I know WHY you would o-ring . . . what I'm not clear on is what to o-ring. I've heard of o-ringing heads and o-ringing block. If you o-ring heads, do you also have to do the block? Or is it one or the other? Are there advantages to one over the other?

- Dug

 

On my old GN heads and my backup 3.8 race motor(which I still have) I had the heads O-ringed. Basically, a machine shop cuts "O" shaped grooves in the heads which line up with O-ring gaskets-in my case Fel Pro part #1007. The gaskets have a raised surface again in an O shape with some wire type material built in. When torquing the heads down, the material fits into the grooves cut into the heads and crushes to fill the void. This adds a larger measure of sealing and therefore peace of mind. I would assume it would be the same on an LS1.
BTW-I ran between 21-25# of boost back in the day. It held up.

 

Thanks Zo6Killer! So if you o-ring the heads the block itself is not o-ringed also . . . that's what I thought, but wanted to clarify!

- Dug

 

On mine, the heads are o-ringed. There is a .047 stainless steel wire inserted in the ring. A normal stock head gasket is used. The wire sticks out just a bit past the head surface and clamps the gasket down tighter in that area.

 

in my case the block will be oringed, similar concept. Since no one makes the type of gaskets Z06Killer is talking about for the LS1 we have to run wire, typically copper wire on a MLS gasket and stainless on a regular factory style head gasket.

-Sly

 

the o-ring simply bites into the gasket and keeps it from pushing out and blowing. if the gasket moves it is history. the o-ring helps prevent this.

 

Thanks guys . . . now TEA is doing my heads, and he said he is shipping a head gasket along with them. Are you saying that's not enough, that I need wire as well? Where do I get that?

- Dug

 

If TEA is o-ringing the heads, the wire will already be inserted into the o-ring groove. You'll be all set...

 

Thanks man!!

- Dug