Contact Cometic Gaskets. https://www.cometic.com/ They may be willing to get you what you need. Save the "O-ring job" as a last resort. Please trust me on this one. I have had "Zero" head gasket failures with "Zero" coolant leaks since I stopped "O-Ringing" and started using Cometic Head Gaskets on my forced induced builds... Especially on Mopar Magnum V8's!!! Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I have not but have been talking to Charley Markley lately. These guys have been doing it for decades so their knowledge is extremely important for me to learn from.
We have to learn all we can, those in the know, are dying out on us... Sadly... Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I have only heard good things about cometic. The one thing I have first hand knowledge about and them is there web-site is as useful as a pair of tits on a boar hog. I have also tried calling them and every time I seem to get the one cat in the place who thinks High Performance is only related to his cell phone. I have a blown hemi and I gave up on those cats. If you are really planning on running 22-26 pounds of boost and a small displacement Dodge baby hemi, then I am afraid you are going to need a hell of a lot more than a set of cometic head gaskets.
22-26 Lbs in a street driven/daily driver? I wasn't referring to a race engine.... Perhaps I misunderstood the topic here? Is he competitively drag racing only? Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
One thing I forgot to add, I was able to achieve 14 PSI with Cometic Head gaskets without a problem. I used ARP studs. No leaks, no issues... I don't know if those gaskets will or will not take more than that much boost.. And that was on a Magnum 5.9L, that is a 4 bolt circle around each cylinder, not a lot of clamping area. At 5 PSI of boost, Fel Pro head gaskets blow out between the cylinders quite easily on these engines. Perhaps someone else here can add to this with their experience? But to achieve 550 Horsepower shouldn't require a huge amount of boost if the heads are ported nicely, and the compression ratio is well thought out. The truth is that Hemi heads respond well to forced induction. As a horrible example, and hopefully she'd a little light on this, the last cheap (Probe kit) 383 Chevy I built with a tiny 250 on it made over 400 HP(at the flywheel) on about 5 PSI of boost, using crappy bone stock unmodified 1972 cylinder heads with 1.94 intakes... On the Dyno, it was 370ish HP at the rear tires. This car runs on pump gas also. I am not sure if I can find the build sheet, but the compression was like 8 to 1. I was impressed with what I got with such minimal effort utilizing a tiny huffer and a single Holly four barrel. I closed my shop shortly after 2012, so I missed out on boosting up the Gen 3 Hemi's. That trend seemed to boom in 2014. So I missed the opportunity to offer a better comparison. To achieve 550 HP shouldn't require 22+ lbs. of boost with a small Hemi. But maybe I am wrong about that? I know of a large Red Ram that makes more than 600 HP normally aspirated, but it's not a street engine. And it's for Bonneville only. Perhaps some of you guys have seen that 1950 Plymouth run out there... But if this is a race only build, I will zip it and move on... And apologize in advance for offering information that isn't helpful. Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I have had great success using copper/rings on other stuff I’ve had. Never have built, or even talked to anybody who has built a high output early hemi. I look at it as I would any other engine, but I know some engines have thier quirks. Im more than happy to do the copper, but I thought if I could get away with an MLS gasket, why go through the trouble of ringing/grooving. I’ll go the direction that I originally intended, and as bossman has recommended. I appreciate the input from everyone and the perspective from thier view. I wouldn’t call this a daily driver by any means. It will need to be durable enough to drive over some distances, but I don’t intend to do much more street duty than semi-local car shows, cruise nights, and on occasion, drag week. I plan on wearing it out one 1/4 mile at a time.
I run 7 lbs on the street with my blown Chrysler Hemi. Standard head gaskets, no problem with 30K miles. I think 22 lbs is to much for the street. You might push the lower end out.
You’ve put together an excellent combo for what you use it for. That kind of long term durability is not expected from me on what Im doing. I do have significant experice with boost. I never ran into an engine that couldnt take at least 15 psi with a real tune up in it. I admit I’m most likely pushing the envelope for a streetable combo, but only time will tell!
What kind of car are you putting into? Knew a guy had a Hemi with 16 lbs boost in a 32 roadster. Cut it back, because the car was dangerously scary in 1st 3 gears. almost uncontrollable. Had to change under wear!
I have plenty of underwear! Going in a 53 Studebaker. Target weight goal of 2800 pounds. The car will be a purpose built drag car with just enough street equipment to be legal.
That would be Bill Service, I got into Dodges because he called and asked me to. I did his cylinder heads for that engine, have two other sets here, and working on a intake manifold for that effort. Bill is a great guy!
As for a Cometic Gasket for a Dodge Hemi, to my knowledge they don't exist. Its something like $2k to get a die made for them to manufacture plus the expense of a run. You'd never see a return on investment or if so probably a decade later. I have all the confidence in the world that a MLS Gasket would survive boost, look at the LS Chevy engine with 4 head bolts per cylinder. That is why Cooper and O-Rings are the go to for something like this, just what is available.
I completely understand. Until someone forks out the money, there won't be a MLS Head gasket available for a Red Ram.... Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Digging the insight from you guys! Thank you. You’ll have to put up with some of my ignorance on what works with what on this particular project. Please be patient with me. I do have more questions about this engine. My plan is to run a clutchflite trans behind it. From what I can put together from doing searches, it seems that I can buy an aluminum flywheel/ adapter from hotheads. I believe this will allow the use of a “LA” modern bell. It seems though, that there is some conflicting, or at least confusing info on this. I have read that the block has the same bolt pattern as an LA block. So, is the adapter just a spacer for the correct depth, or is there some other factor that is different? Is there a scattershield available that bolts to this block without the adapter? Are all the early Hemi engines (other than the cast in bell) the same dimensions for trans compatibility? I have seen trans parts listed for 392 engines. Just wondering if they are all interchangeable, or what makes them different/ incompatable with one/another?
Two reasons for the 1" thick adapter. Crank flange spacing and the dowel pins are different between the Hemi block and the small block bellhousing. 4 of the 6 bolt holes line right up. The Wizzard
We just got into the holidays... Let's see where it goes after the holiday season passes... This time of year involves family and home winterizing.... I am only guessing, not speaking for the OP... But I am busy doing this now. Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I could be way off base ,but I seem to remember reading or hearing there was a connection plate that mounts a potvin setup that had interchangeable gears like a quick change rear so that you could control the drive ratio so it wouldn’t be stuck at 1:1
Bump... Lost track of this one. I actually purchased a 241 after this thread started. Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The Jalopy Journal
