frame. The pip was not able to clear the bottom part of the a arm support piece, So I ended up notching the bar right under the a arm and bent the support piece forward, without moving the a arm mount, this allowed the pipe to clear the frame piece by an 8th of an inch. Once I get it all welded back up, painted, electrical ran and other minor issues sorted out she'll be up and running. I'm hoping by the end of the month.