You’ll be fine. Having blown more than one head gasket on 11:1 motors and supercharged ones, you know when it happens. A little leakage outside the chamber is something you monitor on coolant level and temp. No freaking out required.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

I got my confirmation from Mooneyes today that mine will be on the way...and I'll keep an eye on the temp gauge and the radiator level and stop freaking out...I hope.  

Thanks again.  

If I remember correctly, I got my Best head gaskets through Egge.


54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

If not changing out the gaskets right away, just be sure to check the coolant fluid level frequently.  It’s only when it’s low will you have an issue with overheating.  Overheating creates its own set of problems and engine damage.

I quit using Fel-Pro head gaskets many years ago due to those coolant leaks that are evident as ‘seeps’ at the lower edges of the cylinder heads.  Talking with Fel-Pro did not get any results or changes.  The Best Gasket head gaskets have a better design which allows for improved torque distribution around the lower head bolts and are not as prone to coolant leaks like those seen with the Fel-Pro gaskets.  For Fel-Pro this seems to be a Ford Y nuance as their head gaskets for other engine families do not have that same issue.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

drive it.its not going to hurt anything.your getting to much info.all that does in the end is create confusion.

You are taking some risk but in general, a small leak should be fine for another month or so.  Just keep an eye on it.  If you drive it daily, get a feel for how fast the coolant leaks out and top it off frequently based on that.  Pay attention to the temperature gauge and if one day the temp just climbs, use your best judgement about what to do.  Maybe you can get to a store and put some distilled water or 50/50 antifreeze in and get home or maybe it needs to be towed.  In that scenario, if you plan to fix it very soon, use distilled water because it is cheap.  If it may be a while before you get to it, get the 50/50.

I've done all of the above at one time or another.



Lawrenceville, GA

MAN ALIVE!  I've been locked out for a few days and finally Ted was able to get my password reset...

I ordered some of the Best Gaskets but I've never had a tougher time buying ANYTHING in my life.  Even beer when I was underage!
Most of the "distributors" on the website didn't list the Best brand gaskets and if they did there was no way to order them...I finally got so annoyed I called Mooneyes to see if they could get them.  Probably paid too much but I'd rather be looking AT them than looking FOR them.  

Now...
Would YOU drive it the way it is?  I'm getting mixed opinions from people- on the one hand a mechanic at work said that if it's not overheating and the leak isn't bad to make the most out of the last month or so of cruising season...Another very knowledgeable guy about all things mechanical said that I run the risk of warping something.  As it sits, it seems like it's very little seepage, when I touch between the #1 and #2 cylinders it doesn't really feel wet - maybe "moist"- with a faint smell of coolant on the finger.  Seems like the only issue is this mild external leak.  Would THAT get hot enough to warp something?  Also, if it matters, 29.5" tire with 4.27 gears means about 3300 RPMs on the highway.  Will that have any effect on this issue?

Thanks again.  

ive got a lot of stuff at swap meets over the years.its starting to dry up a bit as this stuff gets older.a lot of it is caused by hoaders.they dont have one spare but 10

Now is the time to stock up on parts, look at swap meets,  E Bay and other sights, good parts at good prices are still around (hard to find) this problem is only going to get worst.

"FREE SAMPLE"