Head gasket ??? for 455 olds.

[n8dawg]

Can I use a copper gasket on a simi performance engine 350-400 hp guesstimated ? Thinking of useing a copper head gasket because they are thinner than the fel-pro one I have on, and because I think that would get me a little more compression out of it. What do you guys think?

[malcolm]

When I was looking into this a short time ago, the consensus was you need to O-ring the block/heads to safely run the copper gasket. But they also said some people had limited success running them by themselves. I paid $100 for a set of early steel shim gaskets (.017") for mine. They are getting super hard to find, cuz no one makes them anymore.

[n8dawg]

When I was looking into this a short time ago, the consensus was you need to O-ring the block/heads to safely run the copper gasket. But they also said some people had limited success running them by themselves. I paid $100 for a set of early steel shim gaskets (.017") for mine. They are getting super hard to find, cuz no one makes them anymore.
Did you have to O-ring the block with thoughs head gaskets, cuz thats what I'm looking for?

[nyjetboat]

i use mondello's pt-513 .028 thick compressed,don't care for mondello much anymore. but needed the gasket .dick miller probaly has the same thing i'm sure. its a red gasket with a tin backing , beats the felpro blue hands down .040. they say that you pick up 1/3 of a point comp ,but i like the sealing of this never had any leaks since using these . :crossx: nyjetboat

[malcolm]

No, you only need to O-ring the copper gaskets.