Head gasket

To take full advantage of copper head gaskets, you have grooves machined into the block or the head. Stainless steel wire is then embedded into the groove so that it sticks up slightly above the block deck or head surface. Although copper is a relatively soft material, there is a limit to which it can be compressed by an o-ring. Generally speaking, this limit is about 10% of the gasket thickness. For instance, with a 0.030" thick gasket, you would want to limit the height of the o-ring to about 0.003" above the head or deck surface. For a 0.060" thick gasket, about 0.006" and so forth. If the groove is cut into the head for the wire, then a "receiver groove" is machined into the block. If the groove is cut into the block deck for the wire, then a receiver groove is machined into the head surface. When the head is bolted to the block, the wire pushes some of the copper up into the receiver groove and makes a very effective seal.  ''(confirm and expand)''. You'll also need a good sealer around the water passages. If copper head gaskets are used with an o-ring, they are NOT reuseable.  

To take full advantage of copper head gaskets, you have grooves machined into the block or the head. Stainless steel wire is then embedded into the groove so that it sticks up slightly above the block deck or head surface. Although copper is a relatively soft material, there is a limit to which it can be compressed by an o-ring. Generally speaking, this limit is about 10% of the gasket thickness. For instance, with a 0.030" thick gasket, you would want to limit the height of the o-ring to about 0.003" above the head or deck surface. For a 0.060" thick gasket, about 0.006" and so forth. If the groove is cut into the head for the wire, then a "receiver groove" is machined into the block. If the groove is cut into the block deck for the wire, then a receiver groove is machined into the head surface. When the head is bolted to the block, the wire pushes some of the copper up into the receiver groove and makes a very effective seal.  ''(confirm and expand)''. You'll also need a good sealer around the water passages. If copper head gaskets are used with an o-ring, they are NOT reuseable.  

However, copper head gaskets have superior thermal conductivity, thought to stabilize head and block temperature, and provide elasticity and strength.

However, copper head gaskets have superior thermal conductivity, thought to stabilize head and block temperature, and provide elasticity and strength.

Steel shim gaskets come in a variety of thicknesses as the name implies and range from .010 up to .080. Originally, the gaskets were of flat steel sheeting and went on to have an embossed surface. The embossing was strategically placed on the gasket surface around cylinder holes, water inlets, and outer surfaces. The embossing provided extra metal to fill in voids over the sealing surface when torqued into place. Shim gaskets could raise or lower compression in an engine without machining. They were the front runners of the now used fiber and non-ferrous metal gaskets. The term, "blowing a gasket" was common for top racers because they were using a very thin 10 or 20 thousandths shim gasket to raise compression, because of its thinness, the gasket would blow between two inner cylinders. They could stay in the race only as long as the gasket didn't disintegrate and expose the coolant passages to the combustion chamber. Engine builders of the day were often seen applying a couple coats of aluminum paint to both sides of a set of head gaskets to make them stick in place and seal the mating surfaces. The aluminum particles in the paint would fill in the voids in surfaces of the sand cast heads and block.

Steel shim gaskets come in a variety of thicknesses as the name implies and range from .010 up to .080. Originally, the gaskets were of flat steel sheeting and went on to have an embossed surface. The embossing was strategically placed on the gasket surface around cylinder holes, water inlets, and outer surfaces. The embossing provided extra metal to fill in voids over the sealing surface when torqued into place. Shim gaskets could raise or lower compression in an engine without machining. They were the front runners of the now used fiber and non-ferrous metal gaskets. The term, "blowing a gasket" was common for top racers because they were using a very thin 10 or 20 thousandths shim gasket to raise compression, because of its thinness, the gasket would blow between two inner cylinders. They could stay in the race only as long as the gasket didn't disintegrate and expose the coolant passages to the combustion chamber. Engine builders of the day were often seen applying a couple coats of aluminum paint to both sides of a set of head gaskets to make them stick in place and seal the mating surfaces. The aluminum particles in the paint would fill in the voids in surfaces of the sand cast heads and block.