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Best head gasket?
- Thread starter TulsaFred
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regularman
Yoda
Offline
I would use a gasket and put some of that permatex copper spray on it first.
Hap Waldrop
Yoda
Offline
I recmmend the black Payen head gasket, it is bullit proof. Also if rebuilding the block, go for the Payn bottom end gasket set, it is the only one offered with the rubber oil pan pieces, the cheap gasket sets come with cork instead of the rubber pan pieces. As for the Payen black head gasket, no sealer needed, it goes go on dry. Hope this helps.
Spridget64SC
Jedi Trainee
Offline
I agree with Hap. After quite a few frustations with the "cheap" stuff from VB or Moss, I've pretty much gone back to Payen stuff exclusively. The junk oil pan stuff from VB/Moss is what sent me over the edge.
Payen makes a number of head gaskets and my preference is usually dictated by how many cc's I need in the head gasket to make the Limited Prep (SCCA Race Formula) compression limit.
The AF470 is the stock type gasket and is black paper with a steel fire ring and is a good item. It may or may not have sparkplug side copper seal rings in the little water holes. These are the paired ones between stud holes. Nominally 4.2 CC's in volume when compressed.
The BK450 is a bit better with the copper rings as standard. Often, the AF470 and the BK450 are the exact same piece with just a different part number stamped in it. 4.1 CC's in volume.
The AF460 is the copper/steel performance gasket. It was basically Payen's private lable version of the BMC AHT-188 competition gasket. 3.7 CC's in volume.
I use both silver paint and copper gasket spray, depending upon the look of the block and head surface.
All of the above gaskets can handle compressions up to and past 13/1. Not a problem using any of them for hot street or stock applications.
HTH,
Mike Miller
Payen makes a number of head gaskets and my preference is usually dictated by how many cc's I need in the head gasket to make the Limited Prep (SCCA Race Formula) compression limit.
The AF470 is the stock type gasket and is black paper with a steel fire ring and is a good item. It may or may not have sparkplug side copper seal rings in the little water holes. These are the paired ones between stud holes. Nominally 4.2 CC's in volume when compressed.
The BK450 is a bit better with the copper rings as standard. Often, the AF470 and the BK450 are the exact same piece with just a different part number stamped in it. 4.1 CC's in volume.
The AF460 is the copper/steel performance gasket. It was basically Payen's private lable version of the BMC AHT-188 competition gasket. 3.7 CC's in volume.
I use both silver paint and copper gasket spray, depending upon the look of the block and head surface.
All of the above gaskets can handle compressions up to and past 13/1. Not a problem using any of them for hot street or stock applications.
HTH,
Mike Miller
BlueMax
Jedi Warrior
Offline
I’ve had excellent results with both Payen head gaskets, Copper or Black. You pay for what you get; cutting a corner will only come back and haunt you. If you were racing and were running supper high CR ratios you may want to use a Cometic head gasket. A nice thing about Cometic, you can use it over again.
Spridget64SC
Jedi Trainee
Offline
I use only 4 stem seals. Only on the intakes. Exhausts I set up just a bit loose for racing. Last thing I want is stem to guide bind on either cylinder 2 or 3 with the extra heat from racing. For the street, follow the factory stem clearance recommendation. Save the extras for the head freshen in a few years.
Cometic head gaskets are of a steel shim design. The top and bottom layers use raised embossing for sealing and are of a "memory" material that is reusable. The top and bottom sandwich a steel shim of varying thicknesses (in the range of 20 - 80 thou) for adjustable volume application. Cometic has two thicknesses for the 1275. One 30 thou and the other 40 thou. Good for those 14.8/15 to 1 SCCA F-Production screamers.
Mike
Cometic head gaskets are of a steel shim design. The top and bottom layers use raised embossing for sealing and are of a "memory" material that is reusable. The top and bottom sandwich a steel shim of varying thicknesses (in the range of 20 - 80 thou) for adjustable volume application. Cometic has two thicknesses for the 1275. One 30 thou and the other 40 thou. Good for those 14.8/15 to 1 SCCA F-Production screamers.
Mike
Hap Waldrop
Yoda
Offline
TulsaFred said:
I only use 4 valve seals, it's pretty simple, intake sucks, exhaust blows
On the head gasket, you notice Mike and I both mention using sealers on the gaskets, I think a explantion for this will make more sense, you don't need sealer on the black composite head gaskets, they do quite fine without it, so much so, they normally tear upon removal, they are stuck so well. Mike, myslef and several other SCCA FP prodcution class racers used to use a Payen competition head gasket for our ultra high CR race gnine and the "Turbo Metro rally head gasket" require extra machining to the bores around the top of the block, these head gaskets cost $200 each, so we learned a little trick over time, since we racers often pull our heads to lap in valves and such, we would use head gasket sealer like copper spray and Hitack, not really to aid in the sealing of the gasket, but rather to get it off in one piece, so we could get a couple of uses out of the $200 head gasket, I continue this practice with all my race engines, but not my street engine, because the sealer makes for easy and quick clean up at the track, but it drools sealer between the block and head joint and may be considered unsightly to street car owner, who will not be replacing a head gaaket very often, so on the street engines I put them on dry.