Reconditioned s/b heads

[Jim Callan]

Original post is on page 2

Well......... I took these heads to the machine shop for a 'valve job', the next day the machinest calls me - wanted to know WHO reconditioned the heads the last time. I forget.. it was 25+ years ago. Anyway, these heads DID have the 1.60 exhaust and the intake seats were cut for 2.02 BUT had 1.94 valves installed ! And all of the valve springs had .060 shims under them. I'm surprised it ran as well as it did. I had them install the 2.02 intakes, all new springs and seals, guides were 'perfect'. I can't wait to see how it runs now.
Can someone suggest what head gasket I should use ? The one I took off was steel but I can't find a part#.

Thanks

[Joe L.]

Re: Reconditioned s/b heads

Jim-----

The steel shim type gasket is now GM discontinued. However, they are still available in the aftermarket. Any good auto parts store should be able to fix you up with them. I don't recommend the steel shim type gasket, though. For this gasket to work properly, both the head and block surfaces have to be absolutely FLAT and near-perfect. Most of the times, folks with Corvettes with original engines don't want to surface the block to ensure an absolutely flat surface.

On small blocks or big blocks the only gasket that I use and recommend is the Fel Pro PermaTorque series, composition gaskets. These are expensive (about $45 EACH), but they're all I use. For a small block I use Fel Pro #1003 or 1014 (best).

[Brian Monticello]

Re: Reconditioned s/b heads

Whatever you do, be sure to measure piston to deck clearance. On my 327 one bank of cylinders was .010 higher than the other. I compensated by using a .029 composition gasket on one side (GM) and a fel-pro .039 on the other. This kept the compression ratio constant. Had I known my block was cock-eyed I would have had them deck the one side.

Brian

[Patrick H.]

Re: Reconditioned s/b heads

Often if you purchase an entire Fel-Pro performance gasket kit for an engine you will pay a nominal amount more than for just the two head gaskets, and get the intake gaskets and the rest you will need. I have found the best price to be through Summit, but I know that even AutoZone sells them.

Patrick

[Duke W.]

Re: Reconditioned s/b heads

It's not uncommon to find one deck high by five to ten thou. If you're lucky the high side is the left, so you can cut it down with no consequences.

Otherwise select fitting gaskets as you did is the way to go.

Duke

[Jim Callan]

Re: Reconditioned s/b heads

The heads were 'surfaced' and I laid a steel straight edge on thr block, it appears to be flat. How much compression would be lost using the composite gaskets ?

[Joe L.]

Re: Reconditioned s/b heads

Jim------

The steel shim gaskets are about .020" thick; the Fel Pro Permatorque are about .039" thick. I would expect somewhere around .3 to .5 would be lost on CR.