Head Gaskets....

hardtimes

hardtimes

Well-known member
Anyone here old enough to have used copper/asbestos head gaskets ?
When was the last time you saw/used such a gasket ??

In the 'stuff' pile, I came across a nos Victor 800-C, made/patented Canada ! Sure is a quality head gasket that looks to be for BIG bore A/B engines. Wonder if Victor Co. is still around ?
 
I used one of my old, used once before, Victor in November. One nice thing about copper or steel gaskets is they are usually re-usable. I just spray 2 coats of silver paint on them and install while tacky. Victor did make big bore/big valve gaskets.
 
When I first started messing with Model A Fords more than 60 years ago, we always used Victor Copper Asbestos gaskets. They were the best around at the time.

Chris W.
 
I have a Victor 800-C sitting with my parts, ready to use when the time comes.

The last Copper-Asbestos head gasket I used was on my 1925 Dodge Brothers...about 5 years ago.
 
Jim Brierley said:
I used one of my old, used once before, Victor in November. One nice thing about copper or steel gaskets is they are usually re-usable. I just spray 2 coats of silver paint on them and install while tacky. Victor did make big bore/big valve gaskets.
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Hey Jim,
Here's a picture of the 800-C. It has a little dust/oxide on it, but otherwise good. Full jacket around the combustion chamber.
Was this (asbestos) the type gasket that guys used to 'soak' in water before installation ? I've heard that that process helped with proper sealing ?
 

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Used them lots, in the '50s and early '60s, on flathead V-8s, never checked the blocks or heads for flatness and never had any leak. Come to think of it I don't remember whether we even used a torque wrench or not.
 
katy said:
Used them lots, in the '50s and early '60s, on flathead V-8s, never checked the blocks or heads for flatness and never had any leak. Come to think of it I don't remember whether we even used a torque wrench or not.
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'never had leaks'...
I believe you good results back when, was due to the QUALITY and PROPER fit for intended use. I also think that the asbestos was a good filler product...until it started to be banned substance.

Today, if I find a well made head gasket , for intended use and application, I feel fortunate...even at todays prices :eek: !


That nos pair of V8 steel clad asbestos filled head gaskets that I showed by mistake ..are most likely rare now also.
 
I sure could use one of those old gaskets! I have a 6:1 head and it constantly blows head gaskets...talk about frustrating. I can barely drive the car these days because it just blows coolant out of the radiator (it’s a clean radiator)
 
What gasket are you now using, what torque, how many times, is the head surface "flat"?? Is the block surface flat??
Lots of info on Vince's sight on what gasket to use and how to torque it. FWIW
Paul in CT

How clean is the block?? Where is the overflow tube inlet positioned?? Do you have the baffle?? What year car are we talking??
 
Block and head are both dead flat as I had them both milled and checked multiple times just to be sure. I currently have a B style copper gasket with spray copper on t and it just doesn’t seem to be sealing. It’s totwued to 55 per pretty much all the advice out there and has been retorqued a handle full of times after having been warmed then waited to be cold. I do have the baffle and the tube is at the aft most point of the inlet to the radiator. Also this is a 30 pick up...I’d love to figure it out, problem has plagued me we a few years. Thinking of trying the best gasket graphite type next...
 
In my youth we did not know what a torque wrench was and the copper/asbestos head gaskets called for a soak in shallow water in the bath tub, then cover both sides of the gasket with chassis grease and install. A blown head gasket was almost never heard of years ago.
 
KMeredith87 said:
Block and head are both dead flat as I had them both milled and checked multiple times just to be sure. I currently have a B style copper gasket with spray copper on t and it just doesn’t seem to be sealing. It’s totwued to 55 per pretty much all the advice out there and has been retorqued a handle full of times after having been warmed then waited to be cold. I do have the baffle and the tube is at the aft most point of the inlet to the radiator. Also this is a 30 pick up...I’d love to figure it out, problem has plagued me we a few years. Thinking of trying the best gasket graphite type next...
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Larry Brumfield recommends 60 pounds on his 5.9 head, see the link.
http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/brumfieldheadinstructions.htm

Bob
 
I had the same problem with a pulling tractor it was a John Deere B and they had a ton of compression behind it could not keep head gasket on it I had a good friend tell me how to make that hold I was getting stock John Deere gaskets nothing special and it would soak them overnight I would pull them out of the water and paint them with aluminum spray paint on both sides put them on and torque them fire up the tractor until the motor got good warm and this was at an idle let it sit overnight and retorque them the next day I always seem to get quite a bit out of the retorque then I would fired up again bring the motor up to temperature torque it again let it sit overnight and check it I would continue to do that until the torque stayed where it had to be. I know it's a pain in the *** but if you want a gasket to hold this is what work for me

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk
 
then cover both sides of the gasket with chassis grease and install.
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That's a step we used to do that I'd forgotten about. We never soaked them in water.
 
I’ve heard aboutbgreasing the gasket...can someone explain that to me? Does it let the gasket move a little before settling and sealing? Just seems strange to me...
 
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