HUNTER02SS

iTrader: (24)

I really doubt that Virgina Speed will give out any info on there double o-ring setup.This is one of there designs per say they came up with to keep a 4 bolt design head down and without pushing water with high boost setups.

gnx7

iTrader: (28)

My 6.0 iron block is sitting at the machine shop right now. I'm looking at doing something like this as well. I did it on my old Buick 231 Grand National motor but sold the setup before ever running it. Very common practice for the GN guys to do as they suffer from head gasket sealing issues as well with the 4 bolt design.

I'll most likely have the block machined for a receiver groove and then leave the head alone. If I have sealing problems then I can do the head later. I'd like to use LS9 head gaskets as my project is street oriented. GT88 T6 turbo 1000rwhp goal with 364ci and TFS 220cc heads. Virginia Speed 23x/23x turbo cam.

helicoil

iTrader: (104)

O-ring inside an O-ring has been done many years ago on big boost engines. Nothing really new. Any good machine shop can do this if they possess the right tooling.

We usually ran .041" stainless wire in a .030" deep groove to give you .010"-.011" above the deck. Too high and you leaked water (if you ran it), too low and it wasn't effective.

Also, the O-ring/Reciever groove/copper gasket method has been used a long time on blown alcochol stuff. I personally have been down this road on SBC's and BBC's, and a few Hemi's.

Years ago on a street blown alcohol SBC with a 6-71 and an alky hat I ran an O-ring only on the block side with a copper gasket and no receiver groove in the head, not because I was smart, but because I was cheap and didn't have the tooling to cut a receiver groove in the head. This set-up sealed good to about 15-17lbs of boost.

As my SBC grew in size as did my supercharger a receiver groove became necessary to 'recieve' the copper gasket material the stainlesss wire in the block was pushing up to make a good seal. This is how it should be done to be effective.

After many laps over 30 psi, and as high as 38 psi, I noticed the reciever groove in the head was widening, probably due to the tune up, detonation, head lift, etc. but nonetheless the next time around I put the wire in the head and the reciever groove in the block. The reciever groove never changed size again and the wire worked well in the head, after all the head is what is trying to lift off the engine. This was a much more effective set-up. I've seen inside many KB/BAE Hemis that were done the same way, wire in the head, groove in the block. Talk around to some of the blown alcohol guys in ADRL or NHRA Pro Mod or any heads up association and see what they do.

Actually George from S&S Automotive in CA is you told me to do this back in 1999. The ran a 380" SBC with -11 Brodix heads in Top Alcohol with 50 psi going through it several years ago and stomped *** against the Hemi cars for awhile. They had the heads off that engine a couple times or 3.

I have used an O-ring in the block deck only to 'support' a fire ring in a head gasket (composite or graphite) and had good success, as long as the O-ring was positioned outside the fire ring of the gasket. Its function was to support the gasket's fire ring (combustion seal). Just depends how serious your engine is and how much boost you are making. The nice thing about this is for street engine is you don't run into the common water leak problems associated with copper gaskets, but there is no better choice for the ultimate in cylinder pressure sealing compared to the O-ring/Copper gasket/Receiver groove method.

HUNTER02SS

iTrader: (24)

I know it's been done for year's, but Virgina Speed is pretty hush, hush when it comes to thre design/builds. This is all I was saying.

Phil99vette

iTrader: (11)

The double o-ring setup that virginia speed uses plain flat out works. You'll torch the head or crack the sleeve before the o-ring setup gives out if that tells you anything. We've ran as high as 42# of boost and didn't push any water.

CarsandWomen

iTrader: (19)

Helicoil is right, and there is one other way to do it that ive seen but it is old school and not generally practiced anymore.

keep in mind though, if the head is thin, put the wire in the block and vice versa, you dont want to cut the oring clear into the water jacket. another thing to consider is the width of the metal between the cylinder bore wall and the water jacket, that is where the oring goes. if theres not enough space to keep the oring off the fire seal then get a gasket with a smaller seal.

as has been stated, any machine shop with the right tooling can do it, although common sense should tell you that you want somebody with plenty of experiance.