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Ea81 head gasket install question


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I was about to install the right head for the #1 and #3 cylinders on my barn find ea81 and I noticed there was only one mounting stud (I don’t know what they are called) while the left side has two. Are they all this way? Should I just let it ride? Also I’ll need to know what it’s called if I am going to find one and drive it in.

i put an ear plug through the block where I think the mounting stud should be. 
    Thank you all in advance.

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The purpose of the Dowel Pins are to line up the head gasket and head when mating with the block so they are in the correct position. The pin should fit easily into the head, but tight into the block.

I have made similar ones from bolts or a steel bar ground down and then cut to length. Hardware stores usually carry metal dowel pins, but probably not the right diameter and a short pin is hard to grind down to a smaller diameter. You can hold onto a steel bar while grinding it down.

A machine shop can turn one out pretty quick.

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4 hours ago, Rampage said:

The purpose of the Dowel Pins are to line up the head gasket and head when mating with the block so they are in the correct position. The pin should fit easily into the head, but tight into the block.

I have made similar ones from bolts or a steel bar ground down and then cut to length. Hardware stores usually carry metal dowel pins, but probably not the right diameter and a short pin is hard to grind down to a smaller diameter. You can hold onto a steel bar while grinding it down.

A machine shop can turn one out pretty quick.

Not disputing suggestion here but surely the head studs help align the heads on EA81 and tension would hold head in pretty good position. My suggestion is a thought only, because I thought the dowels prevent things shifting about with all the thermal changes that go on over the engines lifetime. Sometimes find dowels in corresponding component - the head in this case . Machine shop take it out and forget to give it back?

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Don't worry about it. Just line the head up by laser eyeball and lock it down. It will be fine. These are decidedly NOT swiss watches. I've installed EJ heads with no alignment dowels and never had a problem at all. Obviously line it up as best you can by eye, but don't sweat it being missing. 

GD

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