D
Deleted member 12676
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Jennings wrote:
"stock aluminum gaskets are almost certain to fail, being a bit weak at ambient temperatures anyway -and impossibly frail at the temperatures to which they will be subjected. Copper is a better material, for while it is nearly as soft as aluminum at ambient, its hot-strength properties are better. Copper is soft enough to make a good gasket in the annealed state, but hardens in use, and must be re-annealed frequently to keep it soft and thus retain its properties as a gasket."
I believe that the stock aluminum gasket is only barely adequate with the low cranking pressure of 90psi (given the head is not the slant plug head) and that higher cranking pressures need a better gasket. I had good luck just cutting out my own gasket from hi temp gasket material. I'm sure there are plenty of people who think their aluminum gasket works just fine but I'm sure they completely ignore the fact that upon disassembly they can see that blackened areas of the gasket was telling then that they were losing compression, and therefore losing power.
Also I believe that every time the head is removed that a new gasket needs to be installed if the gasket is aluminum. That is because it conforms only once to the irregularities of the surfaces.
"stock aluminum gaskets are almost certain to fail, being a bit weak at ambient temperatures anyway -and impossibly frail at the temperatures to which they will be subjected. Copper is a better material, for while it is nearly as soft as aluminum at ambient, its hot-strength properties are better. Copper is soft enough to make a good gasket in the annealed state, but hardens in use, and must be re-annealed frequently to keep it soft and thus retain its properties as a gasket."
I believe that the stock aluminum gasket is only barely adequate with the low cranking pressure of 90psi (given the head is not the slant plug head) and that higher cranking pressures need a better gasket. I had good luck just cutting out my own gasket from hi temp gasket material. I'm sure there are plenty of people who think their aluminum gasket works just fine but I'm sure they completely ignore the fact that upon disassembly they can see that blackened areas of the gasket was telling then that they were losing compression, and therefore losing power.
Also I believe that every time the head is removed that a new gasket needs to be installed if the gasket is aluminum. That is because it conforms only once to the irregularities of the surfaces.