decking the block

3

35th T-bird SC

Registered User
Is this absolutely necessary with felpro gaskets? The machine shop wants an additional $80 for this and I would rather just straight edge it myself to check for flatness and clean up the surface. You don't need a mirror finish with those kinds of gaskets anyway right?
 
unless you have to tools necessary to determine if it needs milled. Not just a wooden ruler from the teachers desk.
 
I would NOT chance doing all that work then side stepping getting the block decked......Seems to me that would be asking for trouble.

Calvin
 
Well take a chance and have to do it again... I dont know, would you rather spend $80 or another $1000


Thats my dilema right now, I need a timing cover gasket, so should I replace the timing chain, gears, and harmonic balencer? well in my case I am, Got a new timing chain, gears, waterpump and I'm buying a BHJ balencer.

Nothing is worse then fixing a problem twice because you went cheap... :rolleyes:
 
I would strongly advise that you deck the block if your going to use the multilayered stainless gaskets. The straightness is just as important as the surface finish. From the factory the tolerances were pretty sloppy and chances are the gaskets will leak.

If you decide to risk it, at least spray the block side of the gaskets with copper spray and use a set of ARP studs to improve your chances.

If your not building a 12 second engine with forged internals your better off sticking with the fel-pro composite gaskets.

David
 
I'm building a daily driver, not a race car. I'm using felpro gaskets not MLS. I'll check it for straightness but I don't see why I need a mirror finish for a felpro gasket. I thought they actually worked better without a mirror finish?
 
I would pay the extra $80 and have the block decked at this time since Ford did not do a good job in the first place.
 
When I had the decks checked on my block I found out how sloppy the factory specs were as Dave said. The pass side deck was .006 off horizontal plane with the crankshaft( meaning the rear of the deck closest to the firewall was .006 higher than the front of the deck) To make matters worse that same deck was also alittle over .006 off on the crank axis.(meaning the exhaust side of the head was just over .006 higher than the intake side)
I had .007 removed from both decks and there perfectly in line with the crank now.
I just thought I'd pass that on to you as this was a machining error at the factory and it may be something you want to check on.
 
I decided to get it decked tomorrow. Then that's it. Decked and honed. The guy said it will be fine for standard size pistons but I will measure tonight just to make sure. What kind of piston to bore clearance am I looking for?
 
If your using the standard fel-pro blue composite gaskets you don't really want a super smooth finish on the deck. The normal milling serations will bite into the gasket and help hold it in place.

For some reason I thought you were talking about using the late model 4.2 gaskets, sorry for the confusion.

David
 
I have the gaskets that came with the felpro top end kit. They are metal and silver in color. They are not the black composite material you are talking about.
 
Tell the machine shop that is doing the deck you want an RA finish on the deck of 80-110. If they don't know what you are talking about, bring it somewhere else. The MLS gaskets call for a RA of 10 but will work with up to a 25.

Paul
 
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