Difference between O-rings and fire rings?

[JFlagg]

I was just curious the difference is? Haven't done any internal work to my truck yet, just wondering the difference. Any help to cure my ignorance would be great:-laf

 

[ttbird]

O-rings go between the head and block along with head gasket. To the best of my knowledge. Which by the way is sometimes lacking. :-laf

 

[wildmanben]

fire rings are mainly for competition. O-rings are fine for most though.

 

[Cummins724]

Fire rings are installed by cutting a groove in both the engine block & cylinder head for the rings.

 

[jerrethomas]

The way I understand this is that with an o-ring a grove is cut in the head to accept a wire ring that when compressed smashes into the fire ring in the headgasket. When it is fireringed, everything is pretty much the same except the groove can be cut in the head or the block, both have there pros and cons of that. With the fireringing, the original firering in the head gasket is removed though.

 

[JFlagg]

So, with an O-ring, you leave the head gasket alone and cut the groove in just the head, and a fire ring you cut the groove in the head and the block while removing the ring in the head gasket? Thats what I got out of this, am I correct in this? Looking to put a set of twins on my truck and am curious in the differences of the two.

 

[Moose Truck]

Correct!!

So, with an O-ring, you leave the head gasket alone and cut the groove in just the head, and a fire ring you cut the groove in the head and the block while removing the ring in the head gasket? Thats what I got out of this, am I correct in this? Looking to put a set of twins on my truck and am curious in the differences of the two.

That's Right! O-ringing is adding a wire ring to just the head, to add pressure to the head gasket's orginal Firering. To firering the Engine a grove is in both, and a Stainless or used to be a Copper Firering is used in place of the gasket's orginal Firering. If you have an engine with the Copper Firering, you should replace it with the stainless, as a CT guy blew a head gasket, due to the copper failing. :{ For most the O-ring is good enuff. Moose

 

[bgilbert]

Fire ring can be head only or block only, or both.

 

[JVolpe]

ok, so what is the difference if it can be either head or block and doing is just the head the same as o-ring???

 

[Moose Truck]

Head

ok, so what is the difference if it can be either head or block and doing is just the head the same as o-ring???

OK, the Fire Ring is Bigger/Thicker, Because it's replacing the O-ring in the Head Gasket. I'd do just the O-ring on the head side. If you fire ring see if you can do just the Head, so you don't need to cut the block. That way if it goes "Bad", you can just change the head. Moose00:-laf

 

[JVolpe]

OK, the Fire Ring is Bigger/Thicker, Because it's replacing the O-ring in the Head Gasket. I'd do just the O-ring on the head side. If you fire ring see if you can do just the Head, so you don't need to cut the block. That way if it goes "Bad", you can just change the head. Moose00:-laf

I understand completely, I was shown a fire ring setup and was just making sure I understood what was really what. Thanks.