Head gasket recommendations for magnum

RustyRatRod said
Hang on now. You have a 5.2 MAGNUM engine? With flat tops with NO valve reliefs? There is your problem. As far as I know, no one makes pistons for the Magnum engine with no valve reliefs, so that means you have LA pistons in that engine I am willing to bet. Why does that matter? The Magnum block has a shorter deck height, so the Magnum pistons have a shorter compression distance. I bet you dollars to doughnuts you have LA flat tops in a Magnum block. The LA pistons have a longer compression height which will push the piston further up in the bore. Couple that with the Magnum's shorter dech height and you got problems.

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Id even think about it, but I ran into the same problem building this Magnum 5.9! I had to mic absolutely everything and do a good deal of machine work to get what I got to work the way I wanted. Definitely try to find some numbers on that piston, because if they are la Pistons somebody made a boo-boo. If they are not la Pistons, start looking at the cam degree, because as they said it's not to lift alone but the duration and timing that allows valves to hit. I have stock Magnum 5.9 dished Pistons at @ .010 deck, .028 head gaskets, heads were shaved .031. got .535/222 on the intake and .550/224 on the exhaust with 1.98 and 1.60 valves. Nothing hits right now, but it would if I retard the cam more than 5°