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head gasket ?

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coppersmythe
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Zip Code: 00000
Tractors Owned: '48 trimmed dash high crop cub , '78 3/4 cub , lo-boy/59 mower , '64 "galvanized" cub , cub-6 toolbar , sicklebar mowers , 54 blade , plow , mott mower , early belly mower . . international 1010 pickup with 345ci v-8 .
Circle of Safety: Y
Location: louisiana

head gasket ?

Postby coppersmythe » Mon Feb 24, 2020 3:31 am

good morning all from the deep south . cant seem to sleep tonight so , quick question with an answer i probably will not like . '48 has been a little finicky about starting and running . water droplets are coming out of the exhaust pipe when it does run , and when she "stumbles" or slight surge in RPM's , bubbles come up out of the filler neck on the radiator . No freeze issues , cooling system drained when stored . coppersmythe.......................

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Stanton
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Zip Code: 64070
Tractors Owned: 1942 Farmall AV, serial #87025
1947 Farmall Circle Cub, serial #2116
1948 Farmall Cub, serial #46066
Circle of Safety: Y
Location: Lone Jack, MO

Re: head gasket ?

Postby Stanton » Mon Feb 24, 2020 7:45 am

Being that you're in the deep south, I might say condensation in your fuel/exhaust system, but the bubbles seen might indicate otherwise.

Are you getting any signs of water/coolant in your oil?
Stanton
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Rick Spivey
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Re: head gasket ?

Postby Rick Spivey » Mon Feb 24, 2020 7:49 am

Sure sounds like a head gasket issue.Sometimes they do just wear out, generally in the small areas between cylinders and coolant passages. You could check it with a pressure tester available for loan from many auto parts stores, but then you'll be filling a cylinder with more water....so be wary of "hydro lock" if cranking.
Rick Spivey
'52 Cub ("Great Personality") 148xxx
'48 Cub with FH ("Gunny Cub") 38xxx
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Gary S.
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Zip Code: 60102
Tractors Owned: '49 Farmall Cub purchased 1960
'59 International Lo-Boy purchased 1987
'48 Ford 8N family owned since new

L59 woods mower
Mott Flail mower 4'
Mott Flail mower 6'
Prewitt post hole digger with mounts for Cub and Ford
Grading and leveling blade with snow ext and hydraulic angle
Location: Algonquin Illinois

Re: head gasket ?

Postby Gary S. » Mon Feb 24, 2020 2:07 pm

Just went through this with the 8N. White smoke out the exhaust like you would not believe,antifreeze filling the oil filter canister. Jumped on some forums that are no where near what this one is and got really worried expecting the worse. Decided to go for broke and change the gasket,didn't really see any problems on it's removal. But that solved it- could not be happier

tst
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Re: head gasket ?

Postby tst » Mon Feb 24, 2020 3:13 pm

if you do the head gasket remember to seal the head bolts and copper spray for that, seen many changed without doing that and had bigger leaks

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lowgearfarm
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Re: head gasket ?

Postby lowgearfarm » Mon Feb 24, 2020 3:25 pm

I hope, for your sake, that your head problem doesn't come to this, but...
I replaced a head gasket 3 or 4 times [OK. Not Fcub. A Ford industrial engine] before taking the head to a machine shop to mill the mating surface. Only then did we discover the small crack in the head. Fortunately I had an old head on the shelf. Didn't bother to mill the replacement head. Just bolted it on. Problem resolved. May the gods of chance be with you.

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Stevetractor
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Re: head gasket ?

Postby Stevetractor » Mon Feb 24, 2020 8:50 pm

I’ve always felt it was good practice to plane the head when replacing head gasket. It’s really not that expensive, just have to go to the pain of taking to the machine shop.

staninlowerAL
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Re: head gasket ?

Postby staninlowerAL » Tue Feb 25, 2020 7:32 am

coppersmythe wrote:............ cant seem to sleep tonight so , quick question with an answer i probably will not like..........coppersmythe.......................
Val, if you find an answer to this problem, please let all us seniors (and others) know. I'm reassured to hear someone else is blessed with this "illness"!!! :roll: Stan
Stan in LA (lower AL)
USAF & Reserves, Reg ARMY, ARMY NG (AL)

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ctltmp
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Tractors Owned: 1949 Farmall Cub
1947 Farmall Cub
1954 Farmall Cub
Location: New Cumberland, WV

Re: head gasket ?

Postby ctltmp » Tue Feb 25, 2020 9:21 am

tst wrote:if you do the head gasket remember to seal the head bolts and copper spray for that, seen many changed without doing that and had bigger leaks


Been wanting to offer my 2 cents, but there are a lot of guys on here with way more experience than me. I would be inclined to believe sounds like head gasket. I think the reward is worth the risk of doing the compression test. That will tell the tale for sure.

As stated, be sure to use sealant on the bolts, thats key. I have also been using the copper spray on the head gasket itself as suggest in other posts. I'm sold on it since I've tried it. The job isn't that bad, just be careful not to bust off a head bolt. I replaced all mine when I had it apart. Head bolts tend to stretch over time. Just be sure you use the appropriate grade bolt if replacing.

I'd be interested he hear what the compression test shows if you do it.
WV Mike

tst
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Re: head gasket ?

Postby tst » Tue Feb 25, 2020 10:02 am

if you do remove the head run the engine 1st and get it hot, then tap on the head bolts with a hammer , this all helps with the tapping and heat expansion to get the head bolts out with out breaking, using an impact wrench in quick bursts helps also

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John *.?-!.* cub owner
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Re: head gasket ?

Postby John *.?-!.* cub owner » Tue Feb 25, 2020 5:21 pm

Have you done a compression test on the cylinders yet? Do one cold and hot. As others have said, use Copper Coat spray on both sides of the head gasket. I use to use it on head bolt threads, but since having a leak with one I have been using the TFE pipe thread paste.
If you are not part of the solution,
you are part of the problem!!!

coppersmythe
10+ Years
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Posts: 1654
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2009 9:19 am
Zip Code: 00000
Tractors Owned: '48 trimmed dash high crop cub , '78 3/4 cub , lo-boy/59 mower , '64 "galvanized" cub , cub-6 toolbar , sicklebar mowers , 54 blade , plow , mott mower , early belly mower . . international 1010 pickup with 345ci v-8 .
Circle of Safety: Y
Location: louisiana

Re: head gasket ?

Postby coppersmythe » Tue Feb 25, 2020 6:55 pm

John *.?-!.* cub owner wrote:Have you done a compression test on the cylinders yet? Do one cold and hot. As others have said, use Copper Coat spray on both sides of the head gasket. I use to use it on head bolt threads, but since having a leak with one I have been using the TFE pipe thread paste.
I want to THANK EVERYONE for their suggestions . my biggest mistake ( for anyone in the same boat ) was jumping the gun . Pulled the head ( using all the tricks ) can you count the broken head bolts ? i wish i had done a compression test . But , moving forward , this is where i'm at .
20200225_115853.jpg
the above photo is not as bad as it looks , it has some "magic penetrate" on it .
20200225_114556.jpg
both the head and the block have chalk circles on them showing the location of plugged coolant channels. head , gasket , and block . all five were blocked . arrow shows one i "opened" . all five corresponding channels on the block where clogged . looked like carbon . Normal ? 72 year old head/ gasket/ bolts , guess i was "lucky" it was only 4 broken head bolts . ( head is cleaned ) :D coppersmythe.......................

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Glen
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Tractors Owned: 1956 Farmall Cub with Fast Hitch, F-11 plow, Disc, Cultivator, Cub-22 mower
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Location: Wa.

Re: head gasket ?

Postby Glen » Tue Feb 25, 2020 7:57 pm

Hi,
Below are pics at TM Tractor of a used head. It only has the holes that are open in your pic.

The 3 places you have circled have no holes in the pics below.
The bottom 2 pics on the page show it, the bottom pic is the front of the head, you can see the air cleaner mounting surface on the right side of the pic. :)

http://www.tmtractor.com/tm-tractor/gen/cylhead_001.htm
Last edited by Glen on Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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John *.?-!.* cub owner
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Tractors Owned: 47, 48, 49 cub plus Wagner loader & other attachments. 41 Farmall H.
Location: Mo, Potosi

Re: head gasket ?

Postby John *.?-!.* cub owner » Tue Feb 25, 2020 9:10 pm

I believe you will scrape the 2 center holes that are circled you will find that is actually the head, no holes there.
If you are not part of the solution,
you are part of the problem!!!

coppersmythe
10+ Years
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Posts: 1654
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2009 9:19 am
Zip Code: 00000
Tractors Owned: '48 trimmed dash high crop cub , '78 3/4 cub , lo-boy/59 mower , '64 "galvanized" cub , cub-6 toolbar , sicklebar mowers , 54 blade , plow , mott mower , early belly mower . . international 1010 pickup with 345ci v-8 .
Circle of Safety: Y
Location: louisiana

Re: head gasket ?

Postby coppersmythe » Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:26 pm

thanks . the channel with the arrow was clogged with a hard black crusty something , i dug it out with a screwdriver , the one on the far end that is open was also clogged . the head gasket was also "clogged" in those spots . i'll take a closer look and pictures tomorrow , i didnt pick out the gasket holes . the TM head photo was very helpful , glad i didnt try to dig those spots :oops: . i'll report what i find . i expected it to be reddish rust but, it looks just like carbon build up . coppersmythe............................


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