Can't find Perkins parts!!: combustion chamber inserts

[slowpoker]

Hi all; Have the Perkins 4.108m head at a machine shop for a rebuild after blowing the head gasket and the shop cannot find those combustion chamber inserts ( part # 37443591 or the insert washers, part # 0921249 ) Tried Foley and Tad and the web but no luck.

Seems like those 4 inserts were originally recessed too deeply and bent concave into the head, making a step or a gap that the head gasket cannot fill properly and will blow out the next head gasket again.
Don't know if those existing combustion chamber inserts can be flattened out and re-tapped into place with a small hammer back into the recesses, I do know the manual says they can be removed from the face of the head by prying out with a curved tool, but this may squash the raised portion of the insert itself.
Re-facing the gasket surface to bring it flush with those inserts, although the head is not out of tolerances, is not allowed by Perkins; they say.. 'no skimming allowed'.

There is another shop that has a different head already rebuilt; a 4.107 instead of the 4.108 that I need, for $350. I think the head bolt diameters are different in those two heads. Could I use the 4.107 head on my 4.108 engine?
I would rather find new combustion chamber inserts to replace them. Does anybody know where? Thanks.

[slowpoker]

Perkins 4.108m
''Combustion Chamber Inserts'' are impossible for us to find.
(Blew head gasket, head in a machine shop now)
I'll whistle a thank you song to the first to point me in the right direction!
Will a 4.107 head fit on my 4.108 engine? Heard that the Head bolts are a different diameter?

[model 10]

I can't believe that the Perkins dealer, British Marine in Oakland, Ca. 800-400-2757 could not set you on the right path.

[slowpoker]

Well, could not find those combustion chamber inserts other than from the UK, at a cost of almost $500 delivered to me when and if I also buy (10) other washers!!. (head only uses four of each). No longer being made.
A local shop in business for 24 years and the actual mechanic had saved a couple of those inserts in his own drawer for just these circumstances.
He told me that these Combustion Chamber Inserts are made from Tungsten, a type of very hard steel and are difficult to grind flush and change color when being surfaced.
After all this, found out that this head can be repaired and rebuilt with new valves and resurfaced to make those existing inserts flush.
End of search. Thank you.

[Ex-Calif]

Marine Parts Express -

http://www.marinepartsexpress.com:80...0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

$64 bucks

Washer -

http://www.marinepartsexpress.com:80...0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

$0.97

Buy all my parts from these guys - they've been great.