alex perini
Active Member
I have a 440 I'm installing e street heads on 75cc chambers was wondering if I can use the smaller .20 steel shim gaskets on aluminum
Aluminum heads and steel shim gaskets ?
- Thread starter alex perini
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Aluminum and iron expand and contract at different rates, heat related. Not a good idea. Use what the head manufacturer recommends. These will probably damage the aluminum head, (see pic)
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Use SCE copper head gaskets, and spray hylomar, follow manufacturers instructions on torque values. I'd recommend using an ARP headstud kit as well
famous bob
mopar misfit
cometic mutilayer
TrailBeast
AKA Mopars4us on Youtube
Most everything I have ever seen says multi layered steel shim gaskets are recommended for aluminum heads on an iron block specifically because of the dis similar metals and different expansion and contraction rates.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Makes sense. Forgot about the MLS gaskets. I think SCE makes them
Hey Alex, welcome to FABO! I see You re-posted the ? here, and got the correct answer. The ARP fasteners are a good call as well, the bolt kit is engineered with necked
"short" bolts that allow for more head expansion w/o damaging the gasket as readily. I lived a few doors down from a Gentleman who had His BS in mechanical engineering,
but decided to take a maintenance job in the mill when He married & had kids instead of going back for His Masters. He taught Me several things as a car-guy, how to shrink
a panel, modifying carbs i.e. air-bleeds etc., paint-work. One morning He had a stroke, and everything changed for Him. He was able to get around & do things, but all of the
things He had skills for were out of the question, so He needed assistance. He had a head gasket put on by a garage, I was always running around working on hotrods &
street racing, He didn't figure on bothering Me. It was an "Iron Duke" FWD version 4 banger, and they pooched it, looked like they started at one end w/an impact gun &
went down to the other. It failed & He called Me. We took it apart, and when I went to re-assemble it, He had a can of teflon paste.."paint the block and the gasket with it".
It was a Fel-Pro teflon, & I didn't think it was needed being an iron headed engine, "Put it on!!!" He insisted. He knew how much movement went on between different
surfaces, even the same materials because of temp increases & decreases at different rates. The development of MLS gaskets has solved a lot of problems for the modern
OE's.
alex perini
Active Member
Ok thank you i will look into mls gaskets
Marcohotrod
Well-Known Member
Fel Pro 1009
moper
Well-Known Member
Felpro 1009, or Cometic. Engines will run with anything in there. But long term you need the right gasket or it can brinnel the head and lose sealing. Edelbrock wants 1009 because of the fire ring. Or Cometic because they are designed for it. But Cometic needs a very smooth surface on both heads and block to seal properly.
I just recently used steel shim gasket with permatex spray on my engine with Edelbrock 75cc heads.
Too early to call it success, but so far it does not leak anything. I only did just under 100 miles.
I will report if anything goes wrong. I plan to check torque on head bolts this weekend.
Too early to call it success, but so far it does not leak anything. I only did just under 100 miles.
I will report if anything goes wrong. I plan to check torque on head bolts this weekend.
If you want the engine to last then use Cometic gaskets. The OEMs learned this lesson the hard way. Remember the Vega and Omni and cars like that with blown head gaskets. That is why we now have MLS gaskets. No reason to repeat the mistakes of the 70's and the 80's, use the new technology.
DieWilde13
Well-Known Member
I drive now 2500 km with aluminium heads and the Steelshim gasket without any problems.
I just sprayed the "Spray a gasket" Kopper on it.
I just sprayed the "Spray a gasket" Kopper on it.
famous bob
mopar misfit
We used to run the .019 steel shim gasket on the hemi, w/ Chrysler red spray can sealer on both sides,'very sticky". But the hemi had more bolts around the cyl head and better spaced, than most engines.
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