Two part heads
 

Anyone in fordbarn land ever run two part cylinder heads? I think the only ones ever made were Roof and Norm Frick?

I have a pair (Roof) on a fresh engine that I have just run up for the first time and have a couple of leaks around the plugs on each side. 3 on one side 2 on the other.

My first thought is to take the easy route and stick some ceramic block sealer in there to stop the leaks, another part of me says tear it down and reseal them. The question is what to use as a gasket material? At the moment there is a thin black sheet material of unknown origin as they came with the heads, I coated both sides of this thinly with aviation permatex so if I split them this material is going to have to be replaced.

Any suggestions on a material I can get in sheet form, that can be cut to shape by knife and will work and withstand the torque of the head studs?

Thanks....

Re: Two part heads
 

Can you post a picture of the heads?

Re: Two part heads
 

I have some pictures of them with the top cover off which I can post up later. I am thinking of trying a thin gasket paper with hylomar instead of the permatex.

http://inlinethumb60.webshots.com/44...600x600Q85.jpg

Re: Two part heads
 

Those are cool looking heads. When you had them apart did you have them checked for flatness? A last resort try some radiator sealant . I probably will not take much and nobody will know.

I am looking forward to the pictures you mentioned.

It looks like two spark plugs per cylinder. What are you using for a distributor?

Re: Two part heads
 

Maybe Hylomar without the gasket; motorcycle cases are sealed that way. Either way, I would use hylomar over permatex if surfaces are good and flat.

Re: Two part heads
 

http://inlinethumb21.webshots.com/89...600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/14...600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb50.webshots.com/92...600x600Q85.jpg

Joel that is interesting about the hylomar without a gasket I will look in to that. I used the permatex at the time as it was to hand because I put it on the head stud threads.

Sturgis the ignition is a Nash twin fire.

Thanks for the input...

Re: Two part heads
 

Do you have pictures of the nash twin fire? This something i have to see.
Are you from the united kingdom? I see a few handles with UK. Just wondering what it means

Thanks

Re: Two part heads
 

I've noticed that most if not all the more recent 2-piece head manufacturer's use screws around the plug bosses. Hylomar should work OK since it worked on Rolls Royce Merlin V-12 engines. I would use the more recent Loctite 515 and a bit of #50 silk thread around the bosses to insure a seal. That's how I seal Rolls-Royce cases now. An annular o-ring would have been the best bet but the Robert Roof heads go back a few more years than say the Frick types.

Kerby

Re: Two part heads
 

If you want me to, i can take good measurements and pictures of the original gaskets on a set of Roof heads i have..? That might help you find the correct gasket material.

Re: Two part heads
 

Here you go.. and yes - England.

http://inlinethumb24.webshots.com/31...600x600Q85.jpg

Old photo but you can see it. This is on a Norm Frick Angle Drive. Roof originally drove the ignition straight off the end of the cam... I guess that would have made the ignition wires a bigger headache than they are!

http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/47...600x600Q85.jpg

http://inlinethumb41.webshots.com/47...600x600Q85.jpg

Re: Two part heads
 

Yes please. Would love to compare notes, Have you ever run them?

Re: Two part heads
 

Thanks, I hadn't considered loctite I will look in to the 515 and see if it is available over here.

Re: Two part heads
 

Gary,

Any time a sealer is called for I use general purpose silicone sealer, found in the bathroom section in any DIY store.
Walks all over Hylomar and all the other sealers out there and you can get it in clear so it won't even show!

Re: Two part heads
 

Beautiful eye candy there. Nice project.......drooooool !

Re: Two part heads
 

It would take a bit of work but there looks to be enough surface area there that you could do some type of o-ring setup using maybe a very thing piano wire and a small scribe around the surface. Otherwise I have had luck with Permatex Aviation Form-A-gasket , part # 80019
AVIATION FORM-A-GASKET Sealant 4 oz bottle
PERMATEX 80019

Re: Two part heads
 

Gary uk

Thanks for the additional pictures. That is really neat. Where did you find the heads and the other parts?

Re: Two part heads
 

gary the car looks very nice, hope you get the small niggles sorted out.

Re: Two part heads
 

At one time, Kong heads were two piece as well. Not sure why he switch back to one piece.

Re: Two part heads
 

I was wondering, are the leaking plugs the lower ones on cylinders 2,3,6,7?

Re: Two part heads
 

No from memory it was the lower ones on 3,4,7 and to a lesser extent the top on 2 and 6.

After reading up on the loctite 515 I think that is the way I am going to go in conjunction with the 7649n primer.

Thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions. I will post up how it works out.