Cometic or Copper O-ringed?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 2,535
Likes: 2
From: Rochester NY
Chris
I got cometics gasket on my now. Before I bought my cometics I have exchange emails with L J on the camaro board. His Z28 running 24psi and made 1000hp with Vortech SY trim. So far he has good sucesss with it. Before that he went thru a few set of copper gasket and it not holding up. But is was not o ring though.
Bruce
I got cometics gasket on my now. Before I bought my cometics I have exchange emails with L J on the camaro board. His Z28 running 24psi and made 1000hp with Vortech SY trim. So far he has good sucesss with it. Before that he went thru a few set of copper gasket and it not holding up. But is was not o ring though.
Bruce
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by tjwong
Cometics and studs would do the trick. O rings are a pain in the azz to install not to mention expensive.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 3
From: Mount Vernon OH
I o-ringed and receiver grooved heads and block for $300 including the wire. I have a 14/71 on a big chief 509 with copper head gaskets...not a big deal and certainly not expensive to o-ring. Cometic gaskets are made about 90 minutes from where I life and they should hold up fine for you with a bunch of boost. I have never had a copper gasket leak but the way we do them we use the O-ring to push the copper into the groove to form a tight seal and by doing this it is very hard to push the gasket out thus no leaks. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,596
Likes: 19
From: Portland Oregon
Originally Posted by 89b2k
Tom, what do you consider expensive? my engine builder is o ringing the heads for $300.
Around here its around $500 for an O ring job. I watched a machinist perform the job, it doesn't seem that complicated to do, but I watched the guy make the grooves and install the wire. All had to be done just right for it too all work. Unless you are running very high compression or very high boost levels. I don't think that O rings are a necessity. On the engine I witnessed, it was a 530 inch Pontiac engine running 15:1 compression. One reason as it was explained to me why it was being O ringed was that the Pontiac heads doesn't have the cylinder bolt circle arrangement like a BBC.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,475
Likes: 0
From: Speedo Indiana
My Merlin Pro Race BBC block is o-ringed but I did not have receiver grooves cut inot the heads as they (experts) say it is not required until you reach 1600 hp or so (ok, maybe I'll do it next time). I use studs everywhere along with the rubberized/coated copper head gaskets from Flatout Gaskets and have not had any leaking issues, etc.
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