Head Gasket inquiry

K

Khalil Brooks

Member
Does anyone know why the head gasket is metal on the 2 stroke kits? I’m preparing to check the exhaust and head gaskets to make sure they’re properly sealed and I was curious to see if I could use a more flexible high temp gasket material instead of the metal one. I’ll order another metal one if I must but I don’t understand it and it piques my curiosity.
 
Metal head gaskets have been used for years, they seal well if you have a true flat surface. I recommend sanding the head to flatten it, I do it to every head just to make sure it seals. Tape sand paper to a known flat surface like a piece of glass, sand the head in a circular motion, check the head for high spots, after you get consistent sand marks it is true. I use 220 grit to start the 400 or finer to finish.
 
Copper head gaskets seal better and have better heat transfer
Copper head gaskets are best They can be reused up to 3 times after heating with a propane torch or putting on a stove burner. Heat to cherry red . This is called annealing the gasket. To make the copper soft again. Air cool or quench in water it don't matter with copper.

Aluminum head gaskets if trying to anneal and reusing usually burns the gasket

Metal head gaskets are hard. They cannot be annealed. They can be reused but their just not that good. Metal gaskets have poor heat transfer

If a gasket Copper, Aluminum or Metal has a raised crush surface it should only be used once.

Tip: When resurfacing your head, mark up the surface with a Black Sharpie Pen. Check your work while sanding and you'll be able to see the low spots. Sand until all the Sharpie Pen marks are gone then your flat. Mark with Sharpie and sand it off one more time to insure your flat

Tip: Stick on 10" or 12" sanding discs sheets work great Just peal and stick to plate glass

Tip: Do not use spray on adhesive to stick sandpaper to plate glass it sprays on uneven and you'll never get what your sanding flat.

Tip: Brush off metal dust while sanding often. The sand paper should be new and wrinkle free. A wrinkled piece of sand paper will ruin a flat surface
 
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