1948 BF Avery Blown head gasket

[ke.avery48]

I think it was back in 2009, my mother won a 1948 bf Avery tractor in a draw at a tractor museum. Didn't have enough room to store it so they kept it in their facility until 2018 where they said we had to take it. Now it just sat there until I decided to try and get it going. I replaced the spark plugs, fixed the carb up, checked for spark, changed the oil ect... It wasn't even seized from sitting, but I put some oil down the cylinders anyways. This thing was restored when she won it so it has all new tires, new paint (but its flaking off), new gauges and much more.

Anyways, after I got everything done and I cranked it over quite a bit, nothing. Then cranked it over more and coolant started spewing out of between the head and head gasket. Then I pulled the plugs and yeah, the cylinder was right full of coolant. Well, after a few months of procrastination I bought the head gasket but now I need the torque specs and sequence, anybody know what it is? The motor is a Hercules IXB3. some other numbers on the motor plate are 2430906, 008, 006, 15 and 3-1/4x4. whatever that means. Also, do you think it would be ok to run it with normal diesel oil until I get some non detergent?

I know, long way to say I need torque specs and sequence but I thought you people might like a little story. Thanks in advance!
 

[ke.avery48]

I forgot, believe it to be a 1948 BF Avery A with the wide front.
 

[Repairman60]

Cannot help with specs but nice story.
Got any pics you can post?
 

[Repairman60]

You might try posting this in the Minnie
Mo forum here on YT. The MM BF had same
Hercules engine. You might get some help
there.
 

[ke.avery48]

I just found the torque specs, its 45 ft/lbs, seems a little low but I guess it only has a 6.6 compression ratio. I found the same answer on three different sites, one even on a manual for a IXB3 motor so it must be.
wanted to get it running today but I didn't realize the head bolts were completely screwed from corrosion. I have 3/8" grade 8 bolts that will work, but I don't have enough of them so ill have to order some. Hope to have them and another 4L of non detergent oil by next week.
I guess the reason my mother entered into the draw in the first place was to win me one of those pedal tractors that was of the Avery (I was only 6 at the time), she ended up winning the actual thing. I think I remember going there, some sort of event was going on.
Ill post a few pictures tomorrow, its covered in oil, coolant and dust so isn't in the nicest condition right now but I will make sure to post more pictures once its all together and running.
 

[ke.avery48]

Sorry for not posting for a while, never got around to posting any pictures. Anyways, I've got some good news and some really bad news.
The good news is, I torqued the head down and did everything and it started right up! just fired right up like nothing and ran like new.
Now for the bad news, I filled it with water and started it up, I then started it and noticed steam coming from the exhaust, and the longer it ran the worse it ran.
I then noticed water coming from around cylinder #3 spark plug, and finally it was only running on 3 cylinders. So I pulled the plug, cranked it and a whole bunch of water shot out and hit the roof, not
good, this is the same cylinder that had was leaking coolant into it when I fist tried to get it going before I replaced the head gasket. Also checked the oil and of course its making milkshakes.
I then decided to pull the head as the only explanation could be cracked something. I got the head off, filled it with water and no leaks, I then plugged the water pump inlet and filled the block with water.
I then turned the motor over by hand and once cyl #3 got to bottom dead center it started to fill with water. I looked down and there is a pinhole in the cylinder wall that is causing water to fill it with
water, that isn't good.
At this point this isn't a sleeved motor so I need either A a new motor or B a new block and I can transfer all the parts. I emailed a guy who sells Oliver crawler motors and parts, so hopefully he has a
motor that will work. So this all means that it was never the head gasket, damn it.




 

[J.Wondergem]

You could also just have that hole dry sleeved. A machine shop can do that.
 

[ke.avery48]

that's a good idea, How much do you think it would cost?
Also might try JB weld as its small enough. could that possibly fix it?
Just trying to find the best semi-permanent fix as I don't want to spend very much on it and it wont be used very much. Maybe 30 to 60 minutes every month or two.
 

[amtrac]

Regarding the getting a used block option, I can almost guarantee that a used Hercules block will need re-boring at a machine shop to get good round cylinders. Pulling the engine is not big deal since you have a frame to hold everything else in place. I would get the bad cylinder sleeved, and not half-fix the problem. That only leaves it for the next guy to fix. My two cents. BTDT