Best 4.1 head gaskets?

[ds4545]

What head gaskets are best for a 4.1 engine. I am using GN1 heads.

 

[charlief1]

Aluminum or cast iron?

 

[ds4545]

Aluminum

 

[ds4545]

Any opinions on the Fel-Pro 1000 head gasket?

 

[charlief1]

I think it's felpro 1002 or 1007 Don't remember which though. Don't use 1000 because they're made for cast iron heads.

 

[wickedtt]

Fel-Pro 1026

 

[LOT]

Gasket for 4.1 (stock bore is 3.965)

Felpro 1000 SHOULD fit and work as good as any.
1000 is supposed to fit up to a 4.00 bore, BUT if the cyl. bore has a chamfer @ the top the 1000 may not fit. IMO 1026 is somewhat big (for up to a 4.600 bore). I would like to see some info as to the 1000 being for iron heads only.

 

[charlief1]

According to Felpro the steel fire ring in the gasket of the 1000 will cause a brinneling effect on the heads and should only be used on cast heads and blocks. Going off their info Lee. Sorry.

 

[LOT]

what is brinneling?

According to Felpro the steel fire ring in the gasket of the 1000 will cause a brinneling effect on the heads and should only be used on cast heads and blocks. Going off their info Lee. Sorry.

Thanks Charlie--I had never heard of that. I have used nothing but 1026 for 8 years now. Same as 1000 but for bigger bore. That is why I word my "calling BS quotes" carefully.

 

[charlief1]

I may have the spelling wrong Lee but it's the hardening of a surface that's soft. Just like taking a piece of aluminum and working it back and forth until it breaks. It's also called work hardening. As the head has some slight movement on the engine the steel ring will "work" into the metal and harden it enough to crack it sometimes. Copper has the same issue that aluminum does. I think that's why they have the copper ring in some of the gaskets so it won't screw up the head.

 

[ds4545]

RJC 3M adhesive on gasket

I decided to use the Fel-Pro 1000 gasket. Would it help to use a coating of the 3m adhesive that RJC uses on his head gaskets? I have some remaining from the RJC gaskets that I tried first. Nothing wrong with the RJC gaskets other than they are for the 3.8 block.

 

[NM Tom]

I used the 1000's dry with iron heads, no problems yet.

 

[turbofabricator]

I decided to use the Fel-Pro 1000 gasket. Would it help to use a coating of the 3m adhesive that RJC uses on his head gaskets? I have some remaining from the RJC gaskets that I tried first. Nothing wrong with the RJC gaskets other than they are for the 3.8 block.

Ok.....I, too, will stress that the 1000 are for IRON heads/block, too. I do not like the 1000's except for stageII with StageII IRON heads. The 1026 is better, and specifically stated in Felpro literature that they are for aluminum heads. (going off of memory.) Use Cometics. Tear them apart, spray with light coat of copper coat, and install them. Why use 1000's when stated above to not use them? I use to use them all the time years ago. I had nothig but problems with them. I still have a few sets of blown ones to refere back to. I also would trim the paper surface away on all but the needed areas to seal the water ports, similar to the factory head gasket pattern. (this was done to increase clamp load on the fire ring) Then smear a light coat of silicone around every water port. That helped alot, but still didn't work as good as a Felpro 1007 with PERFECT reciever grooves. I found that the BHJ groove cutter just wouldn't hold the required tolerances. .001" over a 4.100" diameter just didn't work. I had a friend that is a master machinist cut them with very expensive tooling. (he is a tool and die maker)
My vote: Cometics or 1026. I have had good luck with cometics. I will stress that ANY head gasket will fail with detonation. Don't detonate, and DON'T use ROL head gaskets under ANY circumstance..........EVER!