head gasket blows all the time

[arunk]

my tractor engine a perkins diesel model ad3-152 always blows its head gasket.sometimes it lasts a year,sometimes two weeks.i use my tractor to plough and other tilling works.please help.anyone.i have put in a brand new head and radiator.have machined both the top of engine block and head.also tried all makes of gaskets.even put in new liners and complete overhaul with all geniuine perkins powerpart.help anyone.too expensive to replace complete engine.

[Kawasicki]

What are the signs that the gasket is blown?

[thinfourth2]

Bolts too long and are bottoming out?

[hifihigh]

Is it overheating, thermostat might be old.

[m8rky]

Machining the block and head has raised the compression ratio beyond the limits of the gasket?

[mikecassie]

Head Bolts stretching, have you replaced them? Do you have the correct torque settings and using the correct procedure to torque the head down? Does the gasket blow in the same place everytime?

[redgriff500]

I'd suggest google and then posting on a tractor / perkins forum.

[munroman]

You haven't mentioned thermostat and waterpump being replaced, 2 relatively low cost items which can make a huge difference.

What about radiator fans/viscous couplings, is the fan working when the engine is heavily loaded?

When the engine is reassembled, do the head bolts need to be retorqued after a period?

[HellDiver]

There's something wrong - our tractor has the same engine and it's got 500 hours on the head gasket.

The head needs torqued down at the same time as the valve clearances, I think it's 100 hours after rebuild, then 500 hours, then every 500 after that. Ours has just been done.

I'd definitely suggest using proper Perkins/MF parts, not Tractorline or whatever generic parts - they say they're the same quality, but they plainly aren't. We rebuilt the engine on our T20 using generic parts and the engine died within a year - big ends were gone, head gasket gone. Rebuilt it again using MF parts and it's still going strong 10 years later.

[arunk]

also replaced all bolts with studs.the signs of blown gasketis water spills from radiator filling cap.havent replaced water pump or thermostat yet.engine does not overheat as i always check water level after every stop and water level stays the same.yes it blows near one point between 2nd and 3rd pistons.

[cahami]

CR too high? try 2x hg can you get copper ones?

[AJS-]

If it always blows in the same place I would guess something like a hair line crack in the head or worst case in the block.

[munroman]

arunk said:

also replaced all bolts with studs.the signs of blown gasketis water spills from radiator filling cap.havent replaced water pump or thermostat yet.engine does not overheat as i always check water level after every stop and water level stays the same.yes it blows near one point between 2nd and 3rd pistons.

If you replaced bolts with studs, I am pretty sure that the torque settings might be different. e.g. even oiling a bolt before tightening it makes a huge difference to the actual tension in the system.

mmmm......

[Patpat159]

arunk said:

also replaced all bolts with studs.the signs of blown gasketis water spills from radiator filling cap.havent replaced water pump or thermostat yet.engine does not overheat as i always check water level after every stop and water level stays the same.yes it blows near one point between 2nd and 3rd pistons.

Did you ever find a solution to this, im having the same issue. Thx.

[Krikkit]

I'd bet on a cracked head