Head leak around distributor

Fellow HAMBERS,

I am running a Mallory series 23 single point dist on my 31 4 banger. Last week the dist froze up and when I pulled it there was rust at the top of the middle shaft where it enters the dist. After working it a couple of hours with Liquid Wrench and WD40, it freed up, BUT>>>>> should I replace the headgasket, as this is the only place water could be entering the dist shaft? There was no eveidence of water going further down the shaft. What gasket should I use (6/1 cast iron head) and is there any type of gasket cement that should be used to prevent this in the future?

Thanks

Chuck Goings
The Only Speedster In Myrtle Beach

 

I had one that rusted the water jacket out, a pin hole in the distributor bore of the head. Had to sleeve the head with a brass sleeve to fix it.

 

Is there a bearing at any point on the dist shaft?

 

You can do a crude low-pressure visual test...hook up the stock tire pump to qverflow tube and start pumping. You might need someone to lean on the radiator cap...total pressure limit is when the waterpump starts fizzing. Look down the distributor hole and see if any activity.
This area can also gather water from crankcsae (pollution and combustion byproduct water) in an engine that runs too cool...you have no real ventilation system in a banger, so if oil isn't cooking off the water it can condense in there.