Which Headgaskets?

[turboc87gn]

Im in the process of putting together a new combo for the gn and the plan will be mid tens with ported irons on e85...The shortblock im buying has je pistons, head studs,stock rods,Buick motorsport crank, stock stroke,stock caps

It went 10.20s in a buddy of mines full weight gn... He took it out to install a DLS 4.1 ...My cylinder head guy finally finished my heads he used Comp Cams Ls1 Beehive springs,(up to 550 lift with a hydrualic roller)

I was wondering what headgaskets to use? He had a GM Turbo Buick V6 complete gasket set laying around... He port matched my heads to the intake gasket...I read rjc blowproof gaskets were patterned after these,are the GM gaskets the best for my application?

 

[turboc87gn]

Ttt

 

[S10xGN]

...I read rjc blowproof gaskets were patterned after these,are the GM gaskets the best for my application?

RJC's here. They are 0.034" thick and were patterned after the 0.017" GM steel shim gaskets, which are now and forever unobtainable...

 

[Nick Micale]

.... the 0.017" GM steel shim gaskets, which are now and forever unobtainable...

Not really, I still have a few in stock for the hot air guys! :biggrin:

 

[turbofabricator]

I personally like the 9441pt Fel Pros. THey are a safety valve for a poor tune up. The ONLY drawback to the stock or Fel-Pro 9441 head gaskets is that when you blow one into the lifter valley, you MUST pull the oil pan and clean all the debris from the pick up screen and pan. A mid ten second power level is very safe with stock head gaskets (9441 are stock replacements)

NOTE: Do NOT.....EVER......use ROL brand head gaskets on a turbo Regal. EVER!!!! They do not have an internal wire fire ring. They "look" identical to the Fel-Pro's and GM gaskets, but will blow the first time you see 15psi boost.

 

[turboc87gn]

Thx for the replys fellas ill either use the steel gm ones i have or i may try the rjc ones and keep these as spares i wonder how much a set of brand new in the package Gm onobtanium gaskets are worth?

 

[tallor]

Gaskets

Cometic gaskets??

 

[turbofabricator]

I personally have used every type of head gasket out there for the Buick V6.
Cometics work great IF the block and head is machined to accept them,

1000 Felpro....junk (unless you have an iron headed StageII)

1026 Fel Pro....Fair.

1007 Fel Pro reciever groove gaskets.....GREAT if you have a real good groove, wehich most machinists can even come close to doing it because you have only a .001" tolerance over a 4.10" bore. Hard to do.

9441pt Fel Pro.....GREAT stock replacement

Steel shim. Used them for awhile, but would blow them, too.

SCE copper. Great gasket if you take real care in machining an o-ring and seal them up correctly. Hylomar works well.

For a normal rebuild the stock gaskets are HARD to beat. (including the 9441's) I use them on 600hp engines with great success. At 600 hp the steel shim gaskets just dont have the ability to move with the seriously flexing head and block decks. I have pinned the decks of stock heads to try and put some load on the intake side of the fire ring. It helps, but just keeping the tune up right is the BEST way to make any gasket work. (except for ROL, they blow when you remove them from the package.)

All of the above listed gaskets, I have used and blown at one point or another over the last 20+ years. I use to change head gaskets like most people change oil. In the begining, I use to change head gaskets just about every trip to the track. 11.77@112 on stock injectors, turbo, intercooler, and a POOR fuel pump, ect. is pretty hard on head gaskets. Back then the only chips were like wooden wheels in comparison to today. I would run C-16 WITH octane booster added to it.

 

[Nick Micale]

Ditto on Ken's post, he is right on all points :biggrin:

The Felpro 1026 gasket we use on big bore alum and stage blocks with alum heads since it has an aluminum fire ring.

 

[Major Nutz]

I'm putting my engine back together with the RJC steel gaskets this time. Only took 3 years of tuning mistakes for the 9441's let go. Just trying something differant this time. My stocker motor will get fel-pros.

 

[muddin'metal]

RJCs have survived my motor ever since my 9441s blew, that is all proof I've needed

 

[WIKEDV6]

For the money, I would buy the complete Victor gasket kit from Full Throttle. You can't beat that for under Hundred dollars. It come with every single gaskets you need except the valley pan/intake gasket. It comes with a rubber oil pan gasket with I am not a fan of but the head gaskets are the Graphite style just the factory ones that GM used and we all know that it takes a lot of abuse. I have used many sets on different motors from stock to mid 10 sec motors and it works great!

I have no experience with RJC but I was told by a freind that ran them that if you blow a head gasket or lift a head, that silicone or the glue material will end up in the oil pan eventually to the oil pick screen so you may want to think about that.

HTH
Prasad