Sorry for the long post so please bear with me.

I have been rebuilding my 1700 Xflow. All was fine until I came to fit the head gasket. I bought an .051 mls cometic gasket. Looked the dogs danglies and wasn't cheap. Went to fit it and it's not so good. Fire rings perfect, oil and water galleries perfect, head bolt holes were perfect too. The problem is the holes in the gasket for the pushrods were about 3-4mm out. See below.




Rang burton power and they were great to be fair. Told them the issue and sent it back for them to check. They rang me today and could see the problem. They advised me I need a gasket with oval pushrod holes. They don't have them in stock and won't have for some time. They do in 90mm but that's no good to me so have given me a refund.

In saying that though, the old head gasket had round pushrods holes. But that wasn't an mls gasket. Any printing on the old gasket had worn off so I'm unable to identify the maker. The company that built the engine originally don't keep records far enough back to tell me the engine spec so I'm kind of stuck. I do still have the old gasket I can post a pic of if its of any help to you.

My question is, do any of you know about this? Came across it before? Where else but burton power can I call for advise? Any clues on which HG I need? As I am stumped now.

The engine specs are as follows:
711m block 83.5mm bore.
Flat top head
Flat top Pistons not been pocketed
Kent 244 cam
41.3mm inlet valves

If there is any more pics that would help I'm happy to post them as well as any other specs you may need.

Any help/advise is greatly appreciated!

Ive been running xflows for years, and have never seen the problem you have had

if it had been one of my engines I would of used it, as the pushrods only move about 2mm sideways
and would not touch the gasket, even if they did touch, after a few minites of running, would of cleared the problem

The crossflow engine is a very basic bit of crude engineering, don't delve too deep into its workings, as if you do, you will end up with sleepless nights with the worry

steve

That is a really badly made gasket and although it may work it makes you wonder what else is wrong with it. I have always bought my Formula Ford gaskets from my local factor who bought them in from a company called 'Ferrari' . no connection with the car maker of course. You may find them on google...
Just checked my records and the ones I used were Payens.......

[Edited on 21/1/16 by redturner]

Flat top head, flat top Pistons?

Can that be correct, where's the combustion pocket.

what Mark said ^^^^^
you need one or the other.
i know thats nothing to do with the gasket buy hey ho.
never heard of oval holes for pushrods either,just go to your local friendly factors and get payen or similarly known make gasket set.

Pistons have to be machined to use the 244 cam or your going to smash the valves.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mark chandler
Flat top head, flat top Pistons?

Can that be correct, where's the combustion pocket. [/quote


A desiel Xflow!

---

Paul Turner - 21/1/16 at 08:08 PM

quote:

---

Originally posted by mark chandler
Flat top head, flat top Pistons?

Can that be correct, where's the combustion pocket.

---

Back in the 80's and 90's plenty of people used flat top pistons in x-flows with flat heads and they went well enough.

Even expensive Omega and Cosworth pistons had pockets that were machined flat, only difference was the 6mm approx upstands round the circumference.

---

mark chandler - 21/1/16 at 08:16 PM

quote:

---

Originally posted by Paul Turner

quote:

---

Originally posted by mark chandler
Flat top head, flat top Pistons?

Can that be correct, where's the combustion pocket.

---

Back in the 80's and 90's plenty of people used flat top pistons in x-flows with flat heads and they went well enough.

Even expensive Omega and Cosworth pistons had pockets that were machined flat, only difference was the 6mm approx upstands round the circumference.

---

Not flat top then with a dish in the piston, now that makes sense and what I was expecting from pulling cross flows apart years ago.

We even had one with small chambers in the head and dished Pistons, really early 1,300 I believe which was rubbish.

[Edited on 21/1/16 by mark chandler]

---

Adamirish - 21/1/16 at 08:28 PM

Thanks for the replies, I have heard of a lot of people using the Payen gaskets so I shall have a look and see what I can find. I just want the engine to be right is all.

As for the Pistons, yes it is flat pistons and flat head with a 244 cam. I'm quite happy to post pics of the set up. The engine goes very well indeed, well it did!lol

It has been done for years, a friend of mine used to run the same set up in a grasser.

Apparently the adjusa gaskets have oval push rod holes according to burton power.

Thanks again for the replies!

---

Adamirish - 26/1/16 at 11:22 PM

Just a bit of an update. I got a refund from burton. A bit of web surfing and found that engineparts.co.uk stock the equivalent Ajusa gasket. Ordered one yesterday, arrived today and it fits!

Engine is built, valve clearances done(the adjusters are bloody tight aren't they!) and it's ready to go back in.





Thanks for the help and advice.

[Edited on 26/1/16 by Adamirish]

---

Paul Turner - 27/1/16 at 10:19 AM

I used the Adjusa gasket (from Burton) when I re-built the 1860 steel x-flow back in the late 90's (85mm bore with Omega pistons on Farndon rods, 82mm stroke Farndon crank). I had had problems with the nasty old copper/asbestos gaskets sealing for several years but the block and head were both fine. After fitting the Adjusa I never had another problem.

Engine looks great, hope it runs as well.

---

Adamirish - 27/1/16 at 04:23 PM

Thanks Paul. I hope it runs ok too. I don't see why it wouldn't.

Your old engine must have been a little rocket!

---

Paul Turner - 27/1/16 at 04:54 PM

quote:

---

Originally posted by Adamirish
Thanks Paul. I hope it runs ok too. I don't see why it wouldn't.

Your old engine must have been a little rocket!

---

When fitted with a Kent 254 cam it produced a genuine 175 bhp. It held several class records at venues such as Curborough and 3 Sisters. It did a SS 1/4 mile in 12.9 seconds (using very sticky Hoosier tyres) with a 100 top speed (unfortunately the 7 is a brick).

Fitted Weber Alpha ignition eventually, chap I have known for years offered to make the brackets etc, fit it and map it FOC if I bought the kit, thought for 1 second and said yes. Ultimately it had no more power but the drivability was much improved as was economy when I used it on the road.

At the last rebuild I found the cam and followers worn so on the advice of a trusted engine building friend I fitted a K3A cam. It was a Kent grind but a Holbay profile. It was a cam he had used for years in his 1300 grass track screamers with great success and he thought it would go well in the 1860. At the top end I lost about 10 bhp (165 @ 6500rpm) but low down there was way more torque even though the torque still peaked at about 5500 rpm, 145 lbs ft was best NMS had seen from a x-flow at the time.

First time out in this form I did not expect miracles at Curborough but was happy to accept slightly slower times since the car was so much nicer on the road. I was shocked when I improved my previous best on list 1A tyres by 1/2 a second. Lost about 3mph over the line but I think the improvement was mostly on my launch (which was much easier than the spluttering start that was inevitable with the 254 if you did not get the revs perfect). By the end of my 4th event of the year which was back at Curborough I was a full second faster. So much for power.

Sold the engine to a mate and rebuilt it once for him when he cracked the head. Other than a replacement head it only needed the usual consumables.

He eventually sold the car to a chap in France to use on trackdays, wonder if its still running.

---