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Torque Plate and Head Gasket Question

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greekgodchaos

15+ Year Contributor
493
107
Jul 4, 2007
Vancouver, Washington
So I'm going to be taking in my block to the machine shop this week and I'm going to have them align hone with the torque plate. I know you need to use a head gasket when using a torque plate in order to achieve the proper whatever to ensure that the cylinders are bored properly. My question is can I reuse my old crushed MLS head gasket or do I have to get another one just for the sake of align honing the block?

There's a chance that the cylinder walls will have to be bored out half a millimeter because there is scoring on the cylinder walls, in which case I guess I really couldn't use my previous head gasket and would have to order two 86mm head gaskets in order to get the job done, one for torquing with the torque plate and one for final assembly. If this is the case, does anyone have an old junk 86mm MLS 1.6mm HG they'd be willing to part with? 🙂
 
You can use your old MLS head gasket for the torque plate. No need to buy a new or another one for this. And I don't know what brand's MLS you have but many have bore opened 86.00+mm already. In case if your old MLS has 85.00mm like the cometic 85.00mm model and if it would disturb when cut the cylinders, just ask the machine shop to enlarge its bore.
 
Thanks for the reply, I'll be sure to discuss this with them.

On a side note, cleaning up my garage I found an 87mm MLS Cometic HG sitting on a shelf. Could that 87mm be used with an 86mm bore? I'm not cutting corners with this build but I am curious.

....

My current plan is to have them use the old HG, enlarge the HG bores to 86mm to match the cylinder bores. Then buy a 86mm MLS HG. I hope @JNZTuning will be merciful with exchanges over returns.
 
Could that 87mm be used with an 86mm bore?
Yes, the cometic 87.00mm MLS can be used with 86.00mm bore. I have run that combo. It's just you would have a little bit less material between cylinders and the compression would be very slightly lower.

My current plan is to have them use the old HG, enlarge the HG bores to 86mm to match the cylinder bores. Then buy a 86mm MLS HG.
You mean the used one for torque plate and a new one for the engine, correct?
 
Yes, the cometic 87.00mm MLS can be used with 86.00mm bore. I have run that combo. It's just you would have a little bit less material between cylinders and the compression would be very slightly lower.


You mean the used one for torque plate and a new one for the engine, correct?
Good to know that.


And yes, that is correct. 💯
 
FWIW, I've never used one for the handful of SBC motors I've rebuilt, and neither has my step dad for the dozen or so he's done. Two of those SBC motors are still going a decade later. I didn't use one on my DSM rebuild (OE rebuild), and that motor now has two years and several thousand miles on it. None of the motors he or I built were high HP monsters though.

If you're only doing one rebuild, probably not worth it. We're talking fractions of one thousandth of an inch.

But if peace of mind is important to you, $250 is nothing.
 
Agreed, I have built many without it, too. and have never had any issues to be honest. It's theoretically better, so if he has it already, yes better to use it of course. But if he doesn't have it yet and planning to buy one, it's not a super must item to buy. I think this is up to him, how much perfection he would want in his engine. Maybe he can borrow one from someone close to him, if he doesn't have it.
 
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Agreed, I have built many without it, too. and have never had any issues to be honest. It's theoretically better, so if he has it already, yes better to use it of course. But if he doesn't have it yet and planning to buy one, it's not a super must item to buy. I think this is up to him, how much perfection he would want in his engine. Maybe he can borrow one from someone close to him, if he doesn't have it.
This is the second motor that has lasted less than 10k miles for me (first one walked, second blew a piston) I'm leaving the rotating assembly for the shop to deal with and I want all the perfects in this engine.

It's one of the reasons I'm going with a forged 2.3L and a titanium valve train 😋

Also I think I'm going to just buy the torque plate and either try to sell it after or rent it out.
 
This is the second motor that has lasted less than 10k miles for me (first one walked, second blew a piston) I'm leaving the rotating assembly for the shop to deal with and I want all the perfects in this engine.

It's one of the reasons I'm going with a forged 2.3L and a titanium valve train 😋

Also I think I'm going to just buy the torque plate and either try to sell it after or rent it out.
Sounds like a plan! Good luck with the build👍
 
Some shops rent torque plates out, they are only used during the final honing process in any case, if you weren't so far away I would let you use mine with a deposit, but I had mine made from 2.5" thick steel and it would be a small fortune to ship it that far and back.
 
That wasn't very nice..........:oops: It's not like it can get ruined but I guess I feel that way about all of my tools too.
 
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