copper head gaskets, what do you guys think about them ? the good and the bad lets hear it. i was on another site and some of the guys there dont care for them. just want to hear how they are doing on the cars on this site.

vw or other. i run them on a blown bbc.

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Big compression or turbo engines can benefit.
Normal aspirated VW engines don't need them unless it is to help adjust the compression ratio numbers.

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Gary

Turbo VW Sand Racer
Polaris Ranger



"If you don't run into the Devil every once in awhile, you must be going in the same direction!"

Davis Motorsports FaceBook Page

All agreeing with Turboblue that any VW motor over apprx. 11:1 is hard to keep from developing a compression leak without them, Chuck Jones, Tim Deaton, and Clayton and all told me the same. I asked 'em all last month. We replaced the p&c's on Koko's motor and we were gonna leave copper head gaskets out to bump the compression a lil more, they all said dont do it.

Thats 4 pretty slick VW engine builders all agreeing on something. That must be a record!

I'd say they are pointless on a lower compression motor if the sealing surfaces are in good shape. I built many a stock street 1600 DP and none ever came back with a problem related to not having copper head shims.

when i built my 2276 the first time around, jim, from jim custom VW told me to use the steel shims on the bottom and the copper shim on the top. and when i recently pulled my motor apart, i looked at the copper shim and you can see where the jugs compressed into it. so obvisously they took seat and sealed up like they are supposed to. besides, the copper is softer than aluminum, i did put copper back in.
dave

You can also use the steel shims to set your deck at zero and use the copper ones to vary compression.

I would not build a hot rod VW motor without them. They are great. A stock VW motor does not need them.

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Buy the best and cry once.