Question about proper head gasket - Ford 3000 Diesel

   / Question about proper head gasket - Ford 3000 Diesel #1  

dbritt

Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2022
Messages
30
Location
Southwest Missouri
Tractor
Ford 3000 Diesel 1965
I'm rebuilding my 1965 Ford 3000 diesel from the ground up. I'm currently in the engine, reassembling it after overhauling it. I started to reinstall the head today, but when I pulled the head gasket out of the overhaul gasket kit, I noticed that there are 3 coolant passage holes in the block that match 3 in the head, but the gasket in the kit has those 3 holes blocked off. The gasket has a thin line of blue RTV, about the width of a heavy pencil mark, all the way around the head gasket, plus around each hole in the gasket. But, the location of these 3 blocked holes, while outlined with the RTV, they are not punched out. I have checked to be sure they are not punched but just have a hanging chad (SORRY!), but they are made like that with no indication of any attempt to punch them out. I looked at some pictures on various parts suppliers online, and some have those 3 hole locations intact, and some have them punched out. Does anyone know why there are 2 versions of gaskets, or why the passages are drilled in the block and head, yet isolated by the gasket?

Thanks in advance.
 
   / Question about proper head gasket - Ford 3000 Diesel #2  
I'm watching this tread. Why? Because I want to see how it turns out. 🤔
 
   / Question about proper head gasket - Ford 3000 Diesel #3  
Hi,
Have you been able to see the one in your motor? Holes or no holes?
 
   / Question about proper head gasket - Ford 3000 Diesel #4  
What does the old gasket have? I never throw away the old until I verify the new. Anyway it is common for some of the ports to be blocked off to direct the coolant flow. Most likely the blocked off holes your referring to were put there to clean out the block after it was cast.
 
   / Question about proper head gasket - Ford 3000 Diesel
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Thanks for the comments. About 3am, while watching the snow pile up outside, I had the same thought about checking the old gasket. I'm sure it's still around the shop somewhere. I started the engine teardown about 9 months ago. Finding it may be a challenge. I will check when I get to the shop this afternoon. I had not thought about the casting holes being there only for cleaning the passages out. The 3 holes that are blocked off are much smaller (5/16" or so) than the ones that are not blocked (1/2" or so), so the purpose of the blocked ones being for cleaning out after casting makes a lot of sense. What makes me question that is the mating holes in the block, and the fact that some pictures of gaskets on vendors' sites show the holes punched out. Perhaps some gasket makers just punch everything not realizing they should not be?
 
   / Question about proper head gasket - Ford 3000 Diesel #6  
If you find the old gasket lets us know the result.
 
   / Question about proper head gasket - Ford 3000 Diesel
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Well, I guess I tossed the old head gasket. I spent a couple of hours looking for it today, and if it was in the shop, I would have found it. It was steel and while I remember putting it up on a shelf to keep, I probably tossed it during one of my scrap metal recycling binges without thinking. So, no way to know what I had on it to begin with. I have found 2 different Sparex gaskets that both say they are for the Ford 2000 and 3000 3-cylinder engines, yet they have different part numbers, and different blocked ports. I'm wondering if one is an OEM design and the other is a modified design that maybe improved cooling. As far as I can tell, all the ports in question belong to the coolant paths. I guess the only way to find out, since both are supposedly for the same application, is to put it on and watch the engine temp carefully until I'm sure it's ok.

I would really like to have a definitive answer, though.

I'll do some more research, but if anyone has any knowledge about this, I'd appreciate some info.
 
   / Question about proper head gasket - Ford 3000 Diesel #9  
Have you asked the guys at Yesterday's Tractors?
 
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   / Question about proper head gasket - Ford 3000 Diesel
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Ruffdog, thanks for that link. It was very informative and makes me more comfortable going with the gasket I have in hand if that is what I end up having to do.

Stuckmotor, I have not ben on the YT forum, but I will post this question there as well. What little research I've done tonight seems to indicate this is the correct gasket, but the other one I have seen will work the same, it just blocks off different ports and opens others, with the end result being that the coolant flow, while slightly different, achieves basically the same result with either one.

Thanks for the replies. I'll update when I have more info.
 
 
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