I see that Advance Auto sells a Victor steel shim head gasket which is .020 for the 1997 2.2. I was wondering if I can use this shim like the Chevy engines as a gasket by itself to up the compression, or won't it work because of the aluminum head and cast block, or is there another underlying problem. I know that it has to be sprayed with aluminum paint or copper cote before assembly. I also read the SBC owners use the shim with aftermarket aluminum heads with no problems.
Would it work? Has anybody tried it?
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ADDING a shim will never RAISE compression. but, the shim in question is for a situation like a warped head/block that gets machined down to return the deck height to stock spec.
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I was wondering if the steel shim could be used by itself since it's only .020 thick compared to .055 for a Fel-Pro head gasket. That would up the compression to about 9.5. I know some people use thinner copper head gasket without any problems even without o-rings. But copper compresses to the high and low spots. I know the steel shim is smooth without any embossed area to help in sealing.
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Rich Grayo Jr. wrote:the shim in question is for a situation like a warped head/block that gets machined down to return the deck height to stock spec.
the shim does not have any sealing properties, hence why its called a
SHIM and not a gasket.
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Hold on...
If Advance is listing a *steel* shim gasket, it's more than likely for the 83-86 IRON head 2.0l engine. That old skool steel gasket may seal with a true, flat aluminum head but it's not likely to give you hundreds of thousands of miles of trouble free operation. In the '60s and '70s' GM never did have much luck making an aluminum head / iron block combination work with steel head gaskets. The head saver shims are copper, not steel, and shouldn't be used alone, either. Fel Pro gasket compressed is more than .055." I measure 'em to about .068." If you do try the steel gasket make sure you use coppercoat on both sides and be sure to check the head for proper flatness.
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