aluminum vs iron

Very little highway driving will be done with this car, Setup for 1000' dragstrip.
However, I could run the interstate here. Get on at one exit, haul butt and be out of gear/rpm at the next exit. haha.
If I ever get the interior and paint done on it, and get the title all straightened out, i'll prob put some 3.55's or something in it for a while.

 

Rick, distilled water only ? new one to me. CAlled Edelbrock and they said did not matter..

 

I've heard distilled water also.
No impurities in it.
Also heard of an additive you can put in regular water.
Something about the corrosion between iron/aluminum.

 

Anymore I just buy the premixed stuff and poor away.

 

I guess it changes from year to year or from beer to beer.

 

You should only run distilled water in any cooling system, there are no minerals to clog the radiator, stick to the water jacket, and attack aluminum parts. Aluminum heads on an iron block... since the heads and block have different thermal expansion rates the head gasket tends to get "scrubbed". The top (head) side of the gasket will try to move with the head which expands/contracts a lot, the bottom (block) side will move less becuase it stays with the block which doesn't expand/contract as much. The gasket is caught in between and gets ripped apart. Ford's 3.8L V6's are notorious for this. The fix is to use graphite coated head gaskets that allow the block and heads to slide on the gaskets rather than rip them.

 

Glad someone found a use for graphite coated head gaskets.
I HATE those darn things, won't run them on a 302 EVER EVER EVER again

 

Did you use these with iron heads or aluminum heads?

 

Well, took your advice Rick and stole the distilled water from my wifes ironing cabinet! Now she thinks I am "pampering" my car! Well, DUH!!

 

Personally I like Iron heads because they will make more power given equal engine compression and cam specs......

 

Graphite coated head gaskets

I've used them for the past 3 or 4 years on my iron-headed 302 and 347 without any problems. You do have to be carefull to make sure the head bolts or studs are torqued equally or the gasket will get squeezed and not slide correctly. That's why Ford says you should use torque-to-yield headbolts with these gaskets, but I have ARP studs.

 

That debate will always be around. I agree and made great power with my 289 heads with the 1.94/1.6 valves (in the 12's). I got the RPMs for a great price (around $700) so I could not resist. Now I am worried over the flepro head gaskets I used. I just followed Edelbrocks reccommendations on them but did not use the graphite coated..

 

I have always used the Felpro 1101-1 oe 1101-2 depending on iron vrs aluminum.........no problems yet I have never used graphite gaskets unless it was an required product for some factory head jobs.....done too many of those.......

 

thatsa my gasket..

 

I don't have aluminum heads, but I know several people that use aluminum heads but run non graphite heads.
the -1 and -2 has to do with the thickness of it also. Used them both
Just dont like the graphite because they are a PITA to clean the crap off the block