Hey guys,
Well I have never had much headgasket problems until the motor I am running now so I thought I would try something new. I am looking to o-ring the head. Actually machine a groove for a 1/16" o-ring around each bowl and around the water and oil jackets. I am not planning to do every water jacket but rather just go around the perimeter inside the studs and then each oil galley will get an individual o-ring. I have done quite a bit of research and it seems do able for sure. I talked with my local rubber and o-ring specialty shop and we came up with using Viton® Fluoroelastomer which has a Dura of A90 and can handle up to 400 degrees. I still need to do a bit more research to find out the actual temperature that close the to bowl. But the o-rings in a proper groove can handle 2500psi and would actually give a little if I ever lifted the head under boost vs a MHG which obviously has no give! I may end up having to machine the bowls out a bit to drop the compression back down a bit due to the dropped deck height without a gasket.
Obviously I have easy access to the CNC and can do this in a day but I am guessing no one really does it because of the cost it would incur for a one off design and research project. I also see people using brass compression rings and even stainless wire as a hard seal. So brass inserts with o-rings around the water jackets and oil galleys is another option.
Let me know what you guys are thinking and the pros and cons or if I am just flat crazy!!
Seth
Well I have never had much headgasket problems until the motor I am running now so I thought I would try something new. I am looking to o-ring the head. Actually machine a groove for a 1/16" o-ring around each bowl and around the water and oil jackets. I am not planning to do every water jacket but rather just go around the perimeter inside the studs and then each oil galley will get an individual o-ring. I have done quite a bit of research and it seems do able for sure. I talked with my local rubber and o-ring specialty shop and we came up with using Viton® Fluoroelastomer which has a Dura of A90 and can handle up to 400 degrees. I still need to do a bit more research to find out the actual temperature that close the to bowl. But the o-rings in a proper groove can handle 2500psi and would actually give a little if I ever lifted the head under boost vs a MHG which obviously has no give! I may end up having to machine the bowls out a bit to drop the compression back down a bit due to the dropped deck height without a gasket.
Obviously I have easy access to the CNC and can do this in a day but I am guessing no one really does it because of the cost it would incur for a one off design and research project. I also see people using brass compression rings and even stainless wire as a hard seal. So brass inserts with o-rings around the water jackets and oil galleys is another option.
Let me know what you guys are thinking and the pros and cons or if I am just flat crazy!!
Seth