DZEE'S LX - That's not really true. There is, in fact, a difference. A head that has been machined for "loc-wire" gaskets has a circular groove cut around each camber. You must use specialized gaskets from Fel-Pro or TFS that have a metal ring designed into them that protrudes from the head gasket o-ring for each cylinder. That o-ring inserts into the head groove that has been cut to receive it.
O-ringed heads on the other hand are cut with grooves into the head in the same type of manner, yes, but also have a metal wire already pressed into the head. This type of set-up does not use a specialized gasket. You use a standard gasket and the ring that has been placed around each chamber in the head then pinches the metal o-ring for each chamber on the gasket. This gives the gasket extra sealing.
The Loc-wire set-up is known to be a pain in the rear because it can be hard to get the rings in the special gaskets to seat properly into the receiving grooves in the head. And, if not done right or if the groove tolerances are wrong the gasket can fail. So, a lot of folks prefer the o-ringing method verus the loc-wire method - including me.
However, the most ideal method for o-ringing a motor is not to do this to the heads at all, but instead, o-ring the deck surface of the block. This tends to yield the most effective improvement for sealing. Also, with aluminum heads, I've been told the metal is so soft that it is possible for the heat to cause the metal o-ring to "push" up into the metal and loose it's sealing effectiveness.
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