Head gasket thickness

DynoDon

Moderator
The three layer gasket that is On the market is somewhat problematic in that where it should be measured for legality. Many are showing .045 measuring the way the book shows. I have been informed to measure it a different way and that’s ok but why hasn’t WKA put something in writing? I could have easily dq’ed an individual by the book
 
I don't think WKA cares anything about 4 cycle racing anymore. Briggs changed their rules on location of their stock 206 head gasket checks in their 4/10/18 update. Originally you checked at the locations where the head bolts where. The update reflects measuring 4 quadrants centered around the 4 head bolt holes so you don't have to be measuring right where the head bolt squeezes the gasket the most. My 2018 WKA manual says basically the same thing in paragraph 705.14 for the animal head gaskets. Briggs also dropped the minimum thickness of their stock gasket from .049 to .047 because of problems with new gasket thickness from their latest head gasket supplier.
 
WKA 4 cycle tech is gone...............i guess each track / series will have to adopt their own engine rules as they see fit!
WKA might just as well remove the 4 cycle tech stuff from the tech manual, they have been reprinting the same outdated rules for many years now.

Steve
 
2018 WKA manual says .049 for stock briggs #555723, .042 for fire ring #555698, and .042 for aftermarket head gaskets. I would drop to the briggs rule for #555723 (.047 as updated in 206 rules) and .042 for anything else. And on second thought, I would just look for .042 for any gasket used on a regular animal engine since it would be awful hard to prove they were using a stock briggs #555723. Never seen a part number on one and who is to say it's not an aftermarket gasket. And measure in the 4 locations as explained by Steve. Three out of four must pass to be legal per 206 rules so I would apply that to the animal as well.
 
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2018 WKA manual says .049 for stock briggs #555723, .042 for fire ring #555698, and .042 for aftermarket head gaskets. I would drop to the briggs rule for #555723 (.047 as updated in 206 rules) and .042 for anything else. And on second thought, I would just look for .042 for any gasket used on a regular animal engine since it would be awful hard to prove they were using a stock briggs #555723. Never seen a part number on one and who is to say it's not an aftermarket gasket. And measure in the 4 locations as explained by Steve. Three out of four must pass to be legal per 206 rules so I would apply that to the animal as well.
Rule 704.14
Briggs and Stratton and after market head gaskets allowed of stock design.
Rule 704.14.1
.049 min thickness measured in four places
Rule 704.14.2
Fire ring head gasket
.042 min thickness

By these rules the MLS is illegal.
I have not measured one but they advertise as .045
 
I think 01ron has the right concept. If .042 is the minimum on a particular gasket for an animal/206 configuration then .042 is what I would go by.
 
Marvpower is correct that the animal rules are in section 704, not 705 (my mistake Pro Gas rules) but the rules back then were the basically the same for both classes. 206 rules were in section 708. If i was teching stock 206 classes, i would go by the latest briggs rules (.047). Animal classes (regular animal or Pro Gas), I would just use .042.
 
Marvpower is correct that the animal rules are in section 704, not 705 (my mistake Pro Gas rules) but the rules back then were the basically the same for both classes. 206 rules were in section 708. If i was teching stock 206 classes, i would go by the latest briggs rules (.047). Animal classes (regular animal or Pro Gas), I would just use .042.
I agree.
But how do you tech by this.

Somebody (Akra or Nka) has a big opportunity to step in and talk to the the builder's to make the rules correct.

We need rules for tech that somebody will back us up
 
At least Steve agrees with me on this, Don. :)
Like everyone else, it would be nice if WKA would address this (and other) areas of the animal rules.

My understanding is that the Burris/Cometic MLS gasket is legal as teched on the fire ring (similarly to how you tech the Briggs fire ring head gasket.) You tech this on the raised ring (thicker area), not on the thinner area where you would tech the LO206 graphite gasket.

I'm sure that Steve & I would be glad to help you, Don, if Bill wants to clean up some of the old WKA animal rules for the AKRA book.


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