You don't clean up everything with a scotch brite wheel? Of course I'm not aggressive with it, just enough to clean it up. Nothing a little air and a shop vac. won't handle.

Not the first time I've seen this. Usually iron heads at 40-42 degrees timing. It is detonation. I'll bet between cylinders 4/6 or 3/5? More heat there with the paired exhaust ports. No gasket will withstand detonation forever. 15.9-1 needs a decent gasket for sure. The real question is what caused the detonation? How much timing? How much cam timing? How is the oil control in the cylinder? How do the rod bearings look? For what its worth my 572, -1, runs 15-1 on Renegade 114 , Cometics, studs, 32 degrees, 285@.050, 112LCA in at 108. Never an issue. Reused the gaskets 3 times, 450 passes.
Doug

Just FYI ... stochiometric for Q is in the mid 13s while gas is mid 14s so the carb will be lean by almost a full point if you don't rejet for Q.

Do you need a Q16 carb? I have a 1250 Dominator that is set up for Q16 that I've been thinking about selling. Running Q16 requires a lot more than just bigger jets. BLP converted my carb for Q16 and they changed the metering blocks, bleeds, jets and upper jets.

Of course if you are running EFI then you just type in some new numbers and you're locked and loaded for Q!

Yeah I need a new carb, can I afford it? No. Thanks for the offer! What's your opinion on cleaning up gasket surfaces with a red scotch brite wheel? Andy? Rich? It's always worked great for me. Note that this engine has been raced, pretty soft really, going 10.90 for about 5 years with the -1's and some wfo brackets now and then. The entire engine was freshened in 2012. -1's added at the beginning of 2014. It always ran on 114 or 116 until I got that dreaded barrel of 110. I think 15-1 is a little high of an estimate as ootb -1's are SAID to be 72cc and haven't actually been measured.

Get the shortblock OUT and upside down or at least perpendicular (for cleaning debris) so you can LAP that void out. LAP the whole deck surface, not just locally. See what it takes LOCALLY to get a feel for how deep the void is and if it can be removed. I'd get a feel for WHERE the loading 'ring' of whatever gasket you using is in relation to the void. You can probably take about .003" out pretty easily...just takes patience and time.

I'm definitely not taking the engine from the car right now. It only has a couple of races to go to finish the season. I'll fix a bunch of stuff this winter. I will clean up the whole surface using a shop vac and my wheel, I have Cometic's on order and cross my fingers using some Sunoco 116 for now. Hopefully I can get the head fixed in time for Sunday. Taking them apart now.

sometimes "good enough" will get you through.... hope you can fix her up!!

Dave like we talked yesterday for what you have planned just proceed as necessary. Get the head fixed and throw a decent gasket on it and watch it. Is it optimal, no but will it get you buy the rest of the year, likely so. Obviously the 110 was the biggest issue and the piston tops show some detonation. Watch the oil pressure as well as detonation will KILL rod bearings.

As for the carb, I have one sitting at home ready for Q if you need it. Say the word and it will be on its way. Or send me yours, we can make it ready for Q. Just say the word.

Also the dragster is sitting at the house waiting for you if you need it too. Wish I was closer you could use it this weekend. If you need it to finish out the year or at the ET finals its all yours. Also if you need any bits and pieces I am sure we can help. I have a fresh set of heads as well as the carb..

I thought the Cometics needed a very fine finish to seal no scratches like above...............

They can be used with a bit rougher surface than they call for. Since he's trying to finish the year I agree with Al. He will be just fine to finish the year.

Pretty damn nice of Al to offer him a carb or to tune up his.

That Al guy is pretty cool.............

If I need to use a steel gasket with a less than perfect surface I spray on a liberal coat of copper coat, seems to work ok around here even though that is not what the manufacturers call for.

There's no water to worry about at that location. I wouldn't sweat it at all.

Thanks for all the confidence guys! Al, you are the MAN!!! You know what's mine is also yours and when you or Steven want to race my car it's all yours. He's a fricken bada$$ by the way...
Dropped the heads off with Angie tonight and she will tune them up proper. Should have 'em back by Thursday, I gotta get busy. Shout out to Dave's Machine and Mopar Engines West for accommodating my last minute needs.
I was planning on tacking the gaskets up with copper seal keeping my fingers crossed. I will get the engine out this winter and give it a proper freshen up and then probably sell it or maybe the whole shebang. I am dropping in a fresh set of roller lifters and resealing the intake which needed to be done anyway. Should make a little more vacuum. It's amazing to me that this little 493 has been so great. It's a happy camper and I am pretty ashamed of not taking better care of it in the fuel department. I'm glad it wasn't a complete meltdown lesson.

Probably would'nt hurt ya if you pulled a couple degrees of timing out of her also. Thats a lot of compression.

Head is fixed. Now if Summit would just show up...

The engine likes 34 degrees and really hates anything but. 116 from now on.

That will seal fine with a cometic. You are close to pooping in the tall cotton.

Dave I wish I still had pictures to show you what happened to me years ago. I had a .030 440 engine that ran 9.80's 30 plus years ago with a stock block and ported 906 heads. I was going rounds but the car kept slowing every round so I kept bumping my dial slower. I lost in the final on Sunday afternoon and loaded up and when I took a leakdown i could tell there was an issue between cylinder 3 and 5 so I pulled the head. Both my block and head were torched over .125 so after a day of making phone calls found a guy 25 miles away that said to bring it over. The head was no problem but with the engine still in the car I lowered the pistons as much as I could and wrapped the cylinders with keyowool and and fiberglass cloth. He checked it out and said he could do it in the car but asked me how I could machine it. As a Millwright we did stuff like this everyday so I told him I would get it close with a 3 inch grinder and then file it to within .002-.003 and it would seal. He said he would charge me 125.00 to weld both the head and block. I then gave him some nickel stick welding rod we used in the mill. He called the next day (Wednesday) and said it was done so I flew up to get my Duster. When I took a look the whole job was finished and filed flat. He told me he couldn't believe that it could be done so he had to try. He did a great job and when I asked how much I owed he said 100.00 (25.00 less than quoted) for more work. He said hey I learned something and by doing that he would be able to apply it in his trade. I put it back together Thursday after work and raced Friday night. That block is still in a street car today and the heads are in my downstairs garage.