shifty wrote:
>
> To follow up on my last post about my 1500 which died after the Sears
> Point Vintage Races. I pulled the head and found a 1.5 inch crack in the
> head leading out of the intake valve on the number two cylinder. A new
> head is on its way!
>
> In doing research I came across this So-Cal site that offers copper
> gaskets. They even have the 1600 and 2000 listed. What are the benefits
> of these, and is it for racers only?
>
> Gasket Works USA
>
> http://www.headgasket.com/
>
> Leigh Brooks
> San Francisco
On this subject let me copy a post I just sent to the 510 list today
(see why I think a magazine that includes all Datsuns will work, we're
always talking about the same stuff, whether we're 510, Roadster or Z owners)
Jason Gray wrote:
>
> Birds- Has anyone had experience using solid copper head gasket on a datsun
<snip>
> I had a friend with a race prepped volvo B20 engine using copper head
> gasket. He could never get the gasket to seal the water passage, coolant
> leaked between block and head no matter what he did to re-torque and seal
> the gasket with copper-coat gasket dressing. He claims that both the head
> and block deck were level. Switching to a composition gasket solved the
> coolant leak problem.Is this a typical experience for trying to use solid
> copper gasket?
Way back when I was deep into British cars I spent a small fortune
trying to develop a line of solid copper head gaskets. I worked with the
nation's primary manufacturer of solid copper gaskets, who are the folks
that Paeco probably gets theirs from. We tried flat, and ringed (they
etched that gaskets to produce raised ridges on both sides of the
gaskets around all the holes that had to be sealed), and we screwed with
the finish on the head and block. We tried everything. Each time the
manufacturer would tell me how this person and that person and this
racing team and that racing team is using them without problems, and
each time I'd spend more money trying a new variation. I tried every
sealant known to man. After well over $10k I ended up with a wonderful
collection of "dead soft" copper but not one gasket that held for more
than a day or so. OTOH I have used the Fel-Pro headsaver shims with good
success, just not without a "real" gasket. I am anal enough in my
methodology to assure you that the sealing problems had nothing to do
with anything but the copper gasket itself. They may work on motorcycle
engines or F1 engines or whatever, but for any automotive use I can
think of, forget it.
--
Marc Sayer
Editor/Publisher
Z Car & Classic Datsun Magazine
http://zcarmag.com
Voice 541-726-6001
Fax 541-746-0863/726-6001
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