We cut a head gasket out of copper sheet - will it work?

[@Turbowagon]

Copper head gaskets absolutely work. My turbo viper uses them. The metal needs to be properly annealed and you need high torque fasteners to properly clamp the head and make it seal. You also need fire rings in the deck and head surface to bite into the copper. I commented a long time ago on your videos where you were playing with turbocharging and suggested trying this, I hope you get it to work it can be a very good head gasket solution. You also need to use a single copper sheet of certain thickness according to your application, not multiple layers.

[@GaisaSanktejo]

You beat me to it regarding annealing the copper, though I would have missed the rest... Kudos! 👍👌

[@SeanBZA]

Yes there are plenty of aero engines that use copper gaskets to seal, this one needs to have that gasket annealed, and also to have the cylinder and oil passage sections formed thicker, either with a set of shims riveted to the gasket, placing the rivets into the water jacket area, or bu using a press to form the copper thicker in that area, using a die set that displaces the annealed copper out slightly, thickening the area, then anneal again to make soft. Even a good number of 1950's era designs, with cast iron heads and blocks, that used copper gaskets to do all the seals, and where the head gasket kit was simply a set of cardboard boxes containing individual annealed copper gaskets, that you placed in the machined grooves in the block, and lowered the head onto them, fixing with the new bolts that came in the kit, and those were famous for not leaking easily.

[@arva1kes]

What viper :D they actually made this setup on ladas at home 30 years ago. you can increase engine cc with that. So this definately works.. especially on ladas.

[@FuckGoogle502]

@@arva1kes Increasing the combustion chamber volume like that would decrease compression ratio and lead to a loss of power, unless they also upgraded the pistons. I had to use a thicker head gasket to get my 383 back under 12:1 because I didn't realize the guy I got it from had gotten the deck shaved twice already and I wound up with the piston crowns protruding .020 above the cylinder. XD P.S. I measure the blocks first now. :D

[@Turbowagon]

@@arva1kes 97 viper gts has a built 9.0l and twin precision 7675 turbos

[@Fizzer99]

We use single layer copper gaskets in a lot of turbo builds. They work 100%

[@tonydiesel3444]

Is any kind of chemical sealer used maybe they spray? Or just copper to steel

[@Fizzer99]

@@tonydiesel3444 We use a thin layer of copper gasket spray on both sides.

[@mondude9754]

I think they used multi layers because of the way commercialy available steel head gaskets are made

[@averyalexander2303]

Good to know. Do you have any suggestions for what type or thickness of copper would be best? Long story, but I'm trying to I'm trying to make a very durable head gasket for a Briggs and Stratton. I'll definitely use my copper spray and resurface the head and block to make sure they are completely flat and smooth for a good seal, I just need a reliable head gasket.

[@Fizzer99]

@@averyalexander2303 you're going to have to work out the compression ratio to know what thickness you need. You can find a calculator on google for that.

[@TheRattyBiker]

One huge problem is using multi-layered gaskets. A single thicker copper medium would have been a better choice. Keep in mind a 1.5mm OEM fibre gasket will compress to 0.75mm with torque (or there abouts) instead Vlad should have spec'd 1mm of copper to get the gasket torqued to 0.75mm. Using 1.5mm will only compress to 1.25 mm which will reduce the compression due to the 0.5mm difference. *Note* I am NOT an engineer BUT I do have experience bodging my own stuff to get me to work and back reliably.

[@mann_idonotreadreplies]

Cool story bro

[@mondude9754]

They use multi layers with steel gaskets to make them seal so why would it be any different with copper

[@rackal3753]

@@mondude9754 Because copper has differnet properties than steel

[@MrLunithy]

I used to stack two but you had to be exact when torquing down and clean.

[@HDJess]

The biggest mistake was making multiple layers. You need to only use one layer and trim off a lot of material on the outer edges, to reduce the surface area and increase the pressure on the seal. Copper isn't as soft as a regular head gasket and you need less surface area to properly compress it.

[@tikkasen_urakointi]

One old-timer trick is to hammer the edges of the cylinder holes outwards so that the material around the cylinders becomes thicker. Copper head gaskets are reusable, they just need to be annealed before each use.

[@HDJess]

@@tikkasen_urakointi yeah I know, I'm just saying he didn't know how to make a copper head gasket at all, he did everything wrong. These guys don't know much about cars, except they have a lot of patch-up experience with those crappy Ladas.

[@mondude9754]

​@@HDJessThey use multi layers with steel gaskets to make them seal so why would it be any different with copper? Even if there is a valid reason I'm sure that's why they made it multi layer is because of steel gaskets

[@HDJess]

@@mondude9754 multi-layered steel gaskets use some compressible material between the sheets, like Viton and are coated with a compressible material, as steel can't deform under that pressure. Copper gaskets don't need to be layered, as it's a soft material and will deform when tightened. If you make it multi-layered and don't use any coating, you're just creating more ways for gases to escape between the layers.

[@europeantechnique572]

@@tikkasen_urakointi .

[@elecwizz]

First thing I was taught as a mechanic when I was a kid: Do not ever layer gaskets. That’s why they were leaking. You simply cannot use three layers of copper. Retry the experiment with one thicker layer. Also most gaskets have a raised ridge that crushes when installed to maximize the seal. I Watch this channel very often. Thanks for the fun videos guys!

[@rafaelmorales4070]

Correct, 3 gaskets arent better than one.

[@Shade_tree_garage01]

Then you aren’t a a mechanic Becuase you’d have heard of MULTI-LAYER STEEL shim head gaskets. Which is literally 3-4 layers of shims that are head gaskets.

[@danbergthold3481]

In spite of the fact that it didn't work out perfectly, it was a fantastic idea! Being that you guys are in Siberia where you have plentiful birch forests, might I suggest making a Lada head-gasket from birch bark? It makes very nice canoes and it's sure to be 107% successful in a head-gasket application.

[@FeralDayASMR]

3 layers is increasing chances of leaks a lot and is no benefit. copper gaskets work only so well cause they are soft and form a uniform seal where they get squished. using 3 is making it not better but worse reducing the squish and relying on mounting pressure alone to seal

[@imaxinsertnounherex]

Thats what I was thinking. I was betting that the one they made would be warped slightly from the manufacturing process and was not sealing against the other layers.

[@mondude9754]

They use multi layer in steel gaskets to help seal so why would it be different with copper

[@twocvbloke]

One thing you need to do with a copper head gasket is to deform the metal by basically hammering (carefully!!!) indented lines into it on a wood surface around where it needs to seal, that way when the head is torqued down, the indents are squished to seal the gaps up, much like how on an original gasket you have metal parts that also deform to fit when torqued down upon, providing the seal... :)

[@fastinradfordable]

Ok we mail it to u Get your wood and hammer ready for creating lines😮😂

[@quietcool4884]

I use a .019 steel shim head gasket in my 5.7 smallblock and copper gaskets on the headers and collectors, been working fine for 10 years now and under boost as well.

[@ndog1234765]

I'm getting some cut for my twin turbo Ford 300. They will be used for the turbo flange gaskets. Besides annealing, are there any other tips you might have?

[@iiiquaziii1]

Copper head gaskets absolutely work, but the racers that I know, that know what they are doing cut super thin grooves around the pistons in either the head, or the block, then they tap thin gauge piano wire into the groove. If you do it right, it gives you a raised area that digs into the copper to help seal the pistons. Most guys usually do a quick spritz of metalic paint over the gasket surfaces too. I've seen this work on a 12:1 compression drag car first hand.

[@dodgydruid]

My grandfather used to cut his own copper HG's as did my father for their Triumphs, I have done it too on Ford Pinto and Kent engines, did on a Mini engine as well and Vespa and Lambretta's, thing is as my grandfather always said, anneal the copper before cutting and anneal again before fitting so it is soft and malleable between the block and head.

[@mainrig4981]

try cherry red them with torch and let it cool down and remount

[@MortenFarstad]

Works great with copper washers 👌👌

[@mainrig4981]

@@MortenFarstad yeeees🫶

[@teardowndan5364]

For metal-on-metal to seal properly, you need to provide something that can more easily crush to conform to the surfaces, such as stamping a bump all around all holes. That puts all the clamping pressure on that bump instead of dead surface area that doesn't serve any purpose. Most factory head gaskets have some sort of lip around all holes too.

[@Trumplican]

depends on the thickness. Many older 2 strokes had thin copper head gaskets. The thicker the less chance it will work.

[@Trumplican]

i really think a single thin one like 5 thousandths thick would work but maybe that would cause a clearance issue? im not familiar with Lada engines and how much valve clearance they have or what the squish chamber measurements are not to mention the stock head gasket thickness.

[@wolvenar]

Start with a single gasket 2 mm thicker copper gasket then mill off one side .25mm to .5mm deep and leave a .5 wide (or less depending on how much compression pressure is possible) ring around each sealing area each port cylinder etc. Then anneal the copper well. This thinner raised area and softer material will give the block a much smaller area to concentrate pressure on. It should compress to fit on this ridge and seal up well. It's not a perfect long term gasket, but I have done this before in a pinch. It lasted a few months. I would bet if the copper was protected from direct assault from the ignition it would hold up indefinitely. But then we are getting close to actually replicating commercial head gaskets.

[@Reman1975]

Maybe annealing the top and bottom copper gaskets first would help, so they could deform a little more easily to the slight variations between the deck and head surfaces? Or maybe making some fine wire rings to go between the layers around each oil and water passage so it crushes the copper more in those areas?

[@karelbarel7431]

Yes, you have to anneal copper gasket to seal properly. Glow it red hot and then throw it into water.

[@g6qwerty]

Think you need to anneal the copper so its soft

[@entomopathogenicfungus904]

It's a shame they don't have any smart guys on their team!!!

[@dieselgeezer18]

@@entomopathogenicfungus904 its not that they are dumb... They are simple mechanics. Not scientists and engineers

[@jesseshort8]

Kind of always wondered about this. 🤔 Needs to be dead soft I'd imagine though, Annealed to the max.

[@AndyFromBeaverton]

Without the copper being able to compress, you would need 2 perfectly honed parallel surfaces.

[@dogwalker666]

Some of our old steam pressure control Valves have copper gaskets, The copper does compress quite a lot.

[@volvo09]

It'll work with metal o rings in the head around the combustion chambers. That's how race cars and super high combustion pressure engines do it.

[@jonnymatt777]

Exactly what I was thinking

[@Iaintwoke]

A lot of very old head gaskets including on tractors were single layer copper.

[@anatolklops]

Even the best plate of metal will have minimal differences in thickness, resulting in a very uneven pressure multiplication across the surface of the block/head. In addition, there is also the point deformation of the head caused by the fact that in a given place it presses the head of the screw, and in another it does not. That is why factory soft head gaskets have metal O-rings in critical points and silicone in others, and MLS gaskets have wavy embossing allowing the gasket to fit properly between the two surfaces and provide very high pressure in places where it is needed without wasting this force in other places. This gasket would work, but if you increase the pressure, probably 20 times, which of course nothing in this engine is prepared for. Such a copper gasket with ribs around the cylinders and important channels should already work, or if you use its metal rings wrapped around the holes, as in soft gaskets, it should also bring the desired effect. In the factory gasket, the entire clamping force is based in the vast majority of only these points, guaranteeing very high pressure per mm², and in a gasket simply cut from sheet metal, the same pressure is distributed over the entire surface, significantly reducing the pressure per mm² in critical places.

[@AlienLivesMatter]

The gasket needs to be formed on the block, starting with a segment of copper sheet marginally larger. Using a hammer, gently tapping around every edge to imprint the shape of the voids needing removal as a template. A single layer is probably better.

[@mondude9754]

I feel like multi layer is better simply because that's what they do with steel head gaskets and those are proven

[@markchapman2585]

Last time I was this fast my son was born. Keep up the great work.

[@oshkiv4684]

Hopefully he will get to see this comment, and find out that he was a mistake

[@markchapman2585]

​@@oshkiv4684 what are you talkin about. Why you leaving stupid comments on his channel.

[@TheHortond]

They used to used copper gaskets with a copper spray on the first cars. Model T and A used copper gaskets. It forms to the block and head very well. I don't know if they added steal around the pistons for strength? But that would make them very strong. They got cheap and used paper or whatever they use today.

[@elvine2149]

Cooper head gasket works for my old french moped,called VéloSoleX,you have to heat it with a blow torch until it get this red pink color and you place it and you put back head and it work and last great,but yeah if you place the gasket when it is cold,it don't work,it will leak. When you put regular gasket less high temperature silicone gasket on these moped, it leak most of the time.

[@SnowsGarage8v92]

Copper head gaskets have been around for years it’s old school but still works. a couple tricks is put the gasket on warm and do a hot retorque they hold up very well, have had plenty of bbc in the 30+ lbs of boost ranges

[@South_0f_Heaven_]

Cool video guys that’s really neat making the copper head gaskets like that and testing them. Definitely interesting as I said good job well done you guys are awesome.

[@luciankristov6436]

Here in the US copper gaskets are usually one layer single layer copper gaskets , anyways we also coat them with copper spray. They hold well into the 1000+ hp no issues

[@ProblemChild-xk7ix]

Use gasket sealer between all layers and on the block and head.

[@theroyalcrownedtiger2946]

Copper gasket will 100% work and last very long time. Copper is a softer metal, therefore it will conform to shape and seal the joining surfaces together. I've used copper exhaust gaskets before, it was made by Mr. Gasket, I've sold them too before, they really work great.

[@TheRattyBiker]

I had a Kawasaki KH100 two stroke with a split gasket. I took a thin copper sheet out of a broken flytipped VCR and it worked beautifully. I put the sheet on a scaffolding plank, put the head on it and whacked it with a soft mallet - leaving a perfect template on the copper.

[@TheRattyBiker]

*Edit* Without a gasket it wouldn't run, no compression. Being a Kawasaki the gasket shouldn't have mattered but I suspect the previous owner warped the head with a lean mixture.

[@perfectworldpat7053]

Love this, please try again!!

[@fivestar2227]

Without copper gasket tac spray each gasket layer adds risk of leaks. Use 1 copper gasket and spray with copper gasket spray for a perfect seal.

[@davezul4396]

I think receiver grooves in the deck with receiver wire is in order. If you don’t have a vertical mill, you can cut grooves with your boring bar manually.

[@garielgrenadius7564]

Spray each layer with headgasket sealer, and then retourque after it warms up. It will do fine.

[@johngillon6969]

I had a two stroke Zundapp from 1960 and used a copper head gasket. i had the piston off a bunch, never changed the gasket.

[@WyFoster]

Need to anneal the gaskets and use a coating of RTV on each of them.

[@themetalslayer2260]

it's so fun to ear this guy rolling his R like that i'd use one single thicker gasket because leaks can appear between each gasket

[@busyguy7479]

the fire rings turbo wagon mentioned are a must and one thickness gasket , good effort on ur part vlad great videos.

[@MRPricks]

I`ve actually done this before you have to soften the gasket and get a ring seal cut into the head and block and use a copper head gasket spray and only use one gasket i know it works well once it`s done properly.

[@Poorexampeofhuman]

The nice thing about copper head gaskets is you can normally use it once or twice. I've had the copper head gaskets on this for over 100k and they were used when I put them on this eng block and cylinder head combination. I know for a fact copper head gaskets work

[@loganroyster7146]

I love these videos I would love to see you guys try again with one layer of copper or maybe a different metal like lead, tin, aluminum, brass or bronze. And maybe a slightly thicker gasket.

[@Paint0nBrush]

I'd really like to see 0.04" 5052 aluminum sheet tested.. perhaps even a little thicker to give it a lower compression ratio. I would figure it could transfer heat exceptionally well compared to steel.

[@mondude9754]

I believe tecumseh engines uses some tin or lead as their head gaskets cause I took the head off one and could dent into the head gasket with my fingernail. Not sure it's lead or tin though could be something else

[@camresearch5120]

I used Hand made copper gaskets on my LC350 Yamaha in the early 1980s. I raised the barrels on copper gaskets and fitted a 250 head. The gaskets allowed the pistons to clear the 250 head, the gaskets raised the port timing and the 250 head on the 350 engine improved the squish and kept up the compression ratio. 32 mm carbs up from 26 mm Boyson racing reeds, expansion chambers and a few other things which I will keep classified. It was the fastest street bike in Sydney...It ate Z900s and had 250 side covers and was painted rough! I also had an RZ500, the LC was lighter and faster to the ton.

[@justnsaliga8518]

you should try it with a single layer of copper head gasket. and use Studs instead of head bolts. i bet it'll work just fine.

[@michaelalberson126]

The copper gaskets do not have the rings around each cylinder and water passages. And any slight or the tiniest deformities in the deck or head will let water and or coolant escape escape between the 3 thin copper gaskets.

[@MegaDirtyberty]

I made and fitted an aluminium (or a loo ma nim if you are a yank) head gasket to fit on an engine because I didn't have the proper gasket to hand. I didn't use any piano wire around the fire ring or raised edges etc and it is still working to this day. Years ago I was asked to fit a copper head gasket to a 2.25 Land Rover (not Lan Drover) engine, that engine was going well when the owner sold the Land Rover years later.

[@JeffKopis]

Vlad, if you make a copper head gasket, you must anneal the copper to make it dead soft. And you may have to O-ring both the block and the head. Also, I think it would seal better with head STUDS, not bolts.

[@Velktron]

You also need crush zones/ridges on metallic gaskets to properly seal.

[@busyguy7479]

with 3 gaskets maybe using some sealer like permatex between them would help with the sealing between them. the copper gasket sealer i have used worked well on gaskets give it a shot kudos guys.

[@bagatuuri8070]

Thats a common thing in engines to use copper. Ive used them in many race motors. But only one layer and around 3-4mm sheet and its need to be heated before you assembly it. And then you heat your motor up and again thigt the head. And i ensure that your block will blow up before the gasket.

[@johnsnow1355]

Multi layer head gaskets still have a solid fire ring around the cylinders. U need a fire ring to crush and seal the compression.

[@kc7wzl]

Copper head gaskets was used for a long time... it was soft copper compound and also single layer only!

[@petervw56]

If you heat the copper up before installing it, it will become soft and will seal much better.

[@GGXjimmy]

I didnt see you anneal the gasket. After you have finished preparing you heat the gasket until it glows orange hot. Let it cool dip in water then apply it. This softens the copper which becomes hard as you work it. There is also a copper spray gasket which is often sprayed either side to help seal the galleries. Good luck🤞

[@woutervanduijn4331]

Shouldn't you heat up the copper red hot and let it cool down before using it as a gasket ?

[@midlan6]

Do it with single layer plus heat treat the copper to red hot before installing. It will make the copper soft again. (assuimg sheet copper is not heat treated after rolling it during production)

[@rocketsurgeon11]

2 things: the smoothness of the head and block surfaces need to be like 1200 grit sandpaper or finer and you need to use at least a copper gasket spray, but most likely RTV around the coolant and oil holes on all of the layers. Also, most of the time these types of gaskets are used there are stainless steel wire o-rings at least in either the head or the block to make a positive compression seal around each cylinder. These types of gaskets work, but they aren't really great for a road car.

[@Brustkle]

You should use kitchen floor lino as a head gasket, I've seen that trick used multiple times in Scotland.

[@shawntaylor5690]

You forgot to add grooves in the copper gasket and also heat resistant silicone in those sealing grooves . I've seen alot like that on moped head gaskets . The same principle should apply here

[@killerdeamonking]

You dont need silicone on copper as its soft enough to seal imperfections.

[@gerrydepp8164]

and mopeds font have a water jacket or rocker oil feed....

[@andrewbarnard3229]

Its because you used 3 thin ones instead if one thick one, i did this once with my old ford except we used a piece of flashing off the barn, (aluminum? Maybe) hammered a gasket out in around an hour and was on the road to work, payday i bought a new gasket and tossed it in the tool box so i could change it when it finally gave out, but it never did, after a couple years to and from work i sold it to a friend of mine who swapped the straight 6cyl out for a V8 and that was the end of it.

[@johnhenke6475]

I made head gaskets out of aluminum flashing once. I used three sheets with silicone sealer smeared between them. I torqued the heads to 10 foot pounds to compress the whole mess. The next day I pulled off the heads and cleared out the sealer that had squished out into the passages. It was a back burner project on a Yamaha Venture. I never got to finish it because hurricane Michael showed up.

[@chucksmith7166]

You have to use silicone on the water passages with solid copper head gaskets!!!

[@svenkoedoot1985]

1 layer and likely glowing softens the copper and is used in more vehicles including Dnepr motorcycles (KMZ). Main competitor for Ural (IMZ) in the 80's and 90's

[@grugbug4313]

Solid! Top KEK! Peace be with you.

[@01glenn0101]

use some copper Kote spray ,and retorque bolts after it gets warm..... plus anneal like everyone else said..

[@demonic477]

for DatSVO Dodge and Chrysler in general used solid copper head gaskets on all there performance cars since the late 50's. for anyone that owns a 60's dodge and you don't have the 20 mil copper head gasket someone changed them back in the day and the engine is shit without them. the standard thickness depending on the compression ratio you want to run is between 20mil and 120 mil

[@oliverscorsim]

Along with what others have said I personally have loose head bolts after the first cooldown. I re tq 3x first run to 140°f second full temp at idle then full power as long as we can hold it and lots of time around peak tq for a few miles then re tq plus 3% after a 3rd cooldown. Iv never seen multi layer copper gaskets so that might be a big part of It. Annealing is a must and I'm sure taking a torch to one layer would work perfectly after a few tq checks of those head bolts. And the extra compression would give it some pep.

[@griplimit]

My turbo 4 cylinder has a two layer copper head gasket with head studs and no fire ring and it makes around 500 horsepower at the crank with no issues. Btw it’s not annealed and I used copper spray on it.

[@tomtheplummer7322]

Of course it works! 🤷‍♂️. The most important step is to anneal the copper first. It can take 13 steps for the best results, but superheating and a quench should suffice. 😏👍🏻👌🏻😎💪

[@jessejames3735]

The forklift gasket is copper we used a nickel paste over the hole gasket so when it's tightened down it seals but as an mls gasket are very thin try just one gasket with high temp grease or nickel paste will work fine

[@m1activealesis551]

My go to channel on how to macgyver threw the apocalypse.

[@fynetuneyrgf]

Go to head studs, get rid of the TTY head bolts, I prefer ARPs as most do. Then you gotta basically double the torque specs to get it to crush and seal. Last retorque after a few warm up cycles. Then you’re probably good to go, ready to hold big boost in a Lada 1.3.

[@hayneshvac2]

In the times of old, drag strip racers would create inset grooves in the block and inlay copper rings for running alcohol. They also had to use cast iron pistons, and the block and heads were cast iron as well.

[@ottopartz1]

I think that if they would have used a single sheet of copper, and put some "fire rings", "o-rings", "wire rings" or what ever term you want to use on the head, block or offset on both, they would have been golden. When I did diesel repair I always heard them called "fire rings". What's that? You ask... When a block or head is on the milling machine a .030 or .040 deep groove is cut just outside the piston hole, then .040 or .050 stainless steel wire is gently pounded in with a wood mallet and the ends cut at a 45° angle to make a tight ring. It's used to ensure proper sealing with an MLS gasket especially on higher compression or big boost engines.

[@herrkulor3771]

Melt some soft soldering tin or lead to the sealing surface and use it as fix gasket.

[@bccapone837]

Great video , I would definitely anneal the copper first

[@billynomates920]

the best kind - for a one off, work-hardening is a thing. was it new mind? someone recently did a really good video on head gaskets, the different types, their history, pros, cons and applications.

[@vumba1331]

Be careful about using copper with aluminium, the copper will atack and corrode the aluminium quite quickly, that's why copper radiators are not used on modern vehicles.

[@goobersteel2231]

I want to try sheet metal mild steel , have U tried that

[@vumba1331]

@@goobersteel2231 No, I haven't, there needs to be some give in a gasket to provide a sealing effect, not sure steel does that.

[@goobersteel2231]

@@vumba1331 my chambers are really close together, so now Ive learnt my lesson and keep rpm lower , coz the heat just tears the 5mm between the chambers

[@vumba1331]

@@goobersteel2231 The old mini engines were a lot like that, we used to call them siemese bores, borrowing a bit from each cylinder. The use of new top grade gaskets with sealer, new bolts and washers, a good torque wrench used in the correct sequence was generally good enough to sort the problem. It did however mean that the cooling system had to be up to it as even if we did all that right, if it over-heated, it was stuffed.

[@adamf5216]

Cut a channel around each piston and water/oil hole. And lay(crush) a copper wire in it with the head.

[@TheDigger06]

Used copper gaskets for the last 35yrs in competition motorcyle heads, single sheet, annealed.....they dont leak..ever

[@ihabsalama275]

First of all it was very nice job. Secondly, I think you 'd missed the firing rings. Another thing you do not need multi layer gasket. A single layer (but with heavier gouge copper sheet will do the work).

[@raymonster2]

I think this will work if done with a single layer and if the copper is heated to soften ir

[@davidshortt88]

I have made them for steam heat exchangers and they worked. One layer tho.

[@QuantumLeap83]

Copper head gaskets work best when paired with an o-ringed block. Do this and they will hold anything.

[@motersickel]

About 10 years ago I took a 90 model Honda Civic that I had put a d16y7 engine into... I wanted to put a VTech head on it so I found a head ...didn't really have any money for a head gasket... It was a MLS gasket so I took the rivets loose into three layers .....wire brushed each layer then copper sprayed each layer... put it all back together torqued the head bolts 10 ft extra pounds each.... that car ran for 3 years strong no problems... Eventually it started pushing pressure into the radiator but after 3 years of hard hard driving.... I didn't even have a cooling fan on the car the whole time..I think I overheated it about 10 times sitting in drive-throughs with no cooling fan...😁😁😁.... Eventually pulled the engine put a non VTech head back on it with a new gasket and level head....sold it to a car lot I was working for and that engine lasted another five six years that I know of... far as I know it's still going...

[@AaronFergFerguson]

I used to be on a professional drag racing team and we used to put a really thin layer just to coat the gasket of high temp silicone on both sides of the copper gasket

[@deandee8082]

the copper would work better if you put a layer of ceramic and teflon on each side teflon sammiched in the middle, same as performance, get the best seal possible and heat durability.. you need to triple heat the copper gasket and torque in 3 sequences, to about 15% more than stock torque, to squish it.. hot copper will mold to the two surfaces.. also best to have 2 perfectly shaved surfaces.. copper works well so does bronze or brass

[@lawrenceveinotte]

Aluminum works as well, and you can reuse them after annealing.

[@jackinabox1994]

Every 2stroke bike I have owned and still owned to this day I have had a copper head gaskets made and I have never had a problem it needs to be annealed properly and the head has to be perfectly flat with the correct bolts and tourq.

[@normanguzman417]

Poor Lada, they always submit it to all kinds of experiments. We will probably see it running again on the next episode.

[@gaivoron]

Is this Mr clean guy a car scientist? He is like Sherlock Holmes of car analysis and repair!

[@MegatonLink]

I put copper copper head gaskets on every single vintage motorcycle I rebuild and have never had a problem as long as the copper is annealed to be "dead soft" and the thickness is specced right. Single sheet, don't use multiple sheets. Also a big upside with copper gaskets is their reusability. Any time you pull the head just reanneal the copper and you're good to go. Manufacturers don't make them because they cost more and no one knows about the annealing step

[@ericdeven1296]

It needs to be a single layer and needs to be annealed. To anneal it, simply heat the copper with a propane torch til it glows a dull red. Then dunk it in water. All the carbon will be removed from the copper, you will see flakes of it in the water and on the surface pf copper.

[@jamest.5001]

If it had steel or copper o-rings, with a very thin high temperature gasket spray, like the copper gasket spray, if the middle gasket was only o-rings around the bores and passages it would probably seal better!!

[@servicetrucker5564]

My 52 Dodge truck uses a copper head gasket and it works great

[@skipstalforce]

Copper was the choice in the early days of cars, they are still used on some things.

[@mjmorrill081]

Perhaps try some gasket seal between the middle layer and the outer layers?

[@watahyahknow]

combined with some sealant being applied to both sides of the gasket material the (anealed) copper gaskets and using fresly flattened block and head , it should be better than the original gaskets and capable to raise the compression by a lot the sealant prevents blowby after several heatcycles and kinda lubricates the gasket so it can settle during intalling theres an american engine builder that build high performance turbo engines and he uses a high temp permatex (brand) sealand means for turbine engines , uses copper headgaskets too only a single thicker layer

[@cheyenneleith-yd2ub]

Use a single one,then put thin copper rings,rings,wire, arrowned the cylinders to seal them,water way, oil way a spot of RTV

[@mikehikes710]

These guys would be the best homes to have when shit hits the fan you never would be without a tank!

[@Iowa599]

You should have o-ringed the head & block, to reinforce the area around the combustion chambers.

[@Iowa599]

I'm still givin you a thumb^, because even though you did it wrong, you prevented many idiots from doing the same.

[@rashidnaga]

my motorcycle using copper gasket too.and permatex copper spray gasket.firts need skimming head and block before use copper gasket