Copper Head Gasket Fabrication.

[Orange4]

Hi

Thought I'd share my head gasket fab ideas. Worked well for me but it does require a plasma cutter, a router and a bottom bearing carbide tipped flush cut bit. You could still do this without the plasma cutter by using a band saw or jig saw but it sure makes it easier. The copper is discolored from being outside but it's in good shape.

The advantages to the router method are speed and that you end up with the identical bore to the cylinder.

I used an old gasket as a jig to rough out the blank one side at a time. 1/4 inch wood was used to keep the gasket off the copper enough to use the torch tip against the gasket. When I cut the opposite side, I just had move the gasket to get the right offset. The ears, I cut freehand.



For the bore holes, I just used the gasket as-is because I'm going to router off the excess anyway. The bit was set just below the copper so as not to cut into the cylinder walls.



Clamps used to hold down the gasket while cutting and drilling. I also clamped the whole assembly to the bench for stability.



Showing how nice the cut and accuracy are.



For drilling the stud holes, I used a drill press but you could do it with a hand drill. Bit size I used was 27/64.

[Gallaecus]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171141260182...84.m1438.l2649


the old gasket didnt look too bad. why not re-use it?
how thick is the copper compared to the original head gasket?
is it enough to change compression ratio?
seems like a lot of work, but if you're having fun with it, thats what matters most.

[Orange4]

The old gasket had delaminated when it was disassembled so it couldn't be reused. The copper one will be re-useable.

Yeah, It's for fun, although now that I have the techniques down, if I made a mini production run it would be relatively economical.

The copper sheet is .048" and the original gasket measures .053" so it won't affect the compression much (.0012"). I will be eliminating the .022 base gasket though so I will pick up a few points there. Also the original bores on the gasket are actually bigger than stock to accommodate overboring so there's a tiny bit of compression to be picked up there, not that I will notice.

I also picked up some Permatex copper spray-a-gasket today for the install.

[TomB]

When making my copper head gasket I did the same in trying to get the shape correct in front and behind the barrels, only to find once assembled you can't see them anyway DOH!!!! I could have cut them completely straight, only the outer edges of the jugs allow the edge of the gasket to be seen easily and around the camchain tunnel.

Just a thought for anyone else thinking of making one, it cuts out a hell of a lot of work.

I used 35 thou copper

[natemoen]

I bet there would be several people here interested in the copper gasket.

[TADracer]

Nice job!

When you start getting thinner than .030" copper it is very wise to diligently check your valve/piston clearances after torqueing the head on especially on the exhaust side. Only other thing I would mention is (if you have not already) don't forget to anneal the gasket before you install it.

[Orange4]

...I could have cut them completely straight, only the outer edges of the jugs allow the edge of the gasket to be seen easily and around the camchain tunnel.

Just a thought for anyone else thinking of making one, it cuts out a hell of a lot of work.

I see your good point and bad pun and I raise you that it's less of a cop-out than you might think.

[Orange4]

Nice job!

When you start getting thinner than .030" copper it is very wise to diligently check your valve/piston clearances after torqueing the head on especially on the exhaust side. Only other thing I would mention is (if you have not already) don't forget to anneal the gasket before you install it.

Roger, wilco.

I'm contemplating annealing it in my kiln but torch annealing might actually cause less oxidation because it's faster. However, if I flood the kiln with argon... Hmm.

[natemoen]

However, if I flood the kiln with argon... Hmm.

Electric kiln, yes. Open fire kiln, not much, you would smother the flame.

[fredintoon]

Hi
Thought I'd share my head gasket fab ideas. - - -

Hi O4,
We used to refurbish copper exhaust gaskets at work. (There's 36 of them on an 18 cylinder radial)
Each gasket had a pressed ring around the central hole, a raised ridge on one side and a groove on t'other.
After they'd been through the oven the apprentice got the tedious job of re-pressing the seal grooves.
Two steel blocks with guide pins to locate the gasket, one block with a ridge and the other with a matching groove.
Assemble the blocks around the gasket, put the assembly in a hand-pumped hydraulic press; pump, remove, repeat. One at a time by the effin' great boxful.
But why this tale of teenage drudgery?
The bought gaskets have a thickened area around each cylinder bore.
Sheet copper gaskets don't.
A copper gasket with a raised crush ring around each bore would seal better.
A set of dies to press the rings one at a time would be easily made in a lathe.

[skids]

Now where did I put that damn plasma cutter???

[b.walker5]

Hi O4,
We used to refurbish copper exhaust gaskets at work. (There's 36 of them on an 18 cylinder radial)
Each gasket had a pressed ring around the central hole, a raised ridge on one side and a groove on t'other.
After they'd been through the oven the apprentice got the tedious job of re-pressing the seal grooves.
Two steel blocks with guide pins to locate the gasket, one block with a ridge and the other with a matching groove.
Assemble the blocks around the gasket, put the assembly in a hand-pumped hydraulic press; pump, remove, repeat. One at a time by the effin' great boxful.
But why this tale of teenage drudgery?
The bought gaskets have a thickened area around each cylinder bore.
Sheet copper gaskets don't.
A copper gasket with a raised crush ring around each bore would seal better.
A set of dies to press the rings one at a time would be easily made in a lathe.

A Nice to Have but NOT a Need to Have. As long as the deck and head is reasonably flat, with no pitting, and the gasket is annealed properly, they'll seal perfectly alright.

[TomB]

A Nice to Have but NOT a Need to Have. As long as the deck and head is reasonably flat, with no pitting, and the gasket is annealed properly, they'll seal perfectly alright.

+1

I also used silicon sealant around the camchain tunnel.

I'm mechanic on a funny bike drag race team (GS1150 bored to 1327 NO2 + Turbo, 400+bhp), we use copper head gaskets with sealing rings, they're slightly thicker. On an XS11 with 95bhp you're Ok without the sealing rings.

[Orange4]

I have been looking into the o-ring thing and found that it seems to be used mostly high boost engines or with thin gaskets. I did find a XS650 thread about using an .003 copper washer instead of a whole gasket. That might be one alternative to grooves and o-rings.

http://www.accessnorton.com/oil-tigh...ts-t16616.html



Another idea I had was to burnish the combustion edge of the gasket with a polished drill rod like the way you get an edge on a card scraper for wood working. It mushrooms the edge a bit and thickens it slightly. Could be splitting hairs here.

The original gaskets do have the copper ring that acts as a crush washer.

Almost done...



I am planning to smear some oil proof sealant around the chain tunnel.

[b.walker5]

Looking good. Dont waste your time, and money with washers/edges etc. You wont need them. Just make sure its annealed properly and you'll be sweet.