Board logo

Pinto head gaskets
mookaloid - 4/6/06 at 09:22 PM

To add to my woes (see previous post) My head gasket seems to be leaking - again

Anyone happen to know about these?

I really don't want to have to spend £170 (burtons cometic)

what is a wills ring gasket? what are the advantages?
is the original ford gasket better than those from the local motor factors for a tenner?

Advice appreciated

Cheers

Mark

nitram38 - 4/6/06 at 09:43 PM

A wills ring is a copper hollow ring/hoop.
In order for it to work, a groove needs to be cut around each piston, both in the head and the block. The ring is then sandwiched into this groove when the head is tightened. I have used them on imp engines for racing.
This is not an amateur job.
More than likely, your head may need skimming, but on the pinto, this will depend on valve clearances on your pistons. Again best left to a proper machine shop/engine builders.

mark chandler - 4/6/06 at 09:59 PM

A decent felpro gasket should do the trick, if these leak you need a skim.

a quick google later:

Head gasket FELPRO Ford 2.0 Pinto up to 93mmm FELPRO, TAS0389, Up to 2060cc, £22.95. 600, Head gasket set Ford 1600 X-Flow RWD, PAYEN, DJ202, £17.95 ...

www.speedshack.co.uk/Flash/ downloads/3-6-03%20Retail%20Catalogue.xls

Regards Mark

mookaloid - 4/6/06 at 10:13 PM

thanks guys

Dusty - 5/6/06 at 12:55 AM

I had long running problems with what seemed to be an overheating problem. Blew water out the rad at 80+ mph. No water loss otherwise, no water in oil, no oil in water, no loss of compression. I changed the head gasket, water pump, thermostat and even fitted a larger rad. Eventualy had the head crack tested and it was OK but the machine shop said the would give it a skim to make sure. Solved. Pinto heads do warp.
If you seem to be having recurrent head gasket problems get it skimmed.

britishtrident - 5/6/06 at 07:18 AM

quote:
Originally posted by nitram38
A wills ring is a copper hollow ring/hoop.
In order for it to work, a groove needs to be cut around each piston, both in the head and the block. The ring is then sandwiched into this groove when the head is tightened. I have used them on imp engines for racing.
This is not an amateur job.
More than likely, your head may need skimming, but on the pinto, this will depend on valve clearances on your pistons. Again best left to a proper machine shop/engine builders.


A Wills ring is an alloy steel ring of slightly larger than the cylinder bore formed from capilary tube with the ends are butt welded together, the really important feature is is is filled with nitrogen at around 2000 psi so acts a gas spring.

Each ring sits in a groove machined in the head so that when bolted down against the block it forms a seal with the cylinder liner. Water and oill passages are sealed by paper gaskets and rubber O rings.

Will rings allow more expansion movement between the head and were particularly succesful on racing Imp engines.

[Edited on 5/6/06 by britishtrident]

MikeRJ - 5/6/06 at 09:25 AM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
A Wills ring is an alloy steel ring


FWIW They can be mild steel, stainless steel, copper or Inconel depending on application. They are used in all sorts of industrial sealing applications as well as cylinder heads.

NS Dev - 5/6/06 at 09:55 AM

a cheaper and simpler and just as effective on engines alternative is plain wire ringing.

Here the block face only is grooved, the head is left flat, and the grooves are filled with a copper wire. A normal head hasket is used and the copper wire reinforces the flame ring on the std head hasket.

The grooving can be done in situ with the head off and something in the bore to catch the swarf.

Iskanderian used to make the tool for cutting the grooves, a fair few engine builders will have them.

flak monkey - 5/6/06 at 11:34 AM

Seeing as you have upped the compression ratio i am guessing a std head gasket wont last long in your engine.

Perhaps a Felpro or Ajusa competition head gasket is the way to go? Got to be worth a try, especially seeing as the Cometic ones are and obscene amount of money!

David