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No headgasket??

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 5:16 pm
by K Daddy
I noticed there is no head gasket shown in the parts manual for the K model and there were no gaskets there when I removed the heads. I thought this was an oversight but no, apparently there is no head gasket and never was for the K model.
I am amazed and have never seen any engine with no head gasket.
This seems dangerous as the head could get ruined from exhaust gases leaking between the head and cylinder.
Wouldn't it be better to cut a thin copper gasket from sheet copper? Maybe 1/64 think?
Does everyone just go gasket free and don't have any problems?

Re: No headgasket??

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 5:25 pm
by hennesse
Look at Shop Dope #332 - over in the Literature section.

Rustoleum Aluminum paint, 1/2 pint can. Especially good if it has been sitting on the hardware store shelf for many years - and is real thick down at the bottom of the can.

Re: No headgasket??

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 5:34 pm
by starcain
This is out of a Competition Racer Specs and instruction manual. It's the same for all K Model heads.

Re: No headgasket??

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 6:38 pm
by Ferrous_Head
Gaskets are there to allow for small imperfections on the sealing surfaces. If you have no imperfections there is no need for a gasket.

We can and do run without gaskets on our race engines. These run at compression ratios exceeding 15 to 1. We run Methanol.
On a 30 HP flathead it would be no big deal.

Re: No headgasket??

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 6:56 pm
by Redpan
Millions of Volkswagens used no head gaskets.

Re: No headgasket??

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 7:05 pm
by mikeslemmon
Sprints don't have head gaskets

Re: No headgasket??

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 7:28 pm
by hennesse
Ferrous_Head wrote:Gaskets are there to allow for small imperfections on the sealing surfaces. If you have no imperfections there is no need for a gasket.


Get a piece of window glass the size of a sheet of Wet-or-dry sandpaper. Put sandpaper on glass. Put cylinder head on sandpaper. Swirl the head around to get a nice flat mating surface on your head.

Re: No headgasket??

PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 8:12 pm
by thefrenchowl
Get a piece of window glass the size of a sheet of Wet-or-dry sandpaper. Put sandpaper on glass. Put cylinder head on sandpaper. Swirl the head around to get a nice flat mating surface on your head.


Better use oil on the sand paper... And do the same procedure with the cylinders...

Better still, no sand paper but oil mixed with fine valve seat grinding paste directly on smooth plate, lot smother finish.

Better still, find a cast iron hand ground table...

And there's no head gasket in Ks cause of the rather well controlled squish, not because heads/cylinders are flat... Head gasket would ruin the squish...

Patrick

Re: No headgasket??

PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 9:18 am
by thefrenchowl
Image

Image

Patrick

Re: No headgasket??

PostPosted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 11:10 am
by Noot
Listen to Patrick (good advice). I use H-D Silver Barrel Paint on the head(mask off combustion chamber) and the top of cylinder(mask cooling fins and center). I let it dry good for assembly. Some builders use copper coat, but I've never tried it. Make sure you clean the top of cylinder and head really good with a paper towel and brake kleen. Get it really clean and dry before painting. Use light, even coats of paint. ;)