Lead washers?

[thdrduck]

I was reading the shop manual on my B because I am going to pull the head to change the intake. On re assembly they say to install new lead washers on the head bolts. Is this critical? If so where would I get them? If not, what is a good substitute? Thanks again folks.

 

[lyric]

Most of the engine rebuild gasket kits come with
them, if not you can get the at the JD dealer.
They come in a box of 50, I just picked some up a
couple weeks ago, think is about a dollar fifty a
piece. They seal things up around the studs, my
thoughts would be they belong there or they
wouldn't be there. Kevin

 

[tim s]

Their main reason of use is to keep the head bolt nuts from gualding as you torque the head,never seize will work about as good...

 

[Vern H]

thdrduck,
There has been a great pile of disscussion on here regarding lead washers. If interested you might look in the archives on this site. The bottom line is, use them. You can make your own out of a piece of sheet lead. No matter if they are a little raggedy because the excess squeezes out from under the nut and you just tear it off. They act as lube to stop the nut from gauling the head which in turn makes the torque more even. They are not a seal. If you get coolant to the nut you have other problems. John Deere is not the only engine they are used on. My .02 Good luck. VH

 

[Mike M]

As you see some say prevent gualding some say to seal.

Well I'm here to tell you lead washers will do BOTH !!!

Get some and use them. JD should still sell them.

A roll of heavy solder even works. Wrap a ring of it around the stud cut just long enough to fit so the ends meet. I've done this trick on some pesky leaking bolts on other things.

 

[tim s]

I wonder why Deere didn't send lead washers with this 4250 engine kit I opening up this morning,, Oh I know they use a hardened washer to keep the head bolt from gaulding,(some thing that wasn't around back then) and no wires or cotter pins to hold the rod nuts on?? of course not we have hardened bolts now that will take the torque and not stretch loose latter,,( some thing that was not available back then) use the lead washers if you want, but all you need to do is let the head bolts tighten with out gaulding to the head, a hardened washer would do the trick,, but the head bolts are not long enough to allow it..

 

[teddy52food]

So just what are they supposed to seal?

 

[lyric]

I was assuming that's what they were for, in case water got past the gasket some how. Gaurling makes sence when Tim posted it. I understand small diameter washers were unavalible at the time. Thanks for correcting me on this. Kevin

 

[tim s]

Exactly....

 

[Mike Aylward]

Agreed. If water is present at the head bolts you already have problems. No amount of sealer here will fix this. I have re-used the lead washers in the field by rolling them out and wrapping them around the head studs (like the solder trick mentioned) and it worked fine. If they actually wanted to use a seal in this application why would they use something that would "puke" out? Mike

 

[Mike M]

Do 4250 head bolts go directly into the water jacket ?

 

[Mike M]

In an imperfect world since the studs go directly into the water jacket there COULD BE conditions where some seepage COULD get past them and into the crankcase. So they put them in there for double duty. Can't hurt and may even help.
JD put them there so why does anyone even question it ? Put them back in there and forget it !

I think the only reason it is questioned now is because of the EPA and lead fears. Some makers and even JD quit putting them into the engine kits. JD put copper washers in the last 720D head set I bought and let me tell you those are NO GOOD !!! Not soft enough to squish down even ,but too soft to hold up to the torque required for that nut.

 

[forty40]

Photo is from last winter, hardened washers, no problem...yet. However, with only 45 minutes run time, there may be clouds on the horizon

 

[FBH44]

Now THAT is a work of art.