Head gasket q's
 

Anybody have any problems running the 1011-1 with aluminum heads? Summit sent the wrong ones and I had several people say the 1011-1's were fine so I put them on. The problem is that I recently heard that the steel ring in the 1011-1's can actually corrode the aluminum on my Edelbrock 6032's. Anybody have any problems with this? Anybody run these with aluminum heads and NOT have any problems? TIA, guys.
Chris

Man I hope there's no problems!! I just put them on my motor this weekend with Edelbrock 6025's. I haven't even fired it up yet.:eek: :confused:

Me too, started it friday been driving it all weekend.

The gasket set I used was a Fel-pro one (don't remember the part number tho), and so far I've had no problems with them. I think they're just a standard ford head gasket. I'll look up the number tomorrow to see what it is. The only thing I had to do was use a 1415 header gasket and a 1250 intake gasket.

The 1011-1's have a steel ring around the cylinders while the 1011-2's have a copper one. From what I hear, steel and aluminum don't react well while the copper and aluminum are fine.

whats best for a iron head???

the steel one or the copper one????


thanks,
adam

Who cares, I'm still waiting for an answer to the aluminum head question. I spent over a grand on the heads and I don't want to have to replace them because the steel corroded the aluminum. I'm sure it's not a problem for the irons either way. The Steel ones were a buck more apiece.

Chris, I'm going to take a stab it this. I do not know the answer, but I have a theory.

First of all, there are no two metals made that always get along with each other. however, some react worse than others. Now, considering how much iron and steel surround aluminum components on engines every day, i would tend to think that they are a pair that are considered friendly. Logically speaking, a head gasket and it's mating surfaces have to have a little give, and a lot of rigidity. If the steel ring was for the iron heads, doesn't that sound like a combination that would cause damage? I could be very wrong, but it seems to me that a steel ring and an aluminum head make sense. just like a brass ring and an iron head. One has to give a little, and one needs to remain firm.

Okay, now what I do know. Steel and aluminum will get along fine as long as they remain dry. Iron blocks and aluminum heads cause problems with cooling systems. The electrolysis that results is electricity created by the two metals and the water. So, if the rings were frequently wet, then I would think they would cause damage. But, if they get wet, you have a much more serious problem to worry about!

I think you'll be fine.

Take care,
-Chris

yes, Chris hit it on the head.

i have been working at a metal fab shop for years and know the different charactoristics very well. as long as there isnt a catalyist (water/ coolant) to spark a reaction you will be fine. but long exposure to these conditions (blown or improper sealing head gasket) will deffinately create pitting of the aluminum heads.

i just wanted to know which is better for sealing for an iron head.

hope i helped,
adam

I just got the Felpro 1006 gaskets for the Loc-wire TFS heads I am about to install. $59 _each_ , OUCH!!!

Well, I guess that makes sense, but I would still like to hear if anyone has run the 1011-1's without a problem. I would hate to tear the motor back down and replace brand new head gaskets, but I would hate it more if i end up damaging the $1000.00 + heads. It's freaking me out a little.

Hey Drudis, are those new gaskets a steel core or copper?

***FOOTNOTE***

Hmmm. This whole thing got me thinking today. This week I finished buttoning up our Sprint car engine. The machine shop decked the block too much, and we needed a .066" thick head gasket to maintain safe tolerances between the valves and the pistons. Jim, the owner, picked up some copper gaskets that were the correct thickness, because no one else had a set that would work. Well, I started thinking today, and decided that .066" is way too much space to have unreinforced copper in an alcohol injected engine with 14:1 pistons. I called my head superguy, and asked him, and he said that we would loose the gasket within two weeks. He said it MUST be reinforced with a STEEL ring. Anything else would simply not do. He knows full well that we are running aluminum heads, and when I asked him about the two metals creating a problem, he said there would be none. He then pretty much said what I did last night, which was the only way there could be a problem is if the two metals were under water, and if that were the case, the engine wouldn't be running anyway. Alsao, even then, it would take time before a problem arose. I trust this guy with $10,000 heads, so I think you can trust his judgement too.

Take care,
-Chris

Chris, once again you come through in the clutch (so to speak .:) ) Have I given you a "YOU DA MAN!" lately? It will be nice to be able to rest easy about this. I'm still probably going to change the gaskets, but at least I can wait til the fall or the next time I dig that deep in the motor. If I haven't, consider this my official YOU DA MAN!

I'm all tingly ;)

Take care,
-Chris

Uh, maybe you should call somebody about that. I'll keep those to myself from now on.:D