Charlie:

Good point, but the left side bolts are the same age, and there is no problem on that side.  They are 1/2" grade 8 bolts.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Could it just be time to replace the bolts?


Lawrenceville, GA

Now for the rest of the saga.  Took the car to the track Saturday.  Went 12.03 and 12.07 in my only two time runs.  Both at nearly 112 mph with a stiff side wind.  Lot of cars there, and first round was about 9:30 pm, I knew it would pick up.  Dialed it 11.99, and on a double breakout race I ran 11.86 and 114+ to lose.  All seemed well with the car.  Sunday I got the bright idea to check my radiator catch can.  It had considerable water in it.  Today I ran a leakdown, and #1 (the problem cylinder at Columbus) and #3 each showed a very small leakage into the cooling system.  Checked the bolt touque, they had relaxed.  After the re-torque I re-checked #1, same result, so I drained the water and aired up the slicks for its long winter nap.  I'll build another block this winter.  Something's going on with this one.  I'll use it someday on a NA car, I would be comfortable with that.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

reckon you 're getting what just finished with us john. since last monday rain guage has recorded 22in. here. we needed it too,so know how you feel.

Took the car to the track today to try the head gasket again.  Never unloaded the car.  Rain.  I'm not too bummed, we despately need the rain here.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Good point, Don.  I have been doing that for years, but some of our younger Y Blockers may not be familiar with that operation.  Thanks for posting.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Some builders countersink, for lack of a better word, the threaded bolt holes in the block to avoid "pullup" around the torqued bolt hole.

Fordy Guy:

I checked used Detroit and Best gaskets.  The Detroit averages .043, the Best .047.  They have been torqued to 85 ft.lbs. with 1/2" head bolts.  Don't expect to find this particular Detroit, Gary had a run of them made, then Detroit claimed they lost the dies in a move and can't make them any more.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Feistritzer may have something in the spring of the extension. With a clicker anyhow. I'm thinkin'  that won't affect a bar type wrench though. I have noticed the same thing when i re-torqued the heads on the red car. I was too lazy to go get my extension for the lower (outer bolts) and they all checked 4 or 5 lbs less where I'd used the 12" extension.

       But the real problem for the Hurricane occours in an area that doesn't seem to cause me any trouble with the Best Gaskets. The other bank of the hurricane is OK also. It's something to do with a weak spot in this particular block.

     And, any metal will distort with enough force on it, that's why they have to use The bolt on bore/honing fixtures on blocks with the head bolts on the side of the cylinders. Not us of course! Cast iron has very little Yield, it just breaks.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

John, cast iron will distort. I was at a shop one day while the engine builder was finishing up a vintage road race 289. He was performing a leak down test just before shipping the engine and found some leakage at the #5 exhaust, as I recall. He found that when he back-off the closest head bolt the leakage went away. Torquing down the head bolt distorted the valve seat.

The variation in gasket thickness looks like the head was distorting near the head bolt.

Regarding the extension, I know my impact wrench has less power when I use an extension but is a torque wrench a "static load". Under a static load the twisting force should be the same at both ends, I think.

http://ford-y-block.com 

20 miles east of San Diego, 20 miles north of Mexico