Did I blow it up?

[FestYboy]

Zoom, i don't know who your mechanic friend is, but i've used copper spray on every head and intake gasket i've ever done since learning about the stuff and have NEVER had issue with it or have ever found to atribute it to a leak of any kind. if you have found that there was fault with a gaskets ability to seal properly, it won't be from using the copper spray, i can promise you that. more likely it's a clamping load, mating surface issue or fault with the gasket itself.

[nitrofarm]

Zoom, i don't know who your mechanic friend is, but i've used copper spray on every head and intake gasket i've ever done since learning about the stuff and have NEVER had issue with it or have ever found to atribute it to a leak of any kind. if you have found that there was fault with a gaskets ability to seal properly, it won't be from using the copper spray, i can promise you that. more likely it's a clamping load, mating surface issue or fault with the gasket itself.

I never used it till becoming a member here. Have 3 rebuilt B3's running with it and NO issue's.Matt before you put your plugs back in this engine after the new gasket.Make sure you verify TDC is TDC on the pointer. Always do this on a motor thats new to your fleet. And mark TDC & 10 deg BTDC with a different color paint pen or paint and a fine brush with paint. Sometimes you'll find a crank pointer thats off by a couple of deg.This will help you time it & give you peace of mind.And you might want to trash those old lifters the can cause missing & poor performance.

[koRnhead]

Oh look the cat police came to the party!

[Movin]

Very entertaining thread zoom! So many old wives tails mixed with a little truth !
Arty and Nitro are pointing you in the right direction. Your neighbor is repeating what is taught. In the real world you have scrapped the original specified pattern left by the surfacing tooling. When you no longer have perfect surfaces but close, Copper coat provides a little extra protection. If you are running high compression it might be cheaper to have a head gasket go before the piston goes up like aluminum foil in the microwave!

[zoom zoom]

All I know is that the copper spray sealed to the block fine, but the gasket failed in more than one area between the head and gasket. I just got the head bolted back on, taking a break before I button it up. I cleaned the head with carb cleaner on a rag and let it dry, sprayed carb cleaner in the bolt holes, chased them with half a box of q-tips till they came out clean, and used oil on the head bolts this time. I did 2 steps 30, then 60 ft lbs on the bolts, they all moved the same 40* from 30 to 60. Right after I checked the torque and the two center bolts moved 5* or so, but the rest were tight. I think I'm gonna put it through a heat cycle letting it idle for half an hour and check the torque on those bolts again while it's warm? No copper spray this time, surfaces were spotless so I don't think it's necessary.

[nitrofarm]

All I know is that the copper spray sealed to the block fine, but the gasket failed in more than one area between the head and gasket. I just got the head bolted back on, taking a break before I button it up. I cleaned the head with carb cleaner on a rag and let it dry, sprayed carb cleaner in the bolt holes, chased them with half a box of q-tips till they came out clean, and used oil on the head bolts this time. I did 2 steps 30, then 60 ft lbs on the bolts, they all moved the same 40* from 30 to 60. Right after I checked the torque and the two center bolts moved 5* or so, but the rest were tight. I think I'm gonna put it through a heat cycle letting it idle for half an hour and check the torque on those bolts again while it's warm? No copper spray this time, surfaces were spotless so I don't think it's necessary.

Recheck the torque if you like but do it on a cold engine.

[FestYboy]

Oh Zoom, one other thing i forgot to mention that i do (at least on Festys): i take all head bolts to 70#s... and in 3 steps, 30, 50, 70, then a re-check.

[zoom zoom]

haha, yea I went out this morning and retorqued them down to 63, it's doing great, I was scared to go any further thinking it might be too much but it's good to know I can even do a hair tighter if I want, thanks arty!

[FestYboy]

those bolts will take far more than that, but the headgasket wont' like it....