I asked this last winter, can't remember all the different answers. I have an o-ringed block, but the heads are not o-ringed. I ended up going with a .040 copper head gasket, Summit brand. I used Permatex 'The Right Stuff' around the water holes on the block and the heads. First time I fired the motor water ran down the sides of the block. Then it seemed to seal but after racing the car the sides of the block were damp all summer. Plus the oil pan leaked all the way around badly. I'm betting this thing would be a half tenth quicker just by sealing the motor up. I run an evac setup.

That's all I want to do to this car over the winter is reseal the oil pan and head gaskets.

I have a 4.380 bore, big block low deck and aluminum -1 heads. I don't believe the surfaces are smooth enough for cometic gaskets. Should I remove the o-rings from the block and run some kind of regular head gasket? I've done that before with good results. I'm at 12 to 1 compression or less.

Or do I really need to just get receiver grooves put in the heads? I'd rather not but I need to get this thing sealed.

Bob when I was screwing my engine together Nick told me to just clean and dry the surfaces and use the Fel-Pro 1009's right out of the pack with NO sealer or spray.
My engine is dry so far with a hair over 11 to 1 compresssion
Give Nick a call
Gus

I have a set of 440-1's that had a receiver groove in the head for a previous N20 application on a 400 block in a street motor. I used the Felpro blue perma-torque gasket and it worked fine

People will say Im crazy but when i ran a 440-1 head engine with a stock block, I ran those old cheap Felpro head gaskets that come in the basic gasket kit..The part number ends with a PT. Heck I even reuse them one time before I buy another new set..Last time I checked a a set of these are still under $40.
My compression was NOT real crazy high, like 11.5-12:1..never a problem with these..On a serious high compression engine..I use only Cometics. I smear some sealer around each and every water hole. and bolt it up. I dont like the copper spray on those, they like too loose torque readings a bunch.

Fel Pro 1039 at 14.1:1 and never a problem.

Bob do you have it apart now? You should only require 1 receiver groove to seal the combustion area on your motor. Sometimes you can READ a gasket issue like READING a spark plug or bearing. I think you would be just fine with the 1009 Fel-Pro's in there also.

Let me know if you need an extra set of eyes to look at that.

I might also be able to help with that oil pan gasket issue

I'd go with the 1039 FelPro as well. Remove the rings from the block, done it a few times no issue.

I would( and have ) try a set of the SCE Titan copper head gaskets with the teflon emboosed around all of the water and oil ports I had a hemi motor with O rings with a little less compression and no reiceiver groove(the customer wouldn't pay for that )and ended up using those gaskets, they worked well Leave the O rings in with those gaskets

With 4.38 I'd say the 1039 is the best bet.

How thick is the 1039?

My engine isn't out yet, maybe later this month. I'll let ya know Road Hazard, I'm gonna buy a better oil pan for the leak, or just use 'The right Stuff' this time.

Wow those are thick, I just looked them up............

"Head Gasket, Composition Type, 4.590 in. Bore, .051 in. Compressed Thickness, Chrysler, Big Block"

It looks like the Felpro 1009 would work, up to 4.410 bore and only .039 thick.

1009 = .039
1039 = .051

Bob,

Weve been using the HG31130HT ROL Extreme's for 4 seasons now and love them! Used them on the Iron block Eddy head 493 at 13.5:1 and used them on the Aluminum block and head 526 at 13.5:1 last season! They work great for us! they have a larger bore(4.505), a compressed thickness of .045 and cost 1/2 of what the 1009's do. Just a suggestion for ya!

This picture is of the 1009 gasket that failed at the water jacket above cylinder #7 and between cylinders # 3 and 5 I had replaced the original fel Pro 8517PT head gasket on that side and had the drivers side head surface before retesting this motor on a different brand engine dyno (DTS Brand versus the Studka brand) due to a poor leakdown test done after the first Studka engine dyno session on this motor earlier in 2009. The reason I wanted to retest this motor on another brand engine dyno was the output was very high compared to similar motors I had dynoed on the same Studka dyno and talking to other engine builders and dyno operators with simialr combinations This Fel Pro 1009 head gasket failed by the far right upper head bolt completely first stopping the test and was failing between the center two cylinders also. I am really lucky the gaskt failed on cylinder # 7 before it blew the gasket out between the center two cylinders, the last time I had a Fel Pro composite gasket blow out between the cylinders it ruined the block and head, took the cast iron out like cutting torch or grinder would do I guess not all failures are really bad, Thank God for that BTW, I hope to have some more tests done next week on this motor again, I hope it lives this time EDIT Oops, I forgot to attach the picture

I will consider myself lucky with no failures on the 1009 at 540" and the 1039 at 572" both at 14:1+

not sure what gaskets to run at 16:1 on the new one.

I forgot to point out that the center of the gaskets (both) between the center two cylinders are spread out into the combustion chamber, the # 1009 more then the 8517 gasket. The 8517 has a little bigger gasket bore than the 1009 does The 1009 blew out completely at the top of cylinder #7, which is in the quench area of the SR heads on this motor This motor has a 4.380 bore size. I would not use either gasket on any engine that had a bore size bigger than 4.380, I will not use the 1009 on any bore size bigger than 4.360 from now on

Cab did you check to make sure the block and head surfaces were perfectly flat? I'm sure you probably did. I ran those cheap 8519PT's on my 451 the first couple years I raced it in the 10 teens with no problems.

Are these gaskets ok? I think these are the ones I started running on my old 451 the last few years I ran it.

The gaskets CL440 mentioned sound interesting, and cheap.

IMO I would tear it down and measure then, post what you have with pics and resubmit your question based on this info. (copper or S.S. o-ring?, flattened anytwhere?, height of o-ring, is it uniform?, would o-ring intersect/overlap cheap composite gasket o-ring suggested), as long as you have quench the 'tall with larger bore' gasket leaving the o-ring in place if all is good with the o-ring. This may be the better option assuming your desire to run pump gas IMO.

That's a good idea, I was just trying to look ahead on this. I'll let you know how the gaskets look if I ever get the desire to yank the motor.