FalconSedanDelivery":m5xuekwi said:
A wood spacer on the Falcon six , will NOT last in normal day to day driving ( ever see one on a factory produced vehicle ? ) , and is a fire hazard
I doubt both of those.
Depending on the density of the wood I could easily see it not warping and withstanding the clamping force necessary (maybe teak? check out some marine supply stores if you can). But the fire hazard? No way, the head itself isn't going to get hot enough to ignite the wood, maybe if it was in direct contact with the header it would, but I doubt it. There are rubbers and plastics under the hood of an average car that are more of a fire hazard than a piece of wood would be, especially if those rubbers or plastics get soaked in oil or carry too much current.
But something bolted to the top of the head? Just not enough heat to worry about combustion.
Also, you don't see many of factory cars because metal is (generally) much easier to work, much more reliable, and much much longer lived. Do you know how long you'd have to cure oak to get it to a state it could be workable? and then you'd have to first inspect the wood before working it, then after you had machined and worked it you'd have to check it again to verify that it hadn't cracked or become damaged.
Metal you just pour it and make sure it filled the mold completely, then mill the surfaces you need to and you're off and running.
Hyde glue is a pain, but it stands up to a ton of solvents (including gasoline, I believe) and works with a large variety of different surfaces. Stay away from Gorilla Glue, that stuff sucks as it expands as it cures so you never get a real decent bond.