Maiden cruise halted by JPM head gasket failure.

[starman]

Two days into our first 'proper' cruise and the engine started to run less smoothly and get hot. Checking for airlocks in the cooling system I discovered oil in the water coming from in the skin tank bleed. Pottered on for a while after things had cooled but it happened again. Also slight evidence of coolant round one of the head studs.

All points to a gasket failure I think. B*gger!

 

The puzzle is that when I first got the boat I was told that the No1 gasket needed replacing. I stripped the head and found the gasket visually ok. Replaced it anyway; now it seems to have failed again.

 

Should I use gasket compound when fitting the new one? Can't recollect the torque setting I used - can anyone advise the correct one? And, worst of all, do I need to consider head skimming?

[Chris-B]

100=110 LB FT APROX

Listers never gave a difinitive setting

Check head is flat before skimming

[starman]

100=110 LB FT APROX

Listers never gave a difinitive setting

Check head is flat before skimming

Cheers Chris - I'm hoping you've got a gasket in stock! Will call when strip down is done. Still puzzled a) why the first stripdown revealed an apparently ok gasket and why the same cylinder has gone again, with a replacement gasket.

Edited May 22, 2013 by starman

[martyn 1]

Torque figures as stated in a 1967 copy of the JP, JS & JK manual. 100 lb ft for the nuts as Chris mentioned and 150 lb ft for the tubes.

 

Cheers

 

Martyn

Edited May 22, 2013 by martyn 1

[Chris-B]

Yes gaskets in stock Kevin