Head gasket
- Thread starter Hank/Mi
- Start date
Hank;
Contact Bob Johnson who has been posting here on the Barn. He started his saga maybe with a blown head gasket. He has done quite a bit of research into "B" gaskets and found that the area around the "steam holes" was too narrow to contain the water passing thru. A check has found that the all of the gaskets he has are too narrow and that years ago this area was .150 or more wider. I have plugged my "steam holes and will be running a 7 to 1 Thomas A head, so I don't have to worry about what Bob has discovered. By the way my old time 4 cylinder & flathead V-8 machinist and engine builder says to to use the new silicone impregnated type gasket with my combination!
Steve
Contact Bob Johnson who has been posting here on the Barn. He started his saga maybe with a blown head gasket. He has done quite a bit of research into "B" gaskets and found that the area around the "steam holes" was too narrow to contain the water passing thru. A check has found that the all of the gaskets he has are too narrow and that years ago this area was .150 or more wider. I have plugged my "steam holes and will be running a 7 to 1 Thomas A head, so I don't have to worry about what Bob has discovered. By the way my old time 4 cylinder & flathead V-8 machinist and engine builder says to to use the new silicone impregnated type gasket with my combination!
Steve
MikeK
Well-known member
Best Gasket makes a copper "B" gasket. Look here: Copper B Gasket Link
johnbuckley
Well-known member
Hank, why aren't you fond of the silicone gasket?
Jim Brierley
Well-known member
The 4 steam holes are only on B blocks, and must be plugged flush with the deck in order to support the A gasket used by most aftermarket heads.
1930artdeco
Well-known member
Slightly off topic, but I will be installing a 5.5 snyder on my new engine and I would like to install a 'modern' silicone head gasket on her. Is this the right head gasket to use? I like them better than the copper ones.
Mike
Mike
Tom Endy
Well-known member
Several years ago I installed one of the "modern" head gaskets on a Snyder 5.5 head. Shortly after I went on a 1200 mile tour. When I got back and went to change the oil I noticed about an inch of the head gasket had delaminated and migrated and was sticking out under the water pump. The gasket had not blown, it was still holding compression. I removed the head and replaced the gasket with a copper FelPro. The removed gasket showed carbon streaks where it had delaminated. It was about to blow.
I am told that others have experienced this same failure mode early on and that the "modern" gasket has been improved. I still won't trust them. I use the FelPro on both my cars, one has a Snyder head, the other is a Brumfield.
Tom Endy
I am told that others have experienced this same failure mode early on and that the "modern" gasket has been improved. I still won't trust them. I use the FelPro on both my cars, one has a Snyder head, the other is a Brumfield.
Tom Endy
Attachments
Hank/Mi
Junior Member
I've use two silicone gaskets and one blew after 4 miles and the other was ready to blow @ 300 miles. It was blowing water out the over flow.
Hank/Mi
Junior Member
I like FelPro also, but they don't make copper one for a B head. I prefer copper, but I may have to go with the silicone. Snyders said you have to use a B style gasket with their 6:1 head. I think it is because the area in the head is cut back for the bigger valves.
JoeWay
Well-known member
I'm using a Best brand composite "A" gasket I got from Max at H&H Engine. It has plenty of room for bigger valves--I have 1-7/8" OD valves in my engine. I would think the Best copper gasket MikeK mentioned above would have the same contours in the "B" version or the "A" version.
Joe
