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Re: Blown head gasket

To: Ted Schroeder <tedseven@torchlake.com>
Subject: Re: Blown head gasket
From: Dave & M <rusd@velocitus.net>
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2006 12:05:55 -0700
Hi Ted,

I have no idea if the suggested combination will work. Solid copper is not very 
forgiving.
Would suggest that you ask "Gasket Works" about needed cylinder head & block 
"level
requirements & surface finish" while you are about it. This would be especially 
critical
with this type of gasket.

My personal experience with solid copper gaskets is that hot copper has very
little mechanical strength & is not very fire resistant. To top it off, it is 
often hard
to seal the coolant passages. I'll leave this to the opinions of others.

The fact is, nearly all high performance gaskets use steel rings around the 
bores.

A stock compressed gasket is around .055" thick.

The head deck thickness is measured from the gasket face to the inside floor of 
the water
jackets. IE, the lower gasket seating surface thickness. You can measure it 
through one of
the coolant holes. The Fours often vary considerably in this thickness from end 
to end.

Ted Schroeder wrote:
 > Thanks to Dave Russell, Dave Porter and Paul for all your help.
 >
 > I contacted Gasket Works copper@headgasket.com.  They make the stainless 
 >.004" rings.
 > They said that the rings may not work with a standard gasket and recommend 
 >their solid
 > copper gasket that comes in various thicknesses - .022-.125.  I'm not sure 
 >what the
 > thickness of a stock compressed gasket is. They suggested .043.  That seems 
 >awfully
 > thin to me but what do I know.  Has anyone had experience with these copper 
 >gaskets?
 >
 > I'd like to take take this less invasive approach and see what happens.
 >
 > Also, is the 'head deck thickness' the depth of the combustion chamber?
 >
 > Thanks again, Ted




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