Worn exhaust ports

[Cowboysculptor]

Hey guys,

I'm new to involved engine work, although I've rebuilt several motorcycle engines. I knew my fe 360 had exhaust leaks, and pulling off the headers and seeing all the black creeping out the gaskets confirmed it.

I got new gaskets and prepared to install them, so i started cleaning up the surfaces around the exhaust ports on the heads. That's when I discovered how worn those surfaces are. I can't tell the cause, but it looks like chronic exhaust leaks may have slowly blasted away the material. I haven't measured, but it looks like the surfaces are worn down 1/64 to 1/32 of an inch.

So my question is, (fearing I know the answer,) can the heads be resurfaced and used, or do I need to start hunting for replacements? Feel free to tell me that I can just squish a little JB Weld in there and all is good, but I'm not kidding myself.

[Manny]

Welcome to the forum, and that no fair that your headers actually came off without all the bolts breaking. Your surfaces are not too bad. Yes the wear is from years of wear and leaking. From Ford Fe's and many other showed up to the dealer with no such thing as exhaust manifold gaskets. Cast iron on cast iron. The years of heat cycles do them in. As for yours high temp silione, walker muffler sealant that black tar stuff. The best proper way have the heads shaved up clean, and go again. All how involved you want to get. Welcome to the greatest old ford truck site there is.

[Ranchero50]

So my question is, (fearing I know the answer,) can the heads be resurfaced and used, or do I need to start hunting for replacements?

Thanks,
Peter

Ford didn't use gaskets with the cast iron manifolds. That alone should be an indication that the surface needs to be machined flat. I'm not a big fan of any paper based filter on the exhaust as the heat expansion and vibration seems to 'wear' them out. A decent coating of high temp exhaust RTV and some self locking hardware (Google nord-locks) to hold the header to the head will net decent results.

[Cowboysculptor]

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, I got lucky with the bolts, these headers weren’t installed too long ago. The real trick is getting at the bottom bolts on the driver’s side! Persistence prevailed.

I’m glad to hear these heads aren’t too far gone! I went ahead and bought the Permatex Optimum Grey, the 700 degree stuff. I had bought a pair of Hooker Super Comp gaskets, but it seams like with the gasket paste I bought these would be redundant. Is that right? Because putting that dripping sandwich of header flange/paste/gasket/paste/head together seems like a pain.

[Ohiotinkerer]

So my question is, (fearing I know the answer,) can the heads be resurfaced and used, or do I need to start hunting for replacements?

Thanks,
Peter

Ford didn't use gaskets with the cast iron manifolds. That alone should be an indication that the surface needs to be machined flat. I'm not a big fan of any paper based filter on the exhaust as the heat expansion and vibration seems to 'wear' them out. A decent coating of high temp exhaust RTV and some self locking hardware (Google nord-locks) to hold the header to the head will net decent results.

My '68 360 had metal gaskets when I got it and as far as I can tell its never been apart (82,000 original miles) until I took it apart, had my manifolds milled, and put it back together with new gaskets............possibility someone put them in somewhere down the line..............

[Ranchero50]

Were they more of a thin steel heat shield? I used to have a set hanging around. I never considered then a gasket since there wasn't any gasket material on them

[Ohiotinkerer]

Were they more of a thin steel heat shield? I used to have a set hanging around. I never considered then a gasket since there wasn't any gasket material on them

These went all the way around the exhaust ports and had a heat shield type of bend top on them - one of them was blown out on the passenger side so I put a new set of FelPro gaskets in when I put it back together after having the manifolds surfaced and checking the heads......I suppose that's what they could have been intended for but always thought they bolted heat shields on the outside of the manifold.........but this being my first FE motor its been a learning experience....