O ringing heads/Block ???? Please help !!

Hi Guys

Im in need of some advice please

I was running the SCE titan (with the built in o ring seal) I had no joy with these no matter any way I tried, They just kept pushing out , I spend hundreds of $$$$$$$ on these bloody things !

I’m just having my Cylinder “heads O ringed”, My question is this !....

Will I need to have a receiver grove cut into the head ? Or will “O ringing” the heads alone be enough ? Here is the spec of my little engine

Has anyone just run with the O ring in the heads ?

Any advice would be very much appreciated 

Thanks Mat



350 BLOWN ALKY SMALL BLOCK

DART pro 1 227cnc ally heads (2.08,1.6)
Aluminum Donovan block
ARP throughout
4340 forged crank (Double keyed)
6"Ally rods
Custom JE Alky pistons (11-1 comp)
Total seal rings
Comp cams rev kit
Custom roller cam
Molly pushrods
Roller lifters
6-71 blower (10% overdriven)
enderle injection
enderle fuel pump (80a pump)
SCE TITAN copper head gaskets (.080 thick)
KING bearings
Harland Sharpe stud girdle
Harland Sharpe roller rockers

 

I run the o-ring in the head and receiver in the block. Some guys reverse it but IMO you should run both to get the full advantage of the o-ring concept.

Corey

 

Cut receiver grove in liners ( or block ) put .041wire in head. If you put wire in block the stainless wire and copper head gasket will make a mushy grove in the head.

 

I have my heads and block both done never had a problem

 

we re aneel the gaskets by heating them up in a barbq to 600 deg then drop them in cool water this will soften them up. then install them and tourque the heads properly, start the engine and get it up to a good operating temp, let it cool and then re tourqe all the head bolts again. this may sound like a lot of work but if it is done corectly your head gasket problems will be over. Are you running aluminum heads? this may be a problem on a sbc because they do not have enough integrity to apply enough pressure between the middle cylinders. some are better than others but generally they all are weak in this area. we run RHS iron heads, 25lbs boost 355 cuin, 485 lift cam, 671 GMC non stripped,our own custom injector, 125 wb dragster, car runs 7.20 leaving @ 1600rpm, 1.09 60ft, 2800ft elev, yes you must run a reciever, ours is in the block.

 

A Dart Pro1 is a fairly light weight head. You would be better off with a thicker casting. O-ring and reciever groove. I like to put the reciever groove in the head. It does show some wear after a while, but it makes it easier to repair a head if needed. I would also try to enlarge the chamber and reduce the thickness of the gasket. Around .040 to .060 area.

 

blown sbc

we run the oring in block and groove in the head. never had a problem with the groove be missshaped after years of running or becoming mushy but we locate the grooves off the dowel pins to the gm blueprint of bore spacing. most shops go off the center of bore in block and then come off dowel pins in head wont match up and has the grooves misaligned and not sealing properly. so make sure when doing orings come off dowel pins and blueprint on both heads and blocks. bhj makes a great tool for doing both off the pins. we have run blown small blocks for 20 plus years.

 

You need to get the copper a couple hundred degrees above recrystallation or grain growth
900°-1100° to get it to go dead soft, bring temp down slow, dont throw in water, you are not trying to temper it are you its not a knife blade? Dont think 600° will do much for the softness, needs to be much higher!
I have worked in brass and steel mills for 30+ years

 

Interesting John,
What about this?
I use the torch, set it fat to lay down a layer of black carbon. Then I reset normally and heat until the carbon vanishes. Works for me or at least I like to think it does.
Never temp sticked it to know the heat range I am working in though.

Dave Koehler
http://www.koehlerinjection.com

 

On the small block always put the o rings in the block receiver groves in the head makes welding on the heads easy don't have to remove o rings to weld and re machine