Copper coating ls9 head gaskets
11-16-2012, 09:42 PM
#22
a stander graphite head gasket with arp hardware it lasted about 1000 street miles, 30-40 wot pulls, only 10degs and alot of meth, was my first real engine build, took 2 years of reading and learning to build another engine, made alot of mistakes with that 4.3 engine, lived and learned,
11-17-2012, 07:24 PM
#25
a stander graphite head gasket with arp hardware it lasted about 1000 street miles, 30-40 wot pulls, only 10degs and alot of meth, was my first real engine build, took 2 years of reading and learning to build another engine, made alot of mistakes with that 4.3 engine, lived and learned,
10-06-2013, 12:07 PM
#26
Just the top and bottom, or drill out the pop rivets and spray every layer?
Heads are fresh with valve job and surfacing, block deck is stock, but well cleaned.
Also, should I put anything on the head stud threads on the block side? Thought about a tab of anti-seize, then of course ARP Moly Lube on the top/head threads.
Heads are fresh with valve job and surfacing, block deck is stock, but well cleaned.
Also, should I put anything on the head stud threads on the block side? Thought about a tab of anti-seize, then of course ARP Moly Lube on the top/head threads.
10-07-2013, 01:06 AM
#28
Didn't coat mine. Don't think they were coated on the ZR1. Running an LS2 w/ 9psi of Boost from a M112. 2K miles and about 30 hard pulls. Sent oil in to blackstone for analysis, and it came back with a clean bill of health; not a drop of ethylene glycol found.
DG
DG
10-07-2013, 01:25 AM
#29
That's what I ended up doing, lol. I went ahead and put a tab of copper anti-seize on the deck side of the studs. Figured it couldn't incase of a stud breakge during torqing and/or removal later.
Luckily all the fastners are torqued to spec without issues.
No GM LS engine comes with copper coated MLS head gaskets that I am aware of.
Back when I was into SBC's and especially BBC's, we would sometimes use GM or aftermarket steel shim head gaskets (single layer) if the pistons were too far down the hole in order to get the desired quench. Those gaskets were usually only 0.020" thick and we would seal them using spray copper. Many many engines put together that way, some with nitrous use and never had a single failure.
So the way I figure it, even if its extreme overkill, so be it. The spray copper is less the price of a drive-thru lunch and I can't see it hurting anything either. I like to think if it as 'boost insurance'.
Luckily all the fastners are torqued to spec without issues.
No GM LS engine comes with copper coated MLS head gaskets that I am aware of.
Back when I was into SBC's and especially BBC's, we would sometimes use GM or aftermarket steel shim head gaskets (single layer) if the pistons were too far down the hole in order to get the desired quench. Those gaskets were usually only 0.020" thick and we would seal them using spray copper. Many many engines put together that way, some with nitrous use and never had a single failure.
So the way I figure it, even if its extreme overkill, so be it. The spray copper is less the price of a drive-thru lunch and I can't see it hurting anything either. I like to think if it as 'boost insurance'.
