F-1 head gaskets

slowforty said:
Consider getting a battery impact wrench. My kid uses a Milwaukee at work on Busses and has no issues removing the Lug nuts without a recharge. The infamous Harbor Freight guns are not bad for Occasional use. Not promoting any certain brands. But offering my experience.
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I agree. I've got a 1/2 M18 Milwaukee FUEL impact, which is killer. I'll probably get the 3/8 M18 ratchet.... it's on the list.
 
Still using water, although slower with the head bolts re-torqued.
This truck is a PITA. Brand new transmission is now making clicking noises.
I'm going to have to pull that and investigate.
Not too happy right now :(
 
The Harbor Freight electric impact wrench is plenty strong for those head bolts.
I took an 8ba apart to rebuild a few years back. The motor was out of a boat. It used the lake or ocean water for cooling.
I broke off about ten head bolts. The broken ones were removed at a machine shop. The bill was $700. I had the heads off my ‘51 F1 a couple of years ago. No problem, but I had them off about twenty years ago and used thread sealer on the head bolts.
I also do what a lot of California people hate..... I use anti freeze! That helps keeping the threads clean on the bolts that go into the water jacket.
Water soluble oil helps too.
 
Some great advice from several posters above. One poster said Robert check the bolts and replace the ones that are pitted. No. No. No! Don’t check any of them, just throw them all away.
There may be a next time.....
 
Ended up pulling the heads and replacing the head gaskets.
Normal temp gauge behavior and stable coolant level in the radiator, so
I appear to be good to go now..... well, except for the repetitive re-torquing the heads process.
 

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I have an electric Harbor flake impact wrench. 110 volt. It does a lot of hammering, I like it for the kind of working we’re discussing here.
I ve used it professionally at work about 10 years. It is awfully heavy though, but is very strong.
 
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