O-ringed Heads.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 388
Likes: 0
From: Acworth Georgia
O-ringed Heads.
Guys,
Recently bought a set of used heads. These heads came with the grooves already cut for o-rings and metal o-rings installed. What are my options? I've never dealt with o-ring heads,....so.....can I:
1) Remove the o-rings from the grooves in the heads and use a standard LT1 Felpro head gasket? I had already bought the head gaskets before I knew about the heads, and if I remove the o-rings,...what's the trick to doing it? I tried today to remove them with some small picks but couldn't get them to come out.
or
2) Leave the o-rings in and get whatever head gaskets required.
Now,...what are the pros/cons of using o-ringed heads? I've heard that they have a tendancy to leak and that when you first install them,...you have to heat cycle the motor 4-5 times while continueally re-torqing the heads. Any truth to this? Also,...if I use the heads with o-rings intact, anyone have any idea which gaskets I need to get?
See pictures below:
Recently bought a set of used heads. These heads came with the grooves already cut for o-rings and metal o-rings installed. What are my options? I've never dealt with o-ring heads,....so.....can I:
1) Remove the o-rings from the grooves in the heads and use a standard LT1 Felpro head gasket? I had already bought the head gaskets before I knew about the heads, and if I remove the o-rings,...what's the trick to doing it? I tried today to remove them with some small picks but couldn't get them to come out.
or
2) Leave the o-rings in and get whatever head gaskets required.
Now,...what are the pros/cons of using o-ringed heads? I've heard that they have a tendancy to leak and that when you first install them,...you have to heat cycle the motor 4-5 times while continueally re-torqing the heads. Any truth to this? Also,...if I use the heads with o-rings intact, anyone have any idea which gaskets I need to get?
See pictures below:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,009
Likes: 1
From: Springfield MO
Re: O-ringed Heads. (Hi-psi)
In order to correctly use the o-rings the block must also be machined to match the heads. I have a buddy with a 93 procharged stang running 8psi who tried using o ringed heads on a non o ringed block....the first time it hit boost it popped both head gaskets. Instead of pulling his motor he had a machinest pull the o rings out of the head and used a standard fel pro gasket. So far so good. I don't know what your combo is but I am currently building a 14:1 379ci sbf that will see 400+ shot of nitrous for my "other" car and I plan on o ringing it. Good luck
