Personally, I've always used steel-shim head gaskets, and sprayed them myself
with Copper-Kote. Even in engines of 12.5/1 compression, I never had any
problems with loosening of head bolts or blow-outs of any kind.
Your machine shop/machinist/engine builder should help you set up & torque-down
a SECOND set of the gaskets you're going to use on your engine. In this way,
you can static-check for any interference problems before starting the engine
under it's own power. Your cost? An extra set of gaskets. I've purchased
steel-shim gaskets for past "racing" engines and have had problems with valve
clearances notched in the gaskets not exactly matching the profile of the
"eyebrows" notched in the piston tops.
For my money, I'd bore the engine out enough to steel-sleeve (like I did on many
Vega, VW, and Corvair engines) it back to it's stock diameter. Sleeving and
boring-to-stock is not much more $$ than boring alone. Then, use a good set of
Chrome-Moly rings, break it in properly, and your engine should last 100K-plus
miles.
Phil
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Copper Head Gaskets
Author: "Jarrid Gross (Yorba Linda, Ca)" <GROSS@UNIT.COM> at ~INTERNET
Date: 3/3/97 10:45 AM
Tigers and Alpine listers,
Perhaps one or some of you can help me on an ambitious project I am
considering.
I have been looking into the possibility to make and use ssolid copper
head gaskets
for use on an Alpine.
Alpine engines can't be bored beyond .040 due to the fact that the
available gaskets
will not have enough sealing surface around the bore areas on the block.
A solid copper head gasket could be modified to allow for larger bores.
Does anyone have any info on solid copper gaskets?
Anyone have any opinions?
I have found a supplier for the gaskets and the price seems good, but
something that does'nt work is a bad deal at any price.
I really wonder about the capability of a gasket to seal if it does not
have a raised area around the coolant ports and the combustion chamber.
Thanks in advance.
Jarrid Gross
Series II Alpine
"Pointy Fin Race Team"
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