Head gasket survival. What's the pecking order?

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dpaqu

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So I'm pretty sure the top fix is ARP 625 with a head machined for O rings and coper gaskets. I'm just wondering where 12mm H11's (still made?) ARP 425, and stock bolts fall into this. Also what about groving the block for rings with that isky grove-o -matic. Can that be used with stock bolts to good affect?

What are my options short of $1100 studs?
 
Arp 425. If head has never been off, just replace one at a time.

Currently running 425 and a mls gasket in my halfton.
 
You can pickup a set of Allen bolts for around 120$. Lots of trucks around here run them with great results


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08cumminssmoke said:
You can pickup a set of Allen bolts for around 120$. Lots of trucks around here run them with great results
Click to expand...

*Socket Head Cap*
And they're on par with stock head bolts.

You can pull charts and look at the tensile strength of each, but basically it goes like this (worst to best):
Stock bolts
Overtorqued stock bolts
ARP 425 (2000)
A1 H11
ARP 625

Then you've got head gaskets.
You can take a CR MLS headgasket to around 1000hp, but pre-CR guys are stuck with the older style (worst to best):
12V style gasket
MLS
O-ringed
Fire-ringed

Those lists are leaving some stuff out and also have some opinion baked in, but that should get you in the ballpark.
 
If someone would make a 12/24 valve MLS gasket they would probably make a killing.
 
If you're on a budget, I'd do an .020 gasket, O-rings, and overtorqued head bolts.
 
Can you still rent that isky oring tool?

What does the .020 gasket do? Lower compression or does it help with the oring?
 
Like a cometic gasket? Any problems with daily driving with it? What are some pros and cons of running the mls gasket? Thanks
 
It is a cometic gasket. I had a problem with a leak on the exhaust side, but two hot retorques and it went away.
Other than that I haven't had any issues. Run a 467 with it now and max boost was 65lbs.
 
This I don't know. I'm going to find out if o-rings are over rated next weekend.

Timing is only at 18 right now. Was 24 when I blew my head gasket. I'll probably go to 22*.

I could see where I was starting to spray out of the bowl at 24*.
 
I searched for awhile and couldn't find a answer. Thank you.

Sorry for the hijack OP.
 
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He's getting options and knows he doesn't need to pay for some unicorn studs that perform magic inside of an engine.
 
Kick Start said:
It is a cometic gasket. I had a problem with a leak on the exhaust side, but two hot retorques and it went away.
Other than that I haven't had any issues. Run a 467 with it now and max boost was 65lbs.
Click to expand...

Kick Start, I think you're the only personal alive that's had good luck with the Cometic MLS head gasket. I almost bought one when I found out about them, then I scoured forums to see that nobody seemed to have good luck.
Who knows, maybe the two hot retorques is what does the trick.
Did you put it on with a freshly decked head? I was under the impression that MLS is supposed to go on a slightly rough surface (I forget the spec).
 
It wasn't decked. Was cleaned and checked.

I don't have many miles on it, maybe 2k. I'm daily driving the truck now and will be taking it on a long trip to Arizona in April.

I'm bumping timing up next weekend, so we will see.

I searched also, but the engine builder I took the head to says he only uses the cometic. I figured I'd try it since the new head doesn't have o-rings.

I will be the first to say if a product fails to do its purpose.
 
I'm planning ARP 625s with an o-ringed head on my 12 valve. Still waiting to hear from the machine shop about what piston protrusion becomes in order to determine if I should get a standard, .010" or .020" over gasket. Going off of Hamilton's information since I'll be running one of his cams.

I definitely do not want to experience any failure and have to take the head off AGAIN. However, the company who I used for the head work and o-ringing said that if the head gasket fails, they'll cover repairs. Wire diameter is .062" and protrudes .012". They've been finding some inconsistences with the integral fire rings in the Cummins gaskets and that not all the O-rings were landing centered on them. One set in particular landed outside of the fire ring's OD. They decided on .062" diameter wire for a wider footprint and "bite" on the fire ring and also to compensate for the inconsistencies. I'm thinking the inconsistency may be with OD of the fire rings since they may not be as crucial as the ID for the cylinder bore. I really would have preferred to o-ring the block instead and I just discovered Friday that a local machine shop could've done this for me. Unfortunately, my block is already at another machine shop.

Maybe it couldn't hurt to have the grooves cut in the block anyway for the option in the future?

That said, what would be a guaranteed choice for a gasket for mine?
 
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