9/7/04

I'm building a 468 BBC with 12 to 1 CR, I was wondering about using copper head gaskets. What’s the skinny on these? Oh, I have iron heads by the way. David Tinlin

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The skinny on copper head gaskets is that they will definitely solve a "blowing out a gasket" problem but they may also leak coolant. Normally, I don’t use copper head gaskets on anything under 13:1 compression. And when I do I always O-ring the block. Chevys are a little easier to seal up because of the good head bolt count and positioning, compared to a Ford for instance, but they may still seep coolant if everything is not perfectly flat. In your instance, 12:1, I would think you could get by fine with a normal FelPro as long as you are normally aspirated. Another option, a little more pricey, is the new Multi Layer Steel or "MLS" gaskets made by companies such as Cometic. I have been using some on a few engines I built with very good results and they are reusable.

Hope this helps,

Jay