AFR 205 head problems

Lookin for some input/advice on a problem I am having with my brand new set of AFR 205's (sorry for the poor quality of the pictures). In the pictures above the head gaskets (1011-2 Fel pro) are sitting on new dowels positioned just as if they were bolted to the block. Please take note of the picture on the left, notice how the witness marks of the fire ring run off into the combustion chamber. Now look at the picture on the far right you can see the head gasket hanging over ino the chamber .037. I have shipped the heads back to AFR they are telling me to just run a big bore gasket not the 1011-2 Fel pro they reccomend on their website. Has anyone else had to run big bore head gaskets to get their AFR's to seal? This doesn't sound right to me the 1011-2 is 4.100 bore and it is hanging into the combustion chamber this far.

Interesting. I JUST re-assembled mine, but I have 225's and I wish I'd have checked it. I do believe that the 1011-2's overlap just a little, but I don't remember looking that closely at it before I put it back together.

Now you got me to thinking.....

Have you run your 225's yet? I could handle them hanging over into the combustion chamber a little bit but .037 is excessive.

It does look like the registration position of the gasket is a bit off.

If it was just a larger gasket bore size, the overlap should be consistant on all bores.

If you cut away the gasket a tiny bit where the block dowl pins go in, do you think the gasket would slide over enough to line them all up? If so, then maybe build up the other side of the gasket hole, and it will lock into place.

The overhang like that, it will probably start to burn off the edge of the ring over time, then start shooting through the gasket after that....

It is a failure waiting to happen, good catch.

Originally Posted by mavman

Interesting. I JUST re-assembled mine, but I have 225's and I wish I'd have checked it. I do believe that the 1011-2's overlap just a little, but I don't remember looking that closely at it before I put it back together.

Now you got me to thinking.....

X2!!

I too didn't think about it when installing my new to me 205's and the 1011-2's JUST YESTERDAY. My Bad!!!

I just measured the fire rings on an old set of 1011-2's and they are .100 wide so they should still be pinched by the heads/block. Unfortunately the metal itself is very thin and it may not survive??

I also laid the 1011-2 on my spare block and it aligns with the block very well around the cylinders. Brandon, how does yours fit your block? If it is good, then it is an AFR issue. Funny that AFR would recommend the wrong size head gaskets since both the 1011-1 and the 1011-2 have 4.100 fire rings.

My AFR's are an early set, the one with the "worm hole" water passage.

After a Summit search, I find that there is not a great selection of gaskets that have 4.175 or larger bores--at least not on a poor boy's salary.

What to do, what to do. . . . . .

Big Joe--we really need your thoughts and a recommendation!

The head gaskets fit the block perfectly. When I checked the gaskets against the heads one head lines up (not well but good enough to seal). The head that is pictured is way off though. If I modify the head gasket dowel location to correct the alignment I will have to move all the bolt holes on the gasket. I sent my head and gaskets to AFR so far all they are saying is that their is nothing wrong with the heads and nothing wrong with the head gaskets.

Did anyone modify the heads? Do A little Polishing in the chambers? It the over lap consistant on all chambers?

No the heads are brand new right out of the box. Yes the overlap is consistant on all the cylinders exact same amount and in the exact same position.

As Long as the gasket isnt hanging into the cylinder I don't think its a big deal, Although its not the best for performance IMO having the cylinder being a whole bunch inside the combustion chamber as I can cause some shrouding.

Your running into one of the problems associated with "Production" HP Heads, they are being built for a bunch of applications and not necessarily for any perticular one. The bigger heads are more optomized for bigger bores.

The gaskests are hanging into the cylinders .037 enough that the fire ring on the one head is not being sandwiched between the head and the block. I just got off the phone with AFR they are sending me a set of 1021 Fel pro head gaskets back with my heads. I asked them to dumb it up for me and mark the heads and gaskets drivers side and passenger side (even though it shouldn't make any difference as long as you have the front of the head gasket towards the front of the block).