Cylinder head water leak

[Arthur Farrow]

Oh what fun. Filled up the water just now after rebuild. Composite head gasket with small amount sealant around waterways. Looks like head and barrel skimmed

Torqued down to 25 as Clive suggested.

Water pouring out of head joint all the way across at rear

I guess I will have to take head off and "evacuate" engine

Anybody any thoughts???

[Arthur Farrow]

I seem to have cured the issue and its well to say how I did it. Too often on forums questions are posed but no answers ever given. (or just a plethora of nonsense)

Took the head off and really no issues her at all. Looked at the head-steady in detail. This is a really crude it of bent thick sheet and its angle did not meet the head sweetly so it was pulling on the 2 rear head bolts. The picture clearly illustrates then "pull"



This meant that on torqueing down the head I was fighting against the head-steady and thus the head rear bolts would not be properly seating the head.

I took a big hammer to the head-steady eventually bending it back a bit in the vice so the angle was right and it sat square. I also needed to open up the holes where it attaches to the frame as that was not lining up either. It was almost like the engine was in a slightly different position at the head.

Torqued it up to 25 before attaching the head-steady to the frame and it still marginally leaked! Gave it a bit more to 28 ft lbs and it sealed

I hope this may help somebody in the future