Thinner Head Gasket & Head Work?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 277
Likes: 39
From: Billings, Montana but forever from Nebraska
Thinner Head Gasket & Head Work?
Has anyone gone from the stock head gasket to a thinner head gasket?
Getting the quench height correct (pistons are below the deck at TDC from the factory) & a slight bump in compression are the reasons I have heard it’s beneficial. What thickness & what gasket have you used? Any idea what kind of a bump in compression one would possibly see?
What else have you done with the heads off; porting, better valve design or size? Fully rework the heads? Anyone mill the heads and also use a thinner head gasket? While my heads only have 73k on them, I never know what I’d find, if I was to pull them off. However, since I could pull the heads now with minimal extra work, I need to explore it.
Getting the quench height correct (pistons are below the deck at TDC from the factory) & a slight bump in compression are the reasons I have heard it’s beneficial. What thickness & what gasket have you used? Any idea what kind of a bump in compression one would possibly see?
What else have you done with the heads off; porting, better valve design or size? Fully rework the heads? Anyone mill the heads and also use a thinner head gasket? While my heads only have 73k on them, I never know what I’d find, if I was to pull them off. However, since I could pull the heads now with minimal extra work, I need to explore it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 6,940
Likes: 1,490
From: New Jersey
Has anyone gone from the stock head gasket to a thinner head gasket?
Getting the quench height correct (pistons are below the deck at TDC from the factory) & a slight bump in compression are the reasons I have heard it’s beneficial. What thickness & what gasket have you used? Any idea what kind of a bump in compression one would possibly see?
What else have you done with the heads off; porting, better valve design or size? Fully rework the heads? Anyone mill the heads and also use a thinner head gasket? While my heads only have 73k on them, I never know what I’d find, if I was to pull them off. However, since I could pull the heads now with minimal extra work, I need to explore it.
Getting the quench height correct (pistons are below the deck at TDC from the factory) & a slight bump in compression are the reasons I have heard it’s beneficial. What thickness & what gasket have you used? Any idea what kind of a bump in compression one would possibly see?
What else have you done with the heads off; porting, better valve design or size? Fully rework the heads? Anyone mill the heads and also use a thinner head gasket? While my heads only have 73k on them, I never know what I’d find, if I was to pull them off. However, since I could pull the heads now with minimal extra work, I need to explore it.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,157
Likes: 554
From: Glenbeulah Wi
I have used the felpro 1094 coated steel shims and they work great.
Compared to the stock .051 gasket you would see a .85 increase in compression.
Compared to the stock .051 gasket you would see a .85 increase in compression.
Last edited by bjankuski; Feb 7, 2022 at 06:54 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 277
Likes: 39
From: Billings, Montana but forever from Nebraska
That’s a nice bump in compression with the FelPro 1094! How did she run with that or were other mods done as well?
Was that with a stock bore? The 1094 that I found at Summit today says it’s made for a 4.100” bore.
Was that with a stock bore? The 1094 that I found at Summit today says it’s made for a 4.100” bore.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,157
Likes: 554
From: Glenbeulah Wi
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 277
Likes: 39
From: Billings, Montana but forever from Nebraska
The things I ordered from TPIS should arrive in the next day or two; new billet roller cam, springs & timing chain/gear set. I’m still on the fence about pulling the stock heads to swap to the thinner head gaskets. Knowing myself as I do, I know once those heads come off then I’m going to be porting them, using narrower stemmed race valves, & on down the line… There’s no way I could only change to thinner head gaskets & not touch the heads, a guy’s gotta make things better! However once those heads are off the block is going to be calling to me to just pull it & STROKE IT!
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
I did it too. Put some Vortec Heads on a friends boat and went with the thinnest steel shims we felt safe putting in there. Thing runs GOOD, but obviously the port itself made the biggest diff.
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 277
Likes: 39
From: Billings, Montana but forever from Nebraska