Topics one should cover in a "new head" walkthrough video

[alexiskai]

Over the holidays I'm going to put the new Winfield head on and I was thinking it might be good to make a video walkthrough. Installing a new HC head on a block with the engine in the car is a fairly common task and something a lot of new owners might be contemplating.

I looked at the YouTube videos that cover head installation and they're not great, a lot of "personal choices" that some might quibble with, plus they tend to skip a lot of important checklist items.

So with that in mind, what topics should a "new head installation" video cover?

Things I am NOT going to cover:

• Getting the old head and gasket off
• Decking the block
• Why you would do this, or which HC head to use

Things I AM going to cover:

• Cleaning the block surface without scratching it
• Checking for warpage, cylinder/valve damage before you proceed
• Cleaning the stud bores with a chaser and air
• Checking stud bores for holes into the water jacket
• Cleaning the head and block with solvent before installation
• Under what circumstances you would apply spray copper sealant to the head gasket (source: Yapp)
• The 8, 11, and 13 studs and why they're special
• The ignition cable clamp and what to do if you don't have one (source: Endy)
• What to put on the studs before you install them (source: Fallucca/AER)
• How to install the studs (source: Fallucca/AER)
• Installing the gasket and head
• Checking the water neck for flatness
• Installing the water neck with Permatex silicone gasket
• Don't forget to put that clamp on the #8 stud!
• Initial torque sequence (source: Yapp)
• Gasket break-in and re-torquing procedure (source: Yapp)

Anything else I should draw attention to as I go?

[Flathead]

Other topics?

Which head gasket should you use.
Correct tap for chasing threads.
Piston to head clearance.
Best way to seal water outlet to head.
Regular studs or grade eight studs.
What torque spec to use for head nuts.

Don't mention motor oil, you will already be in enough trouble.

[alexiskai]

Which head gasket should you use
I'll cover this briefly, I'm following the Yapp standard of Graphtite. But the steps are all identical if you're using copper, so I don't think it's worth stating a preference.

Correct tap for chasing threads.
Noted

Piston to head clearance.
I hadn't thought of this, I guess I could cover that under the warpage/valve damage section.

Best way to seal water outlet to head.
Covering that, I'm gonna use Permatex Ultra Black.

Regular studs or grade eight studs.
I'll discuss the studs I'm using, but again, I don't want to state a preference because the procedure is the same.

What torque spec to use for head nuts.
Covering that.

[Cape Codder]

I hope that you will post a Notice here on fordbarn when you have completed the Video for viewing!

Thanks for trying to make the Video!

[Bruce of MN]

I followed Dave in MN's advice and didn't use antifreeze for 500 miles or so and my head doesn't weep.

[alexiskai]

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Originally Posted by Bruce of MN

I followed Dave in MN's advice and didn't use antifreeze for 500 miles or so and my head doesn't weep.

There's various schools of thought on this. James Rogers of Dreamwerks always broke in new head gaskets by running the engine up to temp three times with no water in the system at all. For the video I'm trying to stick with tactics that are broadly accepted or at least have the support of a well-known professional. Yapp's procedure is to do the break-in with pure water and then, after you've run-up and re-torqued 3x, drain and add the antifreeze, so that's what I'm going with.

[George, Iowa]

You already have some great ideas for the video.
1) Do you paint the head before installing so you don't have to paint around the nuts?
2) Do you paint around the edge where rust normally forms between the block and the head?
3) Anti-seize compound on the treads!!

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by George, Iowa

You already have some great ideas for the video.
1) Do you paint the head before installing so you don't have to paint around the nuts?
2) Do you paint around the edge where rust normally forms between the block and the head?
3) Anti-seize compound on the threads!!

I spray-painted the whole thing from bare metal/engine primer (following this poll), so I guess that's not one of my problems, but good call on mentioning it. I would prefer to assume that the viewer is adding a brand-new head, like a Snyder 6:1 head – that way I don't have to go talk about having the head bead-blasted, painted, and decked.

Anti-seize: Fallucca doesn't use it (he uses RTV), but if I depart from his standard it'll be here. We'll see. Nobody explain to me about anti-seize, I have read all the posts.

[lrjones]

Just finished putting a 6:1 head today. Had alot of help from a couple of FB's. and Snyders. Distributor wouldn't fit easily in hole on new head. Had to use emery cloth for several minutes on the lower distributor casting (even on my spare distributor). Distributor index hole would not accept the distributor index pin. Had to clean paint out of the hole and file down the pin. Sure is peppy.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by lrjones

Just finished putting a 6:1 head today. Had alot of help from a couple of FB's. and Snyders. Distributor wouldn't fit easily in hole on new head. Had to use emery cloth for several minutes on the lower distributor casting (even on my spare distributor). Distributor index hole would not accept the distributor index pin. Had to clean paint out of the hole and file down the pin. Sure is peppy.

That's great, I'll add a bit to check the fit of your distributor before you put the head on.

[Brentwood Bob]

Good time to look at the water jacket behind #4?

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by Brentwood Bob

Good time to look at the water jacket behind #4?

I haven't heard of this, what are we looking for? Just rust-through?

[Brentwood Bob]

Rust, plugged passage. Scale.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by Brentwood Bob

Rust, plugged passage. Scale.

I think I'll suggest in the video that you inspect the water jacket behind #4 and wherever it's visible to get a sense of how bad your deposits are so that you can follow up the new head with a cooling system treatment. I wouldn't want someone to halt the operation unless it was really really bad.

Good idea, thanks.

[Kurt in NJ]

If you are going to use a gasket under the water outlet don't flatten it, if you are not going to use a gasket it has to be flat----

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by Kurt in NJ

If you are going to use a gasket under the water outlet don't flatten it, if you are not going to use a gasket it has to be flat----

Gonna go the Permatex silicone route, so it needs to be flat. I planned to test flatness with Prussian Blue – it's a good opportunity to demo this if folks haven't seen it before.

[old31]

Yes, I would like to see your video and what to do with Prussian Blue.

[Big hammer]

Lap the outlet on 320 wet or dry paper on glass, no need for Prussian Blue...... Lapping work it in a figure 8 !

[Jack Shaft]

Piston to head clearance is called 'quench' ideal .040. measure piston protrusion before installing head. Crushed copper gasket right around .070.Squeezing the fuel air mixture tighter increases efficiency and reduces the tolerance of improper timing the stock engine compression ratio has. Spark knock has a greater hammer effect on main bearings with increased compression .It should be avoided at all costs, which is why a lot of folks use a mechanical advance distributor with higher compression (6to 1 and up).
Compression increase is a real power producer, you will feel it right off the bat. Add fuel to maximize the increased compression return. The stock zenith flows at about half of the engines capable air flow. know as Cubic Feet per Minute, or CFM the stock A engine flows at roughly 160CFM,the A zenith at about 80CFM..The weber carb available from the vendors flows at 160CFM.Matching air flow insures a full charge of fuel/air to the higher compression head, yielding the most efficient power the engine can make with the cam it has.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by Big hammer

Lap the outlet on 320 wet or dry paper on glass, no need for Prussian Blue...... Lapping work it in a figure 8 !

I'll check it with the PB and then use that technique if it needs anything. Hoping I don't need to bother.

Originally Posted by Jack Shaft

Spark knock has a greater hammer effect on main bearings with increased compression .It should be avoided at all costs, which is why a lot of folks use a mechanical advance distributor with higher compression (6to 1 and up)... the A zenith at about 80CFM..The weber carb available from the vendors flows at 160CFM.Matching air flow insures a full charge of fuel/air to the higher compression head, yielding the most efficient power the engine can make with the cam it has.

Yeah, I'm using the Nu-Rex mechanical advance. Sticking with updraft carb for now, but I'm putting in a Marvel. I don't intend to cover any of that in the video, strictly sticking to the head installation. I'll cover piston clearance, but mainly from the perspective of ensuring you're not going to hit the head with the piston. This is for a non-advanced audience.

[old31]

Jack brings up an interesting question. How many are using a 6.1 or higher head feel you have to go with a mechanical advance?

Alex is using NU-Rex. Any others, feel you have to go mechanical?

With my 6.1 Snyder, just once and a while do I have a knock. If I do, I adjust it.

I kinda look at the Nu-rex as just one more failure point.

[Bruce of MN]

I'm using the stock manual advance with my 6:1, but it does require attention in hilly country. It becomes habitual with driving it several times a week and hour or more long trips.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by old31

How many are using a 6.1 or higher head feel you have to go with a mechanical advance?

I got the Nu-Rex a couple of years ago (when I still had the stock head) because my wife drives the car occasionally and I wanted to reduce the number of things she has to keep track of.

[Plainsman30]

I had a blown head gasket soon after my motor was rebuilt. I replaced it, and soon had a scored piston. When we took the engine back apart, I noted the water hole passages were not drilled all the way through the casting on the new high compression head. I am not sure if this was a contributing factor to the problems or not, but I asked the vendor to send me a different head. It was better, but still did not have the water holes drilled out properly. although it was different water holes than the first head. I then had 3 heads on my bench, and the only one with the water holes drilled out properly was the original stock head. I drilled/ chased out the holes myself on one of the high compression heads, which is not hard to do and have not had any additional problems.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by Plainsman30

I had a blown head gasket soon after my motor was rebuilt. I replaced it, and soon had a scored piston. When we took the engine back apart, I noted the water hole passages were not drilled all the way through the casting on the new high compression head. I am not sure if this was a contributing factor to the problems or not, but I asked the vendor to send me a different head. It was better, but still did not have the water holes drilled out properly. although it was different water holes than the first head. I then had 3 heads on my bench, and the only one with the water holes drilled out properly was the original stock head. I drilled/ chased out the holes myself on one of the high compression heads, which is not hard to do and have not had any additional problems.

Huh. I would be interested in covering this in the video, but I'm not sure what to tell folks to look for. Do you have a pic of a bad head?

[old31]

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Plainsman, please tell us whos head you are using so that we can be aware of the holes.

[1crosscut]

Something that I do to protect the paint on a newly painted head while going through the torque in process is to put an o-ring around each head nut to keep the socket from marring the paint.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by old31

Plainsman, please tell us whos head you are using so that we can be aware of the holes.

He wouldn't say, but he sent me a picture of the face of the defective head and it looked like a 5.5 head. Can't be sure who made it. I think we should exercise this kind of diligence no matter who the source is.

[Jack Shaft]

Originally Posted by Plainsman30

I had a blown head gasket soon after my motor was rebuilt. I replaced it, and soon had a scored piston. When we took the engine back apart, I noted the water hole passages were not drilled all the way through the casting on the new high compression head. I am not sure if this was a contributing factor to the problems or not, but I asked the vendor to send me a different head. It was better, but still did not have the water holes drilled out properly. although it was different water holes than the first head. I then had 3 heads on my bench, and the only one with the water holes drilled out properly was the original stock head. I drilled/ chased out the holes myself on one of the high compression heads, which is not hard to do and have not had any additional problems.

Are you talking about the 1/4" holes? Did #4 piston score?.Its difficult to cite cylinder head water flow for piston scoring due to the water jacket on the block side controlling cylinder cooling. The major cylinder head water flow ports are in the casting mold, irregular shapes.

[Plainsman30]

It was the 1/4 hole between pistons 3 and 4 that was not drilled out fully into the water jacket. On my second HC head, a different 1/4 hole was not drilled out.

Back 2 pistons (3 and 4) were scored. The scored areas face each other and both face the divider between cylinders 3 and 4 where the water hole is located.

The scored pistons were just the start of a long, very expensive, and frustrating problem. I don't know for sure what all caused the problem, but I recommend checking the water holes the head to be sure they are open before installation.

[Jack Shaft]

Piston to bore clearance is critical,too tight and the piston will score.Tough break Mike..