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383 head gaskets............. #184482 01/05/09 01:23 PM 01/05/09 01:23 PM
Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 708 Mechanic Falls, Maine 4 4BBodies OP mopar addict
4BBodies OP mopar addict 4 Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 708 Mechanic Falls, Maine	..........it has been recommended that I purchase a pair of Mopar steel shim head gaskets to help compression with my stock 383 slugs. Does anyone have a part# for these? Also, what type of gasket sealer should I use? Thanks all!

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: 4BBodies] #184483 01/05/09 01:43 PM 01/05/09 01:43 PM
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 4,389 Kenmore, New York InViolent master
InViolent master Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 4,389 Kenmore, New York	I would go with Fel-Pro head gaskets and skip the steel shims. You'll get a better seal, and you'll only see a 3 or 4% difference in compression ratio. Mancini Racing sells the steel shim gaskets if you are so inclined. Or check Summit or Jegs.

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: InViolent] #184484 01/05/09 02:15 PM 01/05/09 02:15 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 4,978 VA DAMOPARS master
DAMOPARS master Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 4,978 VA	Quote: I would go with Fel-Pro head gaskets and skip the steel shims. You'll get a better seal, and you'll only see a 3 or 4% difference in compression ratio. Mancini Racing sells the steel shim gaskets if you are so inclined. Or check Summit or Jegs. If you do use steel gaskets get the copper spray sealer and do both side of the gasket.

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: DAMOPARS] #184485 01/05/09 03:17 PM 01/05/09 03:17 PM
Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 708 Mechanic Falls, Maine 4 4BBodies OP mopar addict
4BBodies OP mopar addict 4 Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 708 Mechanic Falls, Maine	Thank you both!

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: 4BBodies] #184486 01/05/09 09:47 PM 01/05/09 09:47 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,092 B BRawls super gas
BRawls super gas B Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,092	They were built with the steel head gaskets. If you go with the thicker Felpro (.020 vs. .040) you are going to lower the compression. Depending of the heads/block combo, you could be giving up .3-.5 CR.

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: BRawls] #184487 01/05/09 10:05 PM 01/05/09 10:05 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md 3 383man Too Many Posts
383man Too Many Posts 3 Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md	I ran the steel head gaskets some years back on a mild 383. I used the Permatex red spray sealer and it worked great. The eng was in my boys Dart for 7 years with no leaks or problems until he decided he needed to go faster and we built the current 400 in it. Ron Last edited by 383man; 01/05/09 10:06 PM.

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: 383man] #184488 01/06/09 12:56 AM 01/06/09 12:56 AM
Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 4,319 Puyallup, WA S StealthWedge67 master
StealthWedge67 master S Joined: Jul 2006 Posts: 4,319 Puyallup, WA	You need every trick you can get to keep compression up in a 383. I have steel shim gaskets in mine right now, been a couple years, no problems whatsoever, and their worth darn near half a point in compression. I spray mine with copper-coat. IMO, if you're running a stock piston 383, they are required material! LemonWedge - Street heavy / Strip ready - 11.07 @ 120

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: 4BBodies] #184489 01/06/09 01:25 AM 01/06/09 01:25 AM
Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 2,537 PORT ALBERNI , BC., CANADA superwrench master
superwrench master Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 2,537 PORT ALBERNI , BC., CANADA	Quote: ..........it has been recommended that I purchase a pair of Mopar steel shim head gaskets to help compression with my stock 383 slugs. Does anyone have a part# for these? Also, what type of gasket sealer should I use? Thanks all! You're too late!!! Mopar just went and obsoleted those $20.00 steel gaskets and now they offer a $200.00 set in their place!! That sucks 'cause I used a lot of those gaskets myself and am gonna miss them.

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: 4BBodies] #184490 01/06/09 01:26 AM 01/06/09 01:26 AM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska R RapidRobert Circle Track
RapidRobert Circle Track R Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska	using steel shim ones I'd make sure your block/head are perfectly flat live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: superwrench] #184491 01/06/09 01:50 AM 01/06/09 01:50 AM
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 5,314 Carstairs, Alberta, Canada dave571 master
dave571 master Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 5,314 Carstairs, Alberta, Canada	If you can't get those anymore, I believe cometic makes an mls gasket that is only .027 thick. It's a better gasket, and only marginally thickier

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: dave571] #184492 01/06/09 02:37 AM 01/06/09 02:37 AM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska R RapidRobert Circle Track
RapidRobert Circle Track R Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska	Quote: I believe cometic makes an mls gasket that is only .027 thick. A guy on here once stated that he was only able to get his MLS head gaskets to seal by coating each of the 3 layers with permatex spray sealer, the red stuff. live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: RapidRobert] #184493 01/06/09 08:35 AM 01/06/09 08:35 AM
Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 3,095 Idaho Runner master
Runner master Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 3,095 Idaho	i think mr gasket still makes a steal shim gasket thats pretty cheap

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: InViolent] #184494 01/06/09 09:32 AM 01/06/09 09:32 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 9,436 Blair County,PA 62maxwgn master
62maxwgn master Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 9,436 Blair County,PA	Quote: I would go with Fel-Pro head gaskets and skip the steel shims. You'll get a better seal, and you'll only see a 3 or 4% difference in compression ratio. Mancini Racing sells the steel shim gaskets if you are so inclined. Or check Summit or Jegs. Evidently Chrysler didn't have a sealing problen,thats all they ever used on a B engine!

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: 4BBodies] #184495 01/06/09 11:02 AM 01/06/09 11:02 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,186 Wherever I am. J Junky master
Junky master J Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,186 Wherever I am.	I run 'em on my 383 now for about 4 years. Use copper coat to help seal them. No problems whatsoever. There's other manufactures of these gaskets besides Mopar Performance. Summit Racing has 0.020 steel shim gaskets offered at low prices. IIRC, under $30 a set. 2010 Black Challenger SE <> 3.5 V6 Custom Shift Knobs www.flameball.com Check It Out

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: Junky] #184496 01/06/09 11:51 AM 01/06/09 11:51 AM
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 4,389 Kenmore, New York InViolent master
InViolent master Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 4,389 Kenmore, New York	Quote: Evidently Chrysler didn't have a sealing problen,thats all they ever used on a B engine! Yes, on a freshly machined block and heads. Did the poster say this was a fresh rebuild? I assumed when he said "stock flat-tops" that this was a clean-up job and not a new-build performance motor. I would like to see proof that you can pick up 1/2 point of compression between .039 and .020 head gasket on a 383. In a typical case...you might be looking at a difference of 7.9 Static C/R and 8.2 Static C/R on a bone stock 383. Do you really think this makes any difference at all in a simple stock build motor? My experience has been that if you are not building for maximum performance, go the safe route and avoid unecessary problems. Did you ever see the article in one of the Mopar rags where they added head gaskets on top of head gaskets in a 440 to reduce C/R and determine what the HP difference was? it was like 20HP per point. It is simply not worth the trouble to try to squeeze a few ponies out a stock 383 in my opinion.

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: InViolent] #184497 01/06/09 01:35 PM 01/06/09 01:35 PM
Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 708 Mechanic Falls, Maine 4 4BBodies OP mopar addict
4BBodies OP mopar addict 4 Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 708 Mechanic Falls, Maine	I am just freshening this one up........my 340 was the block I had done at a shop. Cha-ching! This 383 ran well, and only had 69k on it, and all the parts show it so far. I am going to try the copper spray sealer, I have been reading it works well. I am going to go with the steel shim, for a lot of reasons, mostly to squeeze as much compression as I can using the original pistons. Plus I want to try something different, I have never done it the "old way," and I want to.

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: 4BBodies] #184498 01/06/09 02:30 PM 01/06/09 02:30 PM
Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 6,906 IL, Aurora A ademon master
ademon master A Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 6,906 IL, Aurora	If the pistons are way down the hole i wouldn't think you would notice any diff with .020 vs .038's on a open chamber head. Now if thats your case and your so inclined, look for some 516 close chamber heads swap all the valves and springs have the 516's cut for the 1.74 exhaust, do a little pocket porting, and have them cut .005 to make sure their straight and use the steel gasket, you would be betwen a .5 to .75 gain in cr and the 516 will still flow good for up to 325/350hp

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: ademon] #184499 01/06/09 02:39 PM 01/06/09 02:39 PM
Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 203 florida 7 74fldart enthusiast
74fldart enthusiast 7 Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 203 florida	hell, i even used steel ones a 2nd time. lol

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: RapidRobert] #184500 01/09/09 03:31 AM 01/09/09 03:31 AM
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 5,314 Carstairs, Alberta, Canada dave571 master
dave571 master Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 5,314 Carstairs, Alberta, Canada	Quote: Quote: I believe cometic makes an mls gasket that is only .027 thick. A guy on here once stated that he was only able to get his MLS head gaskets to seal by coating each of the 3 layers with permatex spray sealer, the red stuff. I've heard that too. I've also heard that a special finish is required for these gaskets. In real life I've installed a bunch of them, with nothing more than a spray of copper coat.(and even 3 sets dry) With no special finish or machining. No issues yet. I would not hesitate to use them on anything The only reason I don't use them on everything is cost, and that they simply aren't needed on most things. To me they are simply unbeatable if you need a special thickness, be it over size to reduce comp, or something really specific to get quench etc..

Re: 383 head gaskets............. [Re: 74fldart] #184501 01/09/09 10:02 AM 01/09/09 10:02 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 14,610 Not2farfromNashville, TN R Rug_Trucker I Live Here
Rug_Trucker I Live Here R Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 14,610 Not2farfromNashville, TN	Quote: hell, i even used steel ones a 2nd time. lol I heard that! Thinking about doing that on my next slant build as the steel are long gone. "The only thing to do for triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" "NUNQUAM NON PARATUS!"

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