pepper, again

did the tractorcade, and head still leaks. i mean gasket does. i know the book says 65 # of tourqe and been told befor when discovering the leak, and was told to go up to 80#. so should i go to 100 or 110# of tourqe, or another gaskit , or,,,,,,,, thanks......

I know my MD took 110#, but that is a different tractor. That is what the IT manual and service manual said so it is pretty set in stone.

I don't want to be a jerk and say you are doing it wrong, but did you torque them from inside out and in steps? Were the bolts/studs clean? If they are parts washer clean I like to take the oil can and lube the threads up with a drop. Just like a dirty bolt, you can't torque/carry a load on an ultra dry bolt. (Janicholson could probably go into engineering speak on that one. I actually heard of a study where they tested ultra dry bolts and ones you touched with your fingers and the fingered ones could carry more load and torque more evenly because of just the oil on your fingers.)

I am not one to reuse head gaskets. It's just not right, but if it was only on for a couple weeks you could probably get away with it. I'm going to test my luck with a head gasket given to me for my WD-9, but that is another story. That was on overnight and the engine was never ran or oiled or coolanted so it didn't get compressed like normal. That and it is a $200 head gasket. Yours should only be around $30.

When you said "they checked the block and the head" did that mean they checked it for cracks or checked it for trueness/straightness? I never really heard of a head that went in that didn't get a hair off just to clean it up.

My head shop said to use copper on any head gasket that has metal on it. If it is metal on both sides, spray both sides. If it is metal on one side spray the metal side. It has worked on my MD so far.

The newest spec is 85 ft lbs. Don't go any higher, I have 3 of those engines and they don't leak. You said earlier you have an A and the gasket is for a 123? Tractors with a factory 123--not an overbore kit like you have -- have water pumps, that is why your gasket says 123. Regardless of your displacement, if your engine does not have a water pump, you need a C113 gasket. The water holes in it are larger, the C123 gasket has smaller holes. That may or may not be your problem, but it may be, particularly if your radiator is pressurized -- but if it is, it is not original, many have been changed. The earlier comments about being sure the head and block are flat still apply.

what tractor is this?

Your earlier post indicated that you have had the problem since an engine rebuild. I am going to assume that means you replaced the sleeves. If you did, what are your sleeve to deck height measurements? Sleeve height above should generally be .000 to .005 inches above the deck. More important is no more than about .002 between any two adjacent sleeves. If those specifications are off you likely never will get a head gasket to seal.

(quoted from post at 18:37:06 07/17/11) what tractor is this?

Click to expand...

IIRC an A.

my 39 A dosnt have a water pumpdosnt this circalate as the water heats up? part book said 113-135, gasket box says 123-135. both have same part # i will call them again. il probly tear her down agai and will check clearances on the sleeves. and use copper spray on just the metal side, rite? thanks every one..

Your parts book (it is NOT IH) is wrong. The 113 and 123 do NOT take the same gasket, you have to have the one with the larger holes.

your rite , there is a differant gasket for this early model. thanks. that probly will be the trick.....