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I finally got everything back together today and went to start the car but coolant is passing by the head gasket out the sides of the block/head. I torqued them to 62 foot pounds in the pattern laid out in the service manual. This is a brand new copper head gasket. Frustrated a bit.

How did you install the head gasket?

Was any milling done to the head and was it and the studs and the washers under the nuts the same ones or at least the same thickness as the originals? Conceivably for something like that to happen the nuts could be bottoming out on the stud threads before touching or at least tightening against the head.

Also, if the head is different or any milling was done that thinned the head there could be an issue with valve clearance. Be sure to run a check before tightening the head and cranking the engine or valves or lifters could be damaged. If a 54 engine with aluminum head, when changing from an aluminum to cast iron head there is quite a bit of difference in thickness. Unless you check to be sure the studs have enough thread or change to shorter ones extra thick or multiple washers will probably be needed.

I just got a call today from a very frustrated mechanic in VA who is having the exact same problem on a 288 (same gasket and block as your 327). It makes me wonder if something very funky is going on with the gaskets. The VA head was freshly milled, and even with a low torque the gasket should hold water for crying out loud.

That said, I do always put my gaskets on with the old hot rodder's favorite of a heavy coat of aluminum paint on both sides.

I guess I'd try running the engine through a couple of heat cycles and carefully retorque to see if everything seals up. The last new gasket I retorqued a few weeks ago took an astonishing near half-turn on each nut after several heat cycles.

Ross, what do you think of the aerosol Copper Coat? That’s what Ive always used on heads.

I had the same problem some years ago. I had refitted the head to my 1929 Packard with a new gasket (not from Olsens)after an engine rebuild that included machining the head and top of block. It leaked water out the side of the head and into the cylinders. I had tensioned the head down so I repeated that a few times but it continued to leak badly.
I removed the new gasket (that looked fine on inspection) and refitted the old gasket just to check that it was the new gasket causing the problem and it sealed perfectly. I drove the car on a number of tours with the old gasket and it is still there today.

I always torque heads several times. I install them and torque bolts to 15 ft lbs. Then 30 then 45 then 62. run engine leave engine cool and retorque. I had a problem with a head gasket from olsons. Someone must have dropped it and there was a wrinkle in the corner. I called olsons and they said it would be fine I put it on and it leaked where the wrinkle was. I called olsons they said they had a 5 day return policy and I was past that and they would not take it back.

There is a series of videos from Cold War Motors (a Canadian junkyard) where they got an old Buick and a '53 (maybe) Packard running. The Packard has a stuck engine which they got loose and a bad spot or 2 in the copper head gasket. Guy took the gasket and straightened out the bad place(s) and reinstalled it. He reported no leaks.


I was wondering about the coating, or lack thereof.


Which may be why my Deluxe has a green spot that doesn't match its Packard green on the side of the head. One more damned thing to look into.

I'm sure the Copper Cote is fine, but once I heard that aluminum paint is what the old Hudson racers used, that was all I needed to know.

And incidently, after we cleaned out the mouse nest in #7 cylinder on Clippy, we slapped the head back on with the old gasket and some aluminum paint and I have driven it 12K miles since.

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Alright, just to follow up on this, I just did a couple of heat cycles and retorqued each time. 4 times in total. Problem solved. With those new lifter installed it is whisper quiet under the hood and makes the magnaflow exhaust system I welded together sound even better.

I can’t thank everyone on this forum enough for their help and advice.