o-ringed block to flat surface head

have a o-ringed block and heads that has no receiver grooves,can I get by with using copper gaskets or do I need receiver cut heads,this will be a non blown,no nos wengine,will be ran on race gas

I'd use SCE's stainless steel o ring kit (Jegs), just make sure you put the "butt" ends near the closest head bolt, no need to cut the heads, IMHO I'd run copper head gaskets as well, whats the depth of the o ring groove on the block?...

How high above the block do your O rings measure?

I ran an Oringed megablock with copper gaskets and 440-1 heads with no receiver groove, with a 200 shot, for a few years with no problems at all. I used a little red silicone around the coolant passages and a heavy coat of copper spray.
Never a leak of any kind.

.020 above the block

I have used new solid copper head gaskets on a block like yours (between .015 up to and around .022 O ring above the decks)with .045 thick gaskets with no issues from SCE before they offered their titan series with the Teflon embossed option around the coolant holes.
At that time they said it would be better to have the receiver groove, especially when above .022 positive on the O ring.
Do you have the head gaskets yet? If not I would order them in .045 thick and exactly the same size as the bore size, maybe .007 to .015 bigger diameter over all

I have ,042 copper gaskets

I use Flatout head gaskets.
I spray it pretty hard with no issues.

thanks to all for input,have a 426 hemi block that's O-rings,have the iron heads that go with it that has receiver holes,but have aluminum heads that dont,want to do my dual plug thing as the aluminum heads are dual plug

The best fix is to either cut recover grooves in the heads (I actually run the wire in the head and use the block as the receiver) or pull the wires out of the block, fill the grooves with JB weld and file it off and run some MLS gaskets or if the compression is low enough (under 12:1) use a Fel-Pro gasket and be done with it.

It's NEVER correct to use an O-ring without a receiver groove. I know it's done, but that doesn't make it correct. It's wrong and guys pay because it becomes hard to seal oil and water leaks. The copper has to be displaced and if there is nowhere for it to go, it will hold the block off of the head.

thanks mad,never thought of using jb weld

I would suggest a razor blade on the JB

RR is correct in that you can use a razor blade if you don't let the JB weld set up fully. That's actually the easiest, cleanest best way to do it.

thanks guys

Leave the wire out, and use cometics..no spray, and na, they'll serve you better for longer imo.

used copper head gaskets for many years with only the o-ring in the block. Main issue is do not have the o-ring too tall out of the block.
from SCE "Recommended o-ring protrusion is not more than 25% of gasket thickness (see figure 1 below). Wire height in excess of 25% gasket thickness without receiver grooves may cause coolant leaks by supporting the cylinder head too high for proper coolant sealing. Example: Gasket thickness .043”, o-ring protrusion height should be .008” to .010”. This standard works with all thicknesses that are .050” and less. Gaskets thicker than .050” do not require o-ring height more than .012”.

I find .010 the proper height. Then I use motoseal, around the water ports, it is a thin silicone sealant designed for metal to metal applications. works great.

There is a Devcon plasti seal epoxy and JB extreme heat 2400*F to look into

Should you use cometics, there is no need to fill anything with epoxy. They will work fine with no other mods. Done it several times on your situation, and with combos done with wire, and receivers. Pull the wire, and slap them on.

about the same here. O-ringed Mega Block, no grooves in the 440-1s, 13.5/1, SCE Copper gaskets, Hylomar for coolant passages...no NOS. Trouble free.