Bad headgasket?

I have just gotten my jeep ('64 F-134) running after doing the brakes/transmission/transfer case. I haven't really driven it since I bought it in January. I have been tracing down an overheating problem, where the coolant seemed to disappear, then it would overheat. I'm not seeing any visible signs of coolant leakage. This morning when I went to start the jeep, I'm seeing white smoke that smells like coolant coming out of the exhaust. Does this sound like a blown headgasket?

Thanks,

Eric

 

Yes, that is what I would expect to find given those symptoms.

 

Sounds like it. What does the oil look like? How is your compression? Lastly you could do a leak down test.

 

Oil looks fine. I need to dig out my compression gauge.

 

I've done a search, but I'm not sure I found the answer. I have a ROL head gasket that is metal on one side and fibrous material on the other. I know that the FSM says to put the crimped side toward the block (is the fibrous side the crimped side?). The gasket came with no instructions, so I'm not sure if it should be installed "dry" or not. I have two questions:

1. Should it be installed "dry"?
2. Should the metal side face the head?

Thanks,
Eric

 

The gasket set I got, (Felpro), had me put the metal side on the block, and use gasket sealant on it, (metal side only)....worked great. However, I do know that some other gaskets use a self sealing gasket, and supposedly using sealant on them will actually keep that from working.....seems to me that it should have come with instructions....someone on here will probably have the answer based on what gasket brand you got....good luck.

 

Thanks for the responses. I called Walck's and they said to install it "dry" and that there was only one way to put the gasket on, so I shouldn't be able to put it on the wrong way. I might do the copper spray thing anyway.

ETA: I looked at a picture of the head and it looks symmetrical, so I called back again for clarification. Metal side of the gasket goes to the block.

 

my felpro head gasket had no instructions so i called felpros tech line and was told to use HIGHTACK on both sides even though one side was fibre.

 

Funny, my 1964 CJ5 is doing the exact thing. It overheated when the water pump sprang a leak and that somehow caused the head gasket to leak. I too am getting that white smoke after not running the jeep for several weeks. I would like to get it fixed really soon so as not to cause cylinder damage of some kind. If Carl Walck says put it aluminum side down dry then that is exactly what I would do. He has more experience with these motors than anyone I know. And I know alot of jeep guys! Good luck.

PS How long should it take to put in a new head gasket on a F134 F head given no real problems pop up? Doug

 

I've had good results with CopperCoat on steel-backed manifold gaskets, so I'd be inclined to use that on steel-backed head gaskets. Felpro sells a blue head gasket with teflon on both sides that doesn't need sealant - that's the only kind I've used, without any sealant, and no problems.

I know you aren't supposed to reuse head gaskets, but if one were in the wilds of Borneo and had to take the head off, I'd expect you could get away with reusing a head gasket that had not been glued down, if you used plenty of CopperCoat or such. Granted, an unlikely scenario, but that's when it might make a difference if you used sealant or not.

 

And hope you don't have one of these:

 

Thanks. Luckily I've got one, but I need to pull the head to make sure it looks better than this one.