Oliver 1850 diesel Perkins

I am replacing valve cover gasket on my 1965 1850 perkins diesel. It has a tin or stamped valve cover. I thought they had cast iron valve covers. A friend said it has a combine valve cover. I am wondering what type of gasket I need. It has a coke gasket now.

I noticed the same thing on my tractors. One has a heavy die cast valve cover and the other has a a metal stamped light weight cover. I believe that the engine with the stamped valve cover is from a combine. I have a second engine in my shop from a Massey 510 combine and it also has a pressed metal valve cover. The gasket should be the same for each type of cover as the heads are the same. The cork gaskets always seem to leak after a while especially on the exhaust manifold side. I am going to try using a gasket material in a tube that I have had luck with on differential covers. It is called The Right Stuff. Came in a tube a bit shorter than a standard caulking gun would use. It was about $35 to $40. It has a high temperature range. Bought it at NAPA. Only down side is you need a chisel to break it free when you go to remove a cover.

Use the Right Stuff, and the cork gasket, that way the cork will allow you to remove the cover easier.

When I put a combine engine in mine, I had to use the cast cover from the original tractor engine. The one from the combine had a filler cap on it and hit the fuel tank.

My 1850 had the tin cover when I bought it(since swapped to a perkins from a combine with the cast cover). In the parts book, there is an option for the tin, which was the earlier serial number. Sit down when you price the gasket though, $80 through agco... 165990A should be the part number though.

rrlund, I've read other places that the oil filler hits the fuel tank, but I had plenty of room on my 1850 when I put the 372 in, but maybe it makes a difference on what exact year/model it came out of too. I think mine came from a 73 or 74, 750. I do know the cast cover has several bosses that could be machined out for different placements.

My WFE 2-85 also leaked from the valve cover on the exhaust manifold side. The engine block was always dirty and greasy. We bought a slightly used 2-105 and noticed that there was a sheet metal plate installed on the exhaust manifold that shielded the valve cover from the heat. The 2-105 did not have any leaks from the valve cover. When we had to install a new water pump on the WFE 2-85, we took the opportunity to install a similar plate on its exhaust manifold and replaced the valve cover gasket. No more leaks. Why they did not install this plate at the factory on the 2-85's like they did on the 2-105's has always been a small mystery to me.

Us guys that were Oliver Branch Service Managers in the late 60s could write a book on 1850 Diesel. They were a good engine, didn't come apart. They are a dry sleeve engine that was difficult for dealer mechanics to deal with as compared to the Waukesha. If you didn't turn up the fuel it would run a long time, however we took a lot of abuse from a lot of owners.

The basic problem is that the cylinder head gasket surface for the cover was not a raised surface from the floor in the valve spring area, thus engine oil was against the gasket. The distance between the exhaust port and the gasket surface was too close. When fuel was turned up the increased temperature would turn the gasket to charcoal, leakage ran down the side of the engine on the intake manifold area soaking the intake gasket allowing it to be sucked in. Now you got abrasive into the cylinders.

Those that were ran at 92 HP or slightly above ran a long time. The company spent a lot of money on them. Should you have the Service Bulletins from that time, there are a large number of bulletins. Changed from cast iron to tin covers and I don't recall how many gasket changes. As I recall, tin valve cover with the high dollar gasket, metal pieces under the hold down bolts and clamps at both ends was the final solution.

2-85 & 2-105 had the gasket surface raised and coolant flow between the port and gasket surface, that solved the problem.