Engine Sealing with Hoops and Receiver Grooves 

Very nice. You explain things very well and I appreciate all the reasoning behind the things you do. Keep it up!

I o-ring and receiver groove every GMC 6 block I use in LSR competition. As long as the split is not near a water passage or between cylinders there had never been a failure at 14-1 compression. Granted this is for very high HP engines but the old way (if you can find someone to do it) will work just fine. Every thing I do is done on a Bridgeport mill and an Isky groove tool for the block. Steve’s skills and knowledge is far above mine and I thank him for sharing what is done with these high HP competition engines. There are Diesel engine builders here on YT which show the older technology way.

Very interesting, appreciate the videos Steve

Great video. Much appreciated. I couldn’t get the type of head gaskets which could be used with the hoop systems.

Makes complete sense. Watch someone else do it with a plate and cutter by hand and wondered how accurate that was. Now I know.

Love it, Steve. Some just can’t fathom what your doing is how you make regular go real big,...and keep going.

This is what separates the Steve Morris building from the rest. Maybe one day I can get you guys to build me a procharged sbf 9.2 for me!

Could use that machine to make o-ring groves for the coolant ports massage the tolerances on the hoops and go gasket-less just run viton o rings and hoops

Thanks for sharing!

Great video! Steve can you talk about or make a follow up video explaining how you seal the copper gasket if running water jacketed block and how you would resurface the head with the hoops in it when it comes in for a freshen up and valve job? Thank you.

About 15 years ago I did something similar with 6, 540 BBC Offshore TT motors. I came in to the project after the blocks were purchased. They had 7/16 studs and even new ones made from the same material as ARP's baddest rod bolts it would still leak between some cylinders at 2200 hp so I made similar rings (called them flame rings) except they went into the block and heads about .05" (.105'ish tall ring if I recall or maybe .04-.04/.085"). The copper head gasket was not part of the sealing and was cut slightly larger than the ring OD. The dowels were removed and the rings positioned the heads. The theory was if the head lifted a little it wouldn't compromise the combustion seal. It was a band aide but it worked and I heard some time ago atleast a couple of the engines are still running.

Loved it imagine if it was like E seals we use on aircraft they stay kinda springy to deal with temps.

Great tech info!! Thank you.

Thanks for the video😊

Today on Steve tech I'm going to draw a sharpie diagram on heads most folks only dream of! lol. All jokes aside Steve, thanks for sharing at least some of your knowledge, I've heard of folks using hoops but surely never understood it as well as I do now thanks to you. Take care

I have a 331 hemi that was done to in the late 60's or early 70's it was cut into the heads cool stuff thanks for your video

we call that "Fire ring" on diesels

funny in the sixties the square hole was filled with square piano wire fitted perfectly and sealed 100% for super charged v8 motors = if the machined surface in the recieving sealing area is rounded upon machining then a round wire would be used !

I hope one day I can afford one of your engines that would be a dream come true my friend look up to your work Steve have a great day!

Mmmmmmmm Brodix.Very cool, this looks like it would help the problem with Porsche and Subaru heads walking around and ripping the gaskets up.

Thanks for doing this the right American way.

Thx Steve

another great vid . Thanks for taking the time . u found a parts guy yet ?

I was under the impression that cutting a square bottom groove was for a copper wire to deform and "lock" into each of the mating surfaces. Also the split in the copper wire would "flow" into each other becoming one piece once torqued.

I like that much better than the basic o ring setups.

When is the wagon coming out? Been along time

Anyone ever tell you you're fukin amazing!!!? I just subscribed and love all the info on high horse engine building. I want to thank you on taking time to make these videos!!

You should put your website or company info in the description for people who want to pay you for your service. Thanks for the info...

Is it faster/better finish to run the groove in the head with an end mill rather than a boring head? I'd have expected a boring head to be much quicker once you have it set to diameter.

Great videos wish you worked on Lycoming experimental aircraft engines

What's up with that wagon in the background? I was thinking about it when Steve was talking lol

Maybe using the block with the hoop installed to mark the area where the hoops go on the heads. No room for error here.

Steve what your describing is the difference between orings and firering in the diesel world. But we do orings in the head I use 062 with a boring head on a mill. The reason thees isnt a receiver groove is we still use the stock head gasket with a oring. The fire ring gets the receiver in the block. and is an actual machined square ring thats .105 x .200

Steve I have a question. At how many lbs. would you say someone would need these O rings?

Just curious why in the first example you didn’t have the wire bottomed out in the block groove. Wouldn’t a seal there increase seal contact by 50%? Very informative nonetheless.

who did it first, tkm or SM

Can you use an MLS head gasket still? And do you need a special head gasket to do this?

Can u also hoop the coolant passages?

Does this help quench to be better Steve ?

Can you get hoops for small bore stuff? Like 3.810" bore?

Dig the shit out of these videos.

Has there ever been a block/head with a "step" built into the mating surface. I realize it would make it nearly Impossible to surface, but I was just curious.

Any chance you are able to do this for a 4g63 engine and block

What really concerns me is the structural integrity of he lifter valley in the block@ 13.20... hope it has the strength to handle the load. :D

How much to get such work done on a Nissan v 6 for a turbo build

with what type of gasket then ?

How much do it cost to do block in cylinder heads on a big chief head Donovan aluminum block

SM=🐐

Why dont you do the rings full square ? Top and bottom grooves square too ?

back in late 70´s toyota ofered something similar in the diesel L engine. Toyota´s first rubber timebelt engine.

Where to get the hoops

Okay, that's interesting and all, but I need more details on that wagon in the background!

Should make the hoop hollow and then use copper inside or other material to hold up under squish.

I get the ring setting in the cylinder sleeve because its a lot stronger than the aluminum, but on the head its within like 2mm of the water jacket and you have to fit two of them in there, that can't be that good.

Your voice reminds me of the America's Most Wanted guy 😂

Seems like it would be more reliable than a normal headgasket as well, never have to worry about blowing one kinda situation lol

Next episode BOOST! Dawn on a blower! 😎

Dog photobomb at 1:38

Why not just mill grooves into the head and block so they mate with each other like a labyrinth seal?

Therefore surface finish of cylinderheads should be good: writing on that goes way back better.....

in my country most of people use a 2 litr L4 straigh engine which has removable wet liners and aluminium head and block 😅 ..the problem is that because the head gasket is allways exposed to water directly it does not take long for the gasket to become weak and after couple of months water finally finds its way through into the cylinders which most of the time happens between cyl N. 2&3 ... what do you proffesionals suggest .. the way outa this can save thousands of people milions of dollars .

Better using wills rings

I see a long top in the back that needs a ls7.

I have that donr on my diesel engine, same thing. In the head.

Like Like

We don't have any paper to write on so we just use cylinder heads

Old Old Old tech Wills rings . Nothing new at all rings are actually steel tubes filled with nitrogen gas into a grove with a ROUNDED bottom to suit the tube ran them 30 plus years ago with NO modification the the block also only used a gasket for oil and water no head gasket over the WILLS RING

It's worth it. I just payed my machine shop $700 to port match my heads an intake. Picked up 5hp. That $140 per 1hp!!!! Gonna win my next race now baby!!!!! Yeah!!!!

why is he calling the firerings 'hoop'?

VW motors DONT have head gaskets. They figured it out 70+ yrs ago.

BS dude

Awful explanations!