Got the heads all cleaned up, threads chased, etc. Just need to swap the studs for ARP's and I'll be ready to install. Btw, the shop manual calls out installing a NEW engine temp sensor, anyone have problems just reusing what was there?

 

I reused mine. In fact I cleaned it nicely with a wire wheel and polished it. It’s brass and sealed… I figured it’s a super easy swap out if it doesn’t work. And of course it works fine. You can read the temp in real time with your tuner.

 

Got the heads on and torqued. It's an interesting look with polished fin jugs and the "Dark Custom" FXDB heads.


To add to that interesting look, gloss black lower rocker boxes. Btw, "interesting look" wasn't my intention.



A look at all the new ARP's


Alright, a couple of questions. 1st, does that look like the correct O-ring? The ID fit's like I'd expect, but I thought the thickness doesn't look quite right. That is the only set of 2 matching O-rings in the kit that size, so it has to be the right one.


2nd, question. I received 2 identical lower rocker gaskets as shown below. The only way to make that one work is to flip it upside-down for the front head, that can't be right. Right?

 

I'll add another question. When I torqued the rear lower rocker box, I did one bolt out of sequence and it was eating at me, so I loosened all the bolts back to just touching and redid the torque in the proper sequence. I did screwup that aluminum gasket by forming it and reforming it a second time?

 

I personally am not a fan of the mismatched fins. You could fix that with some sandpaper and a block. But I'd mask the living **** out of everything first. Or some high temp engine paint on the jugs. I prefer the machined look myself.
The O-ring is fine. It only gets compressed a little, not crushed. It's not under any real pressure.
The gaskets however, get crushed flat as a pancake so the imprints don't matter one bit. It's reversed when flipped. I have a bunch of extra gasket kits, but I think only M8 and EVO so I can't say for sure. Call cometic if you are concerned. They have good support.

 

Not at all. As long as they aren't heat cycled you can remove and replace. I myself happened to screw up a RB gasket on my TC M8 and had to R&R it before I started it. No issues at all.

 

Thanks for the replies, you and I share some OCD tendencies, so I always appreciate when you chime in. Interesting about the aluminum gaskets, I didn't know they got flattened but it makes sense. Well, that clears the way to install the front lower rocker box.

And yeah, I'm actually kind of bummed with the way the engine is looking, it's not what I had in mind. FM only does like-for-like on heads though, so my choice was all black or to keep my originals. I kept mine because that way I knew what they had been through and what kind of exterior care they'd received. I'll ride it this way for this season and during this coming winter I may have to look into polished finned heads to match the jugs. 1st world problems for sure.

 

Personally, I don't like the three different color schemes going on with the cylinder, heads and gloss powder coat, very busy.. I would remove the heads and finish up the edges to match the cylinders. As for the gaskets no big deal, get some Permatex Copper coat, Spray all the metal gaskets and reuse.
I don't like the O-ring, Does it fit snug on the ID? Almost looks as if it's a pushrod tube gasket. I'll have to look at some I have laying around to confirm.

 

Minor point, The viton covered gaskets like rocker base are stainless steel metal.. The AFM gaskets, foam over metal, are likely aluminum.

 

Didn't know that, thanks!