I have my heads of the engine and need your opinion on head gaskets.
I came across the cooper head gaskets but never see any post about those, are you guys using those? Many different thickneses are avalable and other than price I don't see any disatvantages and they are reusable (not that I want to take my heads of that often )
So what do you guys think about using those?
I am using my car on street and track and want to use .031". I was thinking about using .029 (that are available from LPE?????), thicknes is important because I don't want to loose much cr (with 1094 Fel-Pro .015 Iwas running ~10.5). I want to stay away from .040 but if no choice than I will go with them.
TIA
Ziggy

 

from what i understand, copper head gaskets are not recommended for street use due to sealing issues with the coolant and oil passages. I'm using a vicotr reinz .026 head gasket. It's the thinest one i could find that is compatible with Alum heads that will hold over 10:1. Felpro told me they didn't recommend their .015 gasket for anything over 10:1.


Why are you changing the head gasket??

 

Are you sure you want to know? Here it goes.....
My car was on fire, it happened when my car got floded with fuel and I was trying to clean up the fuel from the cylinders and while cranking the motor to push out the fuel, some of the fuel got on the coil and bum, the entire engine compartment was in flames. This hapened at the alignment shop, but it was not their fault. Later I found out that when I converted to the carburetor, I did not change fuel tank cap with the venting and that's what coused the fuel pressure to keep changing based on the amount of the fuel in the tank and the distance I drove. Instaed invastigating the problem I keep changing the reguletors and adjusting the pressure. Anyways, after I finally got my car (towing) and started cleaning everything, I wanted to make sure that all the fuel is out of the engine and crank the motor some more with piece of ruber in place of the spark plug and noticed that it's not blowing as much from #1 as others. I did the compression test and got 80psi from #1 (after 3 cranks) and 175 ~190 psi from all others. After that I did the leak down test and I could not determine the place of the leak. You know what happened next ....
I got the #1 piston out of the engine and no reason why it should leak, checked the valves and the rest and still do not know where's coming from, but as Monty sugested I changed the rings and will go with the thicker head gasket and see what hapenes than.

That gasket is very thin, but nothing indicated that this was the problem, but than again, this was my first time doing the leak down test and I might of not listen to it as I should?!
I know that there was a post not too long ago, but I can't recover it. .026 would work for me, what's the part # and where did you get it?
With the .026 I would be just over 10:1 so I should be fine there.
Thanks
Ziggy

 

I have never had a problem with copper head gaskets. I only spray the block side with goop. I think the longest I ever had them on was 3 years. Copper is less corrosion prone than aluminum. I always use distilled water and anti-freeze. I also put a small bottle of aluminum corrosion inhibitor. Because I have aluminum rad., heads, water pump, and intake.


[Modified by gkull, 10:04 AM 8/27/2001]

 

Gkull, i've heard of successes and failures with copper. The thought of a failure was enough for me to look elsewhere.

Ziggy, sorry to hear about your problems and i hope the rings will solve your low compression problem. I recently had a similar problem with #1 & #2. they were at 150 while the others were at 180. Both had poor leak downs as well. Then i blew the head gasket between #3 & #5. Had the head repaired and reinstalled and now #1 & #2 are fine...go figure. I'll bet you either had a leaking head gasket or valve. I believe the gasket # in 5746 nitro seal graphite/stainless, .026 compressed thickness, good to 14:1. Carquest carries them (at least that's what i'm told). I was looking into the .015 Felpro, but they told me not to use it on more than 10:1.

Good luck with your repairs

 

I have a O ringed block so I am forced to use them but I think they are prone to seeping oil and coolant. I prefer a good composite gasket.
Norval

 

Thanks guys for the replyes.
Ralph,
I called Napa and they got them so I ordered it, and your part #is right on the money :yesnod:
I hope that this and the new rings will fix the problem, but my compresion was much more lower than yours. Time will show!
Thanks again,
Ziggy

 

Norm,
That's a one BIG top end you got there :yesnod:
I had no idea about o ringed blocks. Where those the o ring goes, around cylinder walls or around coolent passages?
Just wonder :confused:

Ziggy

 

An O ring block has a .040 grove cut .032 deep into the deck around each cylinder. A special ss wire is carefully cut to length and tapped lightly into the grove leaving .008 sticking out to bite into the copper gasket. With 12 lbs of boost the compression can go past 14 to 1 and o-ringed blocks are needed. This operation is not very difficult and a hand tool is used to machine the block. It positions in the bore and is turned by hand. The depth is fixed. It sounds croud but it comes out very precise with a nice finish.
Yes the top end is very large but O so powerful.
Norval

Norval

 

Very interesting :yesnod:

I picked up the gaskets today from Napa, Part #5746 for $22.49 each.
I will be working on it next week duo. I got few other things that I need to take care of before I can work on my car.
Thanks for your help guys.
Ziggy

 

good luck with those gaskets. So far so good for me.