Wire Ring Grooved Block

I have a block that's been grooved for wire ring around the cylinder bores, the block is 4.440 bore. Is there any way I can use a standard type head gasket with this block or at least use only the wire in the block and not have to groove the heads? The plan is to use this block with an A460 head and approx 14:1 compression.

i had a s/s wired oring block and used copper gaskets with my edel heads , several folks i now had great luck with that type of sealing ...i did not ..... you can also fill the orings and go with a cometic deal with the proper ra finish

Thanks Bruno,

What would you use to fill the grooves? or do you mean weld?

i have done a lot of these type deals. i just leave the wire in the groove take a skim cut on the deck surface all is well.

lance flake wrote:i have done a lot of these type deals. i just leave the wire in the groove take a skim cut on the deck surface all is well.

This is a good way to do it because it gives you a fresh smooth surface if you use a Cometic type gasket. Worked great on my on block!

do what the others have said if you can.i run mine with the o-ring and copper gasket and it has always needed some kinda block sealer run through it after it's been down AND it always has a leak after it gets a lota run time.

first thing,and cheapest to do that will work is see where it contacts a head gasket,sometimes people cut them in a place where you can run them as is,and other times not

you could fill them like they said,cut the deck, im guessing there .015 deep, if theres a lot on it,and your not going to run orings,cut the block to 0 deck and be done with them

all of these ways will work

If you already have a steel wire in the block, it's tough to do. Be careful that the "skim cut" doesn't snag and lift the steel wire out of the block. There's a danger there.

If you have copper wire in the block, then it's easier. What I have done is dress the copper wire down with a hand file, not all the way, but at least get the majority of it. Then very carefully run the block through the mill and deck it with the copper still in there.

Hope this helps,

Charlie

I have done this very thing with soft copper wire. I tapped the wire in with a block of aluminum and a hammer to force the copper completely into the grooves. I then flat-filed the copper down top the deck surface. I then took a 12" x 12" flat aluminum plate with sandpaper on it and hand-lapped the deck flat to a slick finish. I think you could replace the last step with machine decking if you file the copper down to the deck first.

Is this a production block or an aftermarket block? Just wondering and thinking out loud.

It is a production SCJ block