Amount AlfaStop Spesso head gasket crushes?

**Andrew** · #1 (**permalink**) 04-10-2009, 09:00 PM

I've got an AlfaStop Spesso 750 1300 head gasket that's about .080" uncrushed. Can anyone who's used one of these tell me how much it'll crush when torqued? I'm trying to determine if I have enough piston/head clearance. Thanks

Andrew

alfazagato · #2 (**permalink**) 04-11-2009, 10:52 AM

One quick way of determining piston to valve clearance is to assemble the engine WITHOUT the gasket and turn gingerly. If all is clear then you have the correct sort of clearance which I recall should be 1.5mm cold.

**Andrew** · #3 (**permalink**) 04-11-2009, 05:55 PM

I already did that; see the description of that on my Berlina restoration thread. It just hits, but .004" on one piston a .009" on another. Dan Marvin says most modern head gaskets Norman Racing uses are between .040" and .050" crushed, which would not give me enough clearance, and I'd need to pull the pistons and have them trimmed. But this Spesso gasket is almost double that at .080" uncrushed, and if it crushes no more than .020" I'll be OK. But I need to hear from someone experienced how much to expect it to crush.

Andrew