Ok, the heads are getting new intakes put it...........something I should have done when I replaced the exhaust and rebuilt the head last time. When we put the motor together we used Fel-Pro 1-1101's Perma Seal and when I removed the heads yesterday I not at all happy with the way the fire ring look....................my CR is 13.5 to one..................any suggestions? Thanks John
I've heard they don't always seal around the oil/water passages. I personally don't believe they have much if any Viton on the surfaces like they say they do...........................I will look into the MLS gaskets while the valves are being done..............special order because of being .3 taller than what everyone stocks.
Looks similar to what I have although the gasket I have is for 4.030 not 4.1 bore..................................
I've been using the Cometics and I experienced the leakage problem. I got a great tip from BadMav which fixed it right up. A can of Barrs leak seemed to do the trick. He said that his father runs these in his dragster and had the same problem. A can of Barrs leak and it is good to go.
i personally have had good luck with bars leak but just the other day i had a customer saying that they used it and there operating temps went up 10 degrees. im not sure what went on there but its a possible problem.
You know I've heard from a number of guys about the MLS gaskets leaking although the manufacturers say they are coated with Viton..............The only time I've used Bars Leak was with my first flathead when we stiched the crack in the block with brass screws, peaned them over, filed them down and threw in a can of Bars Leak....................but for head gaskets, WOW!..............never heard of that. I was talking to one of the ProMod guys today and he suggested spraying or using the tube around all the oil holes and water passages....a product they call Hylomar....................apparently during WWII Rolls Royce used this on the head gaskets of the P51 and SpiteFire's with great success...and apparently it was a closely guarded secret for a long time after WWII...........................Anyway the ProMod guy told me to use on the MLS gaskets and I'll have no problem and also said a number of NASCAR teams use the stuff. Not to say the Bars Leak doesn't work.....................I'd just feel a little funny about putting it through the entire cooling system if I didn't have to..............plus I'm going to be putting new gaskets on when the heads go back on. http://www.hylomarsealant.com/index.html Thanks Bryant, I had not thought about Bars Leak for probably 40 years. When we stiched up my flathead block my Grandfather who was an automotive machinest made me run it through the motor...............and in over a year of running the motor to death it never leaked.................. Take a look at the Hylomar... http://www.hylomarsealant.com/index.html
Cometic if the surface finish on the heads and block are what they recommend. If not, victor reinz. If you will spray it, copper w/ o-rings are the best way to go.
I know that MLS gasket manufactures used to say smooth surface on block and head..................smooth................is a pretty broad term. So, the Victor Reinz..........never heard of them and what sets them apart from the others? Have you ever used a cooper head gasket...........I used them on my blown Flathead until they came out with graphite MLS gaskets. Just looking for a direction that is better than the Fel-Pro Perma Seal. Thanks, John
You can always put your old cooper gaskets in the wife's over and heat them. Remember cooper expands.
That would be the day "Pigs Fly"..................I have tried this before with some small parts I wanted to VHT...............she caught me before I even got to the kitchen...............................
An old Super Stock racer friend of mine always recommends these over the Fel-Pro gaskets, he said the failure rate is much better w/ the victor reinz gaskets. I have ran cometics in the past and they are a good gasket if the RA finish on the head and block is just right. If it's a N/A application I would probably go w/ the cometic. If you don't have the right surface finish on the head/block I would go w/ the victor-reinz. If this is a nitrous/turbo application I would run copper w/ an o-ring in the block. This is what I currently run and have had zero problems spraying a 300-350 shot. I hope this helps some.
Thanks for the info. My motor is N/A with 13.5 to 1 CR and suspect the RA number should be at least 50.................I am used to RA numbers in the 250/350 range for medical instruments............but have still hear some people say that even thought MLS gaskets are coated with .001 of Viton that they use a sealer like Hylomar to prevent leaks around the oil and water passages. I have used a lot of custom copper but always had to be very careful of the reaction between copper/aluminum/cast iron. The old block I took at that is now .040 over had (still has) brass O rings. I will check into the Victor Reinz...........thanks for the information.
