O-Ringed block question.

[AWDnot2]

Do you buy the o-rings or make your own? If you make your own, where do you get the copper wire? And what size, .040?

 

[Rausch]

If you're gonna ring the block (or it's already been done) I would suggest SS O-rings, if for no other reason than you can reuse them, as opposed to copper that are pretty much one time use only.

 

I run a .040 ss o-ring in my block. I made my own. Making them was fairly easy, getting them to seat in the block properly wasn't as fun. If you strike out and can't find the wire you need I'll send you some.

 

[14bCrazy]

Did you mchine the block yourself? The ones Ive seen had grooves in the block for the wire to sit.

 

[AWDnot2]

The block was already machined. I'm just getting everything together to assemble.

 

My machine shop did the work as well. I would not recommend trying it yourself unless you've got the tooling and experience to do so. It wouldn't be the end of the world if you mess it up though.

 

to answer your question,the copper wire they use is just solid core copper wire that you would use to wire up electronics. just strip off the insulation and you will be as good as you can. i agree with everyone else though with the ss wire. pm me if you can't find any copper wire, i think i have some laying around.

 

[JNR]

What do you do to join the wire?

 

you try and get the seem so its flawless just like on a ss o-ring.

 

[JNR]

Makes sense. I guess the compression between the head/block causes it to be 'forced together', eliminating a seam.

 

correct

 

Can you use stainless .040 mig wire? Or maybe stainless .040 safety tie wire?

 

the bad thing is, is that it would protrude out of the block .020 and thats just to much. when you clamp the head down you start to make the head flex to much and sometimes it even makes the cams lock up. what we do for 55-60+psi is run a ss oring that we press in at 25 tons into the block and then we shave the orings down until they protrude about .007-.008 and that seems to work the best for us. that gives us a nice flat surface to clamp onto and then we run a mls mitsu gasket sprayed down with copper coat.

 

[Terry Posten]

^^^^Yeah baby, Class One all the way.^^^^

 

[OldHairyBastard]

^^^I second that but used the HKS head gasket. It is a lot more money but I didn't feel like poping a Mitsu MLS when I hit up the big boost.

 

[BadVr4]

and why would you pop a mitsu gasket? they hold 50+ psi. only thing that would cause you to pop it is a bad tune

 

Well I can show you a car with a perfect tune on 35psi that popped an MLS with copper o-ringed block. The problem isn't the tune necessarily, its when you're cylinder pressures escalate from 500ft/lbs of torque that cause headbolts to stretch, even ARPs.

 

thats why i never recommend copper o-rings, i have seen nothing but problems with them.

 

[BadVr4]

i've seen more problems with stainless o-rings than copper. the stainless doesn't make as good of a seal as copper, although copper cannot be re used. i have also seen cars run 50+ psi, 700+whp with no o-ring at all, so that is a bunch of b.s as well.

 

At what power/boost levels do people feel necessary to O-ring the block? Seems anyone making 400-600hp who blows a headgasket automatically assumes they need an 0-ringed block when cars who have made over 40psi/700hp with regular arp's(non l19) and oem mitsu mls head gasket with non O-ringed block have had no problems...

O-ringing the block just seems like the latest fad and a lot of times a band aid to the real situation. I would think if you are popping head gaskets under 500-550whp with arp/oem mls then the problem is either in the mating surfaces/machining, assembly or tune.

0.02

I would shy away from copper O-rings as already suggested previously.