Head Gaskets for 9 lbs. of Boost

I did a recent rebuild and I had recieved some advice from a machine shop that the stock head gasket made by felpro would be okay. Well, I installed them on my 355 LT1 with 9 lbs. of boost and as soon as I started the dang thing it seems to be leaking oil, I thought it was the intake or the oil pressure sending unit, but I think that it is comming from the passenger side head gasket. Anyone have any experience on these problems? Let me know. Thanks

-Slim

I wouldn't use stock Felpro gaskets with 9lbs boost. They make a set with copper rings for the cylinders for high compression motors.

Any idea where to get a quote on some?

-Slim

I used Felpro 1074 Gaskets. They have the copper ring with .039 thickness but is stronger than the Lt1 stock replacement head gaskets.
I believe I got them from summit.


Hope that helps,
Claude

I am using Felpro #1074 as are most others.

Rich Krause

I just switched over to the 1074's after blowing the stock Felpro ones. They were around $35 each from summit, and get some ARP bolts too.

That brings up a good question. At what point (boost) does one ring the heads for ringed head gaskets.

I'm not familiar with the terms but it is when the machine shop cuts rings into the cylinder heads for the head gaskets...

There was a thread on this exact topic about 2 weeks ago or so. The consensus was that o-ringing isn't really needed. The 1074 or the comedic head gasket with ARP studs or bolts will be sufficient up to very high boost levels.

I run 16 psi on my setup, it was the stock Felpro gasket and TTY bolts, that didn't work to well, Now the 1074 and ARP bolts.

Thanks, I'll do a search. I've been poking into this forum periodically, I must have missed it before.

I am running stock replacement head gaskets and some arp head bolts, do you think that I need to switch to the 1074's?

-Slim

I wouldn't change it unless it lets go. Mine went because the TTY bolts stretched. All the shorter ones around the spark plugs were not very tight when i disassembled the heads. The ARP's may help that gasket live a little longer.

TPIS has gaskets with a stronger "squelch" area just for boosted vehicles, check it out.