geordi wrote:
I'm in the process of assembling that engine that I got from you Nick, and haven't even touched it yet - I'm waiting on the head gasket and rockers to arrive right now, and taking the time to wash down everything that I'm going to be putting on the engine. I just bought a parts washer today and it is filled with mineral spirits - seems to be doing a good job so far on cleaning some of the worst mess.
If I knew of a place that sold Kerosene at the pump, I'd probably try that too, as it is bound to be cheaper than the mineral spirits I got from Home Depot at $15/gallon. Ouch.
Anyway, I will be using a 2-hole gasket and the copper-kote on this one, no matter what. It will be sealed, period. Then of course the studs. Like we had talked about when looking at this one, I think that ridge at the center of the liner is the problem: If that impacts the bottom of the head, it *could* be an actual fire-ring kind of design... BUT there isn't a matching and deformable dent in the bottom of the head! So if those contact each other, then the gasket is not being compressed properly and you warp the head. The layers of the gasket are the only sealing surface, so I am inclined to believe thicker is better on the gasket.
The seal of the cylinder and holding the liner down is done by the wider flange of the liner outside that raised ridge, that is why the bottom of the head has a 3/8" wide fire ring mark on it, made of that coating that is on the gasket. You should probably scrape any old off of the head if it is there.
So this is interesting to me as I'm about to start the process of reassembling my engine that dropped a valve and took out the number 1 piston. I have it down to almost the bare block with the only exception being the 3 other original sleeves were left in. I'm planning on having the block cleaned and inspected along with a few other parts at a machine shop before I begin to reassemble it. My plan was to set the liner and shim it properly and get the right gasket to match my measurements. Should I just plan on getting a 2 hole gasket and just set the liner protrusion to the correct specs? I have been in contact with the VM Specialist in Europe to source a "new" head for the engine.