What method is best for setting zero deck height?
What method is best for setting zero deck height?
To engine builders, do you prefer milling the cylinder heads or machining the cylinder base to achieve zero deck height assuming CC was done?
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 507
Likes: 233
From: Perkasie Pa
Cylinder base gaskets if possible. Thicker or thinner, may be able to get by with no gasket at all with the right sealer. Machining the cylinder is the last resort in my opinion. Hard to put metal back on.
Jack
Jack
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,782
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From: san antonio
Originally Posted by jmd897
To engine builders, do you prefer milling the cylinder heads or machining the cylinder base to achieve zero deck height assuming CC was done?
Sponsor
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 12,084
Likes: 829
You can't get zero deck by milling cylinder heads; all milling does is reduce chamber volume and does not affect the position of the piston in the cylinder. Twin cam motors do not use a base gasket to seal the cylinder to the motor case; an o-ring does the job. However, if the o-ring is abandoned base gaskets are available in various thicknesses which will raise the piston height in the cylinder but it is highly unlikely to hit zero deck with a gasket. Machining the cylinder base is the proper way to set zero deck and a very common practice, not a "last resort".
Machining of the cylinder bases is the way.
We perform that important operation regularly here.
S&S M8 124" cylinders yesterday..... .026" in the hole...both.
I see the OP is from NY State.
Measure them, ship them to us, about 3 days in house.
Scott
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