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I think I suggested the billet/cast block about 10 - 12 years ago!!

I love this answer.

Was this easier or harder than doing it another way?

It doesn't matter - this is the way I wanted to do it.

Mark was ahead of the curve, since he manually 3D printed his block!

I think that's right. I don't remember when I saw the billet block version 288 replica but it had to be about that same time. Anyway, I'm where I am now.

I did spring yard work last weekend and got nothing done on the car....so of course the head gaskets arrived yesterday right on schedule and I'm not ready, I haven't even ordered the rest of the gaskets but I guess it will be a week or so to assemble and leak test so probably not going to cause a real delay. I'm leaning toward trying the copper spray stuff this time around....I'm pretty sure its just spray paint but it is sold specifically for this application.

I have used the copper spray for head gaskets many times. It worked well on R6 Yamaha race engines I was using in my mini sprint.
I am not sure it will do what you are needing though. I don't see it filling the gap that lets the coolant in the cylinder. I think not having Evens coolant will g a long way. Maybe a different torque pattern. Outside in maybe. Get the ends set first. Just a thought.

_________________
Wade Williams
Master Ferrari Tech
Restoration Tech
Engine Machinist
Fabricator
Racecar Driver

I'm not sure either....I was thinking really get it thick on the flame rings, slap it together wet so there is some hope of flow and light torque then wait and retorque. Or I could retry the aviation sealant with the same light torque and wait process. ...or 518...or RTV.... or 85420 urethane stuff.....I just don't know what property I need most and what will survive the fuel and combustion and clamping pressure. It all feels like a roll of the dice

Can I ask a dumb question?

With cylinder pressures so high - how would coolant be entering the cylinders via the head gasket? It seems to me that any leak that would allow that would also pump up your cooling system with compression and/or combustion pressure and blast your rad cap open - not admit coolant to the cylinder. What am I missing?

Is there any place where coolant could be leaking into the intake port(s)? To me, that would seem like a more likely route for coolant into the cylinders.

I guess a leaking head gasket does both allow coolant into the cylinder and force combustion gasses into the cooling system depending on the point in the cylinder's cycle.

Way back the intake ports were for sure leaking....and filled a few cylinders with coolant. I found those leaks and fixed them, and leak tested the heads at 45psi iirc





They could be leaking again but there is no sign of coolant in the ports, cylinders are not filling with coolant. The most important piece of data though is probably that there were 5 cylinders with big leaks last head gasket and only 2 this time....and the only change was the head gasket.

Also remember that I did pressure test the system before the engine went into the car last time. It lost almost no pressure over the week but it lost some so I bought a camera to look in the cylinders, looked in the ports, checked the the sump....the only place I saw a leak was around the coolant temp sensor which I fixed but will fix better now that the heads are back off.

It was sealed when it went it, I'm certain of that.....and not so much after it was heat cycled

This go I'm going to try to figure out how to heat it up a couple times before coolant goes in or it goes in the car...once I decide what sealant/assembly method to try

Just takes a spare electric water heater. You have 240V in your shop, right?

Yes I have 240, but no I don't have a spare water heater element or pump for that temp

I was thinking heat lamps or hair driers something like that