Have a little check that the head & the block are from the same era -- oilways & poss other connections are different pre & after 1965.I have several mgb blocks & heads and have noted the differences.Google will set you on the right path.
cowlover,
Jan 18, 12:13pm
OP says "i could see it spray out above the spark plugs."
Therefore it is impossible for it to be the head/block joint.The plugs are in the head and for water to spray out above the plugs IMHO is impossible.
The ACL catalogue lists the same gasket for just about every B series BMC engine.Just cause thats whats listed doesn't means its actually correct.
I the gasket you have the copper/steel sandwich gasket or the later style cardboard type thing!
incar.,
Jan 18, 12:36pm
If everything is correct, after refitting the head run the engine for 10 seconds or so without any water, i have always done this for head gaskets/engine rebuilds etc, let it cool down then add water
nzoomed,
Jan 18, 10:31pm
It was spraying out from below the spark pulgs, sorry for the confusion, have been tired after a few late nights and not thinking straight!
It is the copper/steel gasket we used, and it was supplied to us by an MG supplier, its definitely the correct type for this engine, besides we had another completley different brand of gasket which was the composite type do the same thing.
nzoomed,
Jan 18, 10:33pm
its all original, its the original motor that we had stripped down, we havnt swapped any other head, and im aware of what heads are interchangeable for this engine.
bwg11,
Jan 18, 11:01pm
I have a lot of BMC experience, have you checked or done as posts #16 and #17 suggest! Very common source of head gasket issues.
pebbles61,
Jan 18, 11:04pm
A fellow Landcrab owner! what type! Morris/Austin/Wolseley!
kenw1,
Jan 19, 5:30am
I still come back to my original point, an engine would not last and does not lasta day in a UK winter without antifreeze in it, I have seen first hand the result of this,does that mean that you can only rebuild engines when the weather is warm!Or is it that the engine is technically upside down from its original point of manufacture and may therefore leak more from the head
snoopy221,
Jan 19, 5:36am
Well this ain't the United Kingdom
And the gasket IS made by ACL And the gasket manufacturers recommendation and the reasons for it are posted in THIS thread.
I still come back to my original point, an engine would not last and does not lasta day in a UK winter without antifreeze in it,-Also if you READ the gasket makers recommendations they do NOT specify a day.
More the *Initial bedding in sealing process WITHOUT Tri Eythlene Glycol*
snoopy221,
Jan 19, 5:40am
nzoomed ya only on head gasket number 2 at the moment-LOL
snoopy221 wrote:
Bump for O P
Yeah-
mmkay
Back on track in the day when jack was a lad. We used ta say **Death By Glycol*
I.E. an old cooling system and the cuzz wants antifreeze added. mmkay we'll see THAT one next week for a head gasket.
Rekon ya just got the one that has a weakness in THAT specific water jacket that the glycol has found.
Maintenance Induced Failure
At least the head on a pressure test when removed can be wound up past radiator blowin pressure and she should be visible as a defined leak. But yip the old one in a million Ota head aye,,,,,,,,
[Mind you something to have cut apart and hung on the wall]
Reminds me of a young critter I know at a big euro franchise, he gotta Mk3 as well So he pulled the 2553 and did it all up / new this new that Plopped it in / new oil / antifreeze from the franchise too ya know
So It seeped between the head and the block something chronic pouring out some said
So he pulls the head off then. 3 more times 3 headgaskets too thats adding up $$$ - loads of advice too, none of it from the #8 wire & Speights troupe
Nobody told him that valuable sentence
Never put antifreeze in a cast block / cast head rebuild to run it in FFS I dont care if youve decked the block & skimmed the head & youve added the blood from a thousand virgins to the glycol - dont do it! Calcium & Lime will do the rest.even flouride ha ha
Modern mentoring has a long whayyytago
Edited by zephyrheaven at 7:00 pm, Tue 8 Jan
ema1,
Jan 19, 11:11am
Also it's imperitive to blow any fluid (ie coolant or oil) from the stud holes in the block or else when studs are replaced with new or original studs, any fluid in the stud holes will hydraulic and can cause possible crack damage in the block itself. Lots of folks don't realize that fact, especially so with cast iron .it cracks like a carrot under hydraulic force if any oil or coolant in the stud holes isn't scrupulously cleared out with compressed air. I was told that repeatedly when in my training days, and as zeph mentions Don't for gods sake fill a cast iron engine rebuild with antifreeze coolant as it's damn sneaky stuff and it finds even a suggestion of a gap no matter how small to the annoyance of all concerned. I actually used IronTite in any rebuilds I had anything to do with and never had a casting or head/block joint leakage problem ever with cast iron engines period. Drained em and flushed after 2-3000 miles back then and used antifreeze from then on. Where I live a 30% no less A/F -water strength was considered the norm. Things are rather different with all alloy constructed engines these days regarding coolant % and types.
ema1,
Jan 19, 11:31am
I recall it's best to ONLY use BMC (MGB) factory head gaskets on the "A" type 1800 engines.also torque the head strictly to manufacturers specs regarding tightening sequence even to the point of doing the sequence in 3 maybe 4 stages. I've done my own MGB 1800 heads that way, in my Riley 4/72 ( MGB 5 bearing 1800 powered.). That was years ago, sold it in 1991. Did big miles in that car with no drama's in the time I owned it. 170,000miles total with only one total ground up overhaul rebuild. ( Bored block new pistons rings etc etc,, Line bored etc, reground crank/ line bored camshaft gallery fully balanced bottom end rod and piston assemblies etc .you name it it got it no expense spared, head done with slightly over sized valves on hardened seats inserts etc, all valve train replaced with new parts. A new camshaft grind to a slightly warmer spec to remain quite tame for a saloon car. Head studs & nuts were all replaced with new factory items too come to that. Actually there wasn't a lot that wasn't re-newed in that engine. That car went damn well and after spending the $$$ and paying heaps of attention to fine detail it was totally trouble free for another 5 or 6 years until I sold it. Sometimes think I should have kept it, funny how regrets seem to be the norm in lots of instances on thinking back on what you never thought about at the time of selling a vehicle. I guess at the time it's a matter of moving on. ,
chebry,
Jan 19, 7:36pm
Its a landcrab, why bother its not like the machining was all that accurate from the factory, just push it down a bank and buy a Hillman
petermcg,
Jan 19, 9:50pm
ema1
Its good to here sensible answers to the OPs problem, Im sure we can work it out, in the UK there are two headgasket part # one for std size and one for bored engine. I drove a rebuilt engine around the block once after forgeting to put any water in it at all (so no anti freeze problem there) turned out to be a good engine after that!
pebbles61,
Jan 19, 9:58pm
Why would you toss the good car away and buy one that's not as good! lol
scuba,
Jan 19, 10:01pm
because it would land on the 10 Hillmans already down there.
chebry,
Jan 19, 10:05pm
When was a Landcrab a good car! certainly not in my lifetime and I remember them as new cars oil leaking junk fresh from the packet
pebbles61,
Jan 19, 11:35pm
Same here.
nzoomed,
Jan 20, 1:27am
pretty much all British cars were known for leaking oil! lol
Mine is not that bad anyway, just minor seepage.
supernova2,
Jan 20, 9:42am
I used to use a large sharp drill bit to countersink all the stud holes on my blocks.Just turn it by hand and it will scrape off the raised bit/sharp edge.Rats tail file on all the block edges (bores included) just to take off the razor edge. Incidently in 40 years I've never had a rebuild leak either., and in that time I've worked on some dogs and been guilty of some real bodge jobs when custy had no money etc.It all comes down to knowing what you can get away with and taking your time and being carefull.
As for Op problem a BMC 1800 is hardly high tech or highly stressed.Somethging is eithger bent or cracked.ASssuming that motor prior to recon didnt leak then it can only be the gaskedt hasnt sealed.(I've reused head gaskets on A series so cant see why the same style gasket in a B series would be any different).
I'd try this Pull the head, check block and head for straight.All you need is a carpenters square from bunnings for the straight edge. Assuming straight then bit of kero and an oil stone and polish up the block and head face. Unless gasket damaged pop it back on and refit the head.Torque it all up properly - oil on nuts washers etc (I use Rocol J-166).
Fill with plain water, run it up, let it cool, retorque, run it round the block a few times.Seewhat happens.Ifall is good drain it out and put in the anitifreeze etc.
IIRC when new BMC (NZMC) filled them with Barsleaks (that horrible poo brown looking stuff) and didn't use antifreeze at all.They did that with the Austin Princess 1800 which is same motor.
I can recall a backyard 1800 engine job where the DIYer bolted the head down only to find he had left a washer lying on the block face.Pulled it apart, took washer out and just put it back together.Ran sweet and all good.If he could get away with that you most certainly shouldn't have a leak anywhere.
chebry,
Jan 20, 11:50am
My minx seeps oil but it runs great not like this landcrab and as for providing the template for the modern FWD car that was NOT BMC. NOBODY has ever been stupid enough to encase the engine and trans in one lump in modern FWD cars the Gbox is on the end of the engine quite different to BMC practise so no they werent good at all comfy to ride in yesrobust, kind ofmechanicly reliable NO friends mother had a Morris 1800 1967 ex demonstrator very economical it spent most of its time being repaired not driven, when it was 5 years old it rained oil she traded it on a used Mitsi Colt a 68. I used to fill my Humber80 at Payne Motors in Wellsford they had new Princesses parked on cardboard in the showroom to soak up the oil NEW cars! I admire your persistence but Ill stick with my Hillmans they were good back in the day and ok now.
nzoomed,
Jan 21, 1:30am
Would compression ratio affect anything! We have been told that running it at 10:1 would blow a head gasket in no time, however others weve spoke to run theirs at 10:1 or higher without any issues.
chebry,
Jan 21, 1:38am
Could depend on how you raised the compression high comp pistons shouldnt cause problems but skimming a head past its limits might cause your problem. I thought it had been reconditioned not modified.
smac,
Jan 21, 4:01am
Not that I've ever encountered. Those that run high compression and therefore think they need to crank up the head torque end up with leaks. Whereas those of us that run high compression with no increase in torque mysteriously do just fine.
snoopy221,
Jan 21, 4:08am
Nah. sheesh mate when ya dealing with such high compressions you end up having a cylnder head cut apart and having bracing welded in to the cylnder head and the head then welded back together and your cylnder block is machined to accept copper !O! rings around each bore.
Then well-rest assuredNO 10 to 1 won't be YOUR problem.Edited to add when you take a four cylnder naturally aspirated engineat 69 horsepower and have itproducing over 160 horsepower STILL naturally aspirated ya compression is a bit above 10 to 1
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