For those of you who reuse the copper head gaskets, how do you anneal them, what is your process.

I heated some and they "grew" in diameter

Bob Bauer

Show-Me Corvairs
1966 Monza Convert 140 P/G with A/C, plastic wheel with tele-column am-fm posi-traction
1928 Ford Model A 2 door sedan
House Springs, Missouri

Heat until glow with a fast moving propane torch then let them cool slowly.

Craig N. Coeur d'Alene ID.
66 Black Monza 4dr, 4.2L V8 49k
61 Seamist Jade Rampside 140 PG
65 Canadian Monza 4dr 110/PG 40k
66 Sprint Corsa convt - First car! Re-purchased 43 years later
2+2 gnatsuM 5691

+17 Tons of parts

cnicol Wrote:
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> Heat until glow with a fast moving propane torch then let them cool slowly.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Why does everyone say this? The above works for steel but not for any NON-FEROUS material. When you let it cool slowly it artificially ages and hardens the material.


The most straightforward way to anneal copper is by heating it with an oxygen acetylene torch and rapidly cooling it in water.

All you need to do is a quick internet search to find out.

Although, after reading more places I find this;

Copper, silver and brass can be either cooled slowly in air, or quickly by quenching in water.

Ken Hand
Handy Car Care
248 613 8586

Vairmech@aol.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2020 04:43AM by vairmech.

For $30 or whatever I just don't do it anymore although I don't think I ever had a problem.
I heated them on my steel bench with acetylene so it was a slow cool. I don't know if it was correct. I always wondered if I heated them too much or not enough with the dull glow so I just felt more comfortable with new ones every time.

Jim Brandberg
Isanti, MN
CorvairRepair.com

Copper can be annealed by heating to between 800-1000 F (dim red glow) and then either a fast cool or air cool. Your choice. Either way works with copper, silver or brass. A fast cool may have less oxidation on the surface.

Dave W. / Gilbert Arizona
65 Corsa 140/4
66 Corsa 140/4
66 Corsa 140/4 w/factory A/C
66 Corsa 455 Toro V8
65 Monza Convertible 110/4
66 Monza Convertible 140/4 A/C
65 Monza 4DR 140/PG w/factory A/C
65 Monza 4DR EJ20T/5

With all that said I don't use copper unless I am forced to! GM used the old copper wrapped asbestos in the 60 engines and then they even used folded copper gaskets and then went to steel, Why? Part of it may have been cost but durability also plays a factor of why they do things.

Again I don't use copper anymore.

Ken Hand
Handy Car Care
248 613 8586

Vairmech@aol.com

Again Ken Hand we differ.
I use Copper gaskets for simple reason they transfer heat better.
They also conform much better to irregularities in the head or cylinder mating surfaces.
This Makes for improved long term sealing.
ESPECIALLY on Corvair race engines with high 12:1 compression.
I have annealed gaskets in the distance past, for economic reasons.
I now have them custom made to fit the exact head and cylinder bore dimensions.
At $7 each they are well worth it to get a full width sealing surface.
And no places to hide detonation inducing Carbon deposits.
BC

Bob C aka Dryenko
Dobson, NC 27017

I have had and pulled apart many stock steel head gaskets blown apart, I have NOS ones I don't use for this reason, I agree with Bob copper are much better, I have never had a copper head gasket fail.







1960 4dr sedan caveman car
1961 Rampside (Chetside)
1962 Rampside (Barnside)
1962 Short Rampside (Shortside)
1962 Monza 700 Wagon
1963 Monza 900 coup (General Nader)

-----------------------------------
Rust Free Lancaster Ca

davemotohead Wrote:
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> I have had and pulled apart many stock steel head gaskets blown apart, I have NOS ones I don't use for this reason, I agree with Bob copper are much better, I have never had a copper head gasket fail.


Much less experience than most of you, but the only GM steel head gasket failures that I have had are from the head being incorrectly torqued or a head stud that pulled.

Doing this to my Redneck Repair 140 today.

I'm using all used parts except for gaskets.

I should do a seperate thread for it...soon.

[www.wikihow.com]

Like Bob says , Copper helps heat transfer, just like people who mill whole fins off cylinder heads and block oil from going to the Cylinder heads. Heat Transfer !! Thh HR arts what cools these motors !!!

1965 Crown V8 Racer
1964 Bill Thomas Monza Replica Racer
1964 Spyder Street Car
1979 Mazda RX7

Mike Levine