Hi CNKS, The double head gasket "fix" Dano is referring to started way back in 1968, as I recall. It was at this time that the EPA with their Clean Air Standards first came into being and 1968 was the first year of forced compliance of these standards. Manufactures were upping the compression pressures, using hotter thermostats and leaning out the fuel mixtures to try to comply with this new set of standards. New engine designs began to pop up all across the board and with all of the different manufactures now using what was known as a ‘positive crankcase ventilation system’. Fast forward to the rubber hitting the road with the 1968 model year. Fine, we've met the clean air standards, but now we've got problems. The things won't shut off when hot, starter motors now won't turn over these hot engines and the new owners all of a sudden have to change their oil with a putty knife. That's when the corporate scrambling started with the newer formulated multi-weight oils, starters with bigger field windings/longer armatures, and what to do about that darned "dieseling"? The idea was struck that if we could just lower the compression pressures on some of these real "problem children" that all would be well until a logical cure could be found for this one last problem. Anti-dieseling solenoids and electric fuel shut-offs soon followed. But in the meantime, word came down the corporate chain in the form of a tech bulletin: Double head gasket these hard cases to lift the head a small amount, which will in turn lower the compression ratio and heat; and also, while you’re at it, be sure to use this magnificent new specially formulated sealer, which will seal any and all imperfections of the two mating surfaces. We later found that this magic new sealer was nothing more than aluminum paint. Enter: Kopper Koat spray on gasket sealer in its stand-alone marketing form. From this point forward, all gaskets shall be coated with a sealer. The corporate giant has spoken. Do I think that this fix would work on an old Farmall H with its "sealing ring" designed head gasket? Nope, I sure don’t; but now the toothpaste is out of the tube. Word is out from the engineers that it’s okay to double gasket a head to lift it and that this is a viable repair. Hmmmmm. What’s that you say? Double head gasket????? Sorry for the long post, but you've triggered some old memories. Brings to mind the first overdrive transmissions and their pushing fluid out the front seals; but that's another chapter. :>) Have a good one, Allan
|