2.0 Cylinder Gaskets, Should they be used? Options

[jack20]

Hello,
I had leaking pushrod tube seals and dropped the engine to make the job easier.
I decided to pull the heads to check condition. I’ve done quite a bit of reading about whether or not gaskets should be used between the cylinder and case and between the cylinder and head. Some posters point to a service bulletin stating not to use gaskets.

I have metal spacers/gaskets between the heads and cylinders. I think this engine has been rebuilt once before I got it. It runs well but it’s not as quick as another 914 2.0 I had years ago. Maybe the other car had higher compression and no gasket? I’m wondering if this metal gasket should be there. I haven’t checked for a gasket between the cylinder and case. My 356 has a thin copper gasket between the cylinder and case.

Can anyone shed some light in this?

Thanks in advance,

Jack

[jcd914]

You should measure the combustion chamber volume as well as the deck height and calculate your compression ratio.

Deck height is not measured based on the wear marks in the cylinder wall.
Measure to the top of the piston to the top of the cylinder.
The wear marks in the cylinder are normally created by the piston rings not the piston.

I don't use the head gaskets and in my 20 years as a mechanic I never had a leak without the gaskets. The expansion and contraction cycles as the engine heats and cools cause the gaskets to squirm around and sometimes fail.
The AMC heads I put on my 78 bus said not to use head gaskets with their heads. I don't recall an explanation for the instructions.

Good luck with the engine!

Take care
Jim

[Mark Henry]

You should measure the combustion chamber volume as well as the deck height and calculate your compression ratio.

Deck height is not measured based on the wear marks in the cylinder wall.
Measure to the top of the piston to the top of the cylinder.
The wear marks in the cylinder are normally created by the piston rings not the piston.

I don't use the head gaskets and in my 20 years as a mechanic I never had a leak without the gaskets. The expansion and contraction cycles as the engine heats and cools cause the gaskets to squirm around and sometimes fail.
The AMC heads I put on my 78 bus said not to use head gaskets with their heads. I don't recall an explanation for the instructions.

Good luck with the engine!

Take care
Jim

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

I don't use head gaskets and I always measure CR (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

My 102mm nickies T4 and all the 96mm performance engines I build have no head gaskets. I've been at this 30 years and I haven't used head gaskets in the last 20 years. But every set of heads I use is a fresh fly cut.
BTW Every head gasket solution that you can think of including copper gaskets has been tried.