Gathering some ideas for a future engine rebuild....

My current head gasket is seeping oil out the passenger side pretty badly. Laid a bead of silicon down on it and it helps dramatically but I figure there has to be a cleaner solution. This is an iron block - using a "Detroit" brand head gasket. The block and head were decked when last rebuilt just a thousand or two to clean up the surface.

Which brand gasket do you guys recommend for the best seal? This will be for an ordinary daily driver engine, nothing fancy. *possibly* some head shaving - but I plan on running regular gas so it won't be very much.

Also, what about the rear main seal? I see cometic has a viton one (granted for big block apps, but its the same seal....) and felpro makes one out of some fancy fluroelastomer stuffs.

I have used the Felpro gasket almost exclusively and never had a problem with any leaks up to 11:1 comp. This is the thinnest composite head gasket (0.033" compressed), whereas the others seem to be 0.040-0.050".

Recently I thought I had blown a head gasket (one Detroit then one Felpro), but it turns out I had poked a hole in my #6 exh port when porting it.

Viton is a fluoroelastomer, so they are probably the same thing. I have just used the ones in the FelPro engine kits and have had some leaks when running high oil pressure (too high). Not sure which are best, but those seem to work fine when installed correctly. The one in my 68 Dart engine (FelPro) has 120k and does not leak.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

I've been running 20-50 mobile 1 synthetic - I don't know if synthetic oil is harder on seals/gaskets and eats away at them or...?

Its a relatively new engine, about 15 or 20k on it now - only reason I run 20w50 is I've thougth I read that on synthetics you have to run one level thicker to match that of conventional dyno oil. I couldn't imagine the increased pressure from 10w30 to 20w50 would blow gaskets or seals... where the head gasket is leaking on the passenger side isn't even pressurized anyway. Its a consistent, uniform leak across its entire length.

Never heard that one before...........


BTW, I'm using 10w-30 sythetic and have no leaks with original gaskets

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Talking about gaskets and leakings, how in the name of everything that is good and Mopar I can stop oil leaking from engine-bellhousing?

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Mopar Muscle is well defend by Slant Six!

Valiant Duster 1971

Theres no oil between the bellhousing and engine itself - I mean you can take the tranny out all together and no oil should leak - its your rear main seal or oil pan thats leaking. I believe there is an oil galley plug back there that can leak as well but thats not a likely source compared to rear main seal.

I'll probably go with a viton seal then for next rebuild. Maybe I should drop back down to 10w30 synthetic instead in the meantime to help cut down on leaks.... like I mentioend before though that can't be a direct cause of the head gasket leak.

Nope! As long as you use a mainstream, API-approved product (this rules out most of the Scamsoil line), you won't experience any such a problem.
Nope! Use the correct viscosity grade, without making any changes or adjustments to your viscosity choice just because you're going to synthetic.
Check carefully to make sure it's not actually a valve cover or spark plug tube seal leak. They can be very sneaky!

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Good to hear - the mobil 1 stuff does have a API logo on it.
Dagnammit, I didn't wanna hear that - I have 2 5qt jugs of 20w50 that I know I destroyed the reciept for. But, hmm, interms of leaks, wether at rear main or head gasket, wouldn't a thinner oil leak more?
Been there, done that - went through several tighten everything - rinse - drive - repeat cycles - valve cover to bottom of head is bone dry - head and below is soaked along the entire side of the engine.

What about the napa (Victor Reinz?) gasket? Website says made of VR2000 material - sounds spiffy.

Save it for summer, or another vehicle engine with lots of miles on it.........

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Just a note here not a suggestion I have run Mobil 1 in my race engine for three years 5-w-40 not a problem 50 lbs of oil preasure and it will haul ass. But this is a race engine but i run it in my personal cars and trucks. I have seen some engines down here in redneck country mainly roundy track that swear by it so that is why i run it. Possum









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