When Should You Put Fire Rings On A Diesel?

We get asked a lot, “Why would you put fire rings on a diesel?” We’re here to answer this question.

Stock head gaskets have factory fire rings built into them. When we add an o-ring to the block, it protrudes up about .010” and adds an extra “crimp” to the gasket. This is usually good up to about 700hp. We have pushed them up to 1,000hp, but it’s not very reliable.

When you add a fire ring, the factory ring is removed from the gasket and a new metal ring sits in the grooves halfway between the head and the block. This prevents any fire from escaping and is necessary when you are pushing 1,000hp or more.

For this demonstration, we’re using our backup warhead, which is “wet” meaning it has water running through it. We’re going to use the BHJ tool that bolts to the head and cuts the groove. We’re cutting a receiver groove, meaning there will be grooves in both the block and the head. When we do this, we like to split the distance in the cut between the two. In this instance, we are going to do .019” in each.

You can see when we remove the BHJ tool, that there is a nice groove for the fire ring to sit in. Then, when we add the new cutout gasket (old gasket shown for reference), you get a perfect seal to keep your horsepower contained.

Watch the demonstration video below!

If you have questions about whether you should fire ring your truck, give us a call at 435-962-9555, leave us a comment below, or shoot us a message on Facebook or Instagram. We’re happy to help you figure out what will work best for your truck.