LUCKY DAVE

Last weekend it was my turn, and my '89 track car turned into a steam generator. I searched, and there are so many posts I couild be reading this time next year!
What is the current consesus on the "best" gasket?
Assuming the head/block is flat? Assuming they aren't?

btw, I''m running stock (ish) boost and max chips on an otherwise stock engine with a 3" no cat exhaust (PCA class rules)

bigdeano

This should prove to be entertaining...

Darwantae951

I know a few tuners who say "if it's tuned right, the stock HG is fine." If you want an upgrade, then I'd say widefire.

LUCKY DAVE

I don't want to start a "gasket flame war", that's not my intention. I hate burns anyway, they take forever to heal....
I visit this forum all the time, and realize there are many here who know what they're talking about. I'm hoping to find out which gasket is deemed best as of now. Wide fire? Cometic? Other? This is my first blown head gasket on this engine (yeah, I'm still a virgin, so go easy on me my first time)

gt37vgt

well to back up what Modded said . I think its not that inportant ,as a blown headgasket is just a blown head head gasket but if the gasket held and your tuning problem continued .
dropped ring land or valve is a full engine .
over heating is buckled blocks and heads there needs to be a weakest link it may as well be the head gasket .

But its still nice to get the better one if there is one

adrial

I've tried 2 MLS gaskets and they've both leaked externally...even with increased torque (with ARP studs) ... I am swapping to a stock or widefire gasket this time.

Head and block were both machined flat prior to installation.

INURGRL951

Well most peoples cars don't stay that close to stock. What are your future plans for the engine to pretty much stay with the setup you have now run the widefire you will be ok. If you want to mod it heavily later go with the cometic gasket ,coat it with a poloymer coating on both sides and do your finial torque at like 85-90ft/lbs. If you have some seeping heat cycle it a few times and run a block sealer (recommended by cometic) well calm all leaks. I can't think of the name of the sealer if needed i can retrieve.



costas

porshhhh951

I've heard if the head isn't o-ringed the stock gasket is the best way to go. That being said when mine blew I swapped it out for a widefire and haven't had a problem since.

If I were you i'd try and find out why I blew a HG in the first place and that will dictate your course of action(a HG that bites harder if they problem isn't solved would only lead to engine failure- burnt valves,etc).

In my case it blew because it was old and worn out and I was running 17psi and alot more power than it was used too. I expected it to go from day 1. Since the swap I haven't had any troubles. I've also been told by my mechanic that even if you order stock HG now they are all widefire. Is that true?

The reinz products are widefire?

Cory9584

There's supposed to be a new cometic head gasket that doesn't seep. I would go for that one. Even the old ones arent that bad, mine seeped a little coolant externally and is fine now. It was never a big leak and was always reliable even at 20+ psi on occasion.

eniac

What PCA class are you running? Most likely a stock or widefire would be fine. In more preparred classes with higher HP and boost would want to be looking at a MLS for reliability and just deal with the possible cold leakage.

I've had a widefire gasket for 6 years in mine and I run boost that tends to knock the needle off my guage when it goes past the 30psi mark....yeah it happened again just before I put it in my garage for the winter.

IMO people put too much responsibility on headgaskets. What's more important is to make sure your tning is spot on and that the head and block surfaces are flat within spec and everything is torqued correctly. I prefer to use the stock head studs with new nuts when doing head work. Then throw a stock, widefire, or MLS on and any of those will hold fine.

APKhaos

The last time we had a HG thread, several knowledgeable listers posted that the stock HG performs better than the WF for a stock engine setup. I need to replace mine this winter, so its going to be a stock HG this time, after two WF failures.

FWIW, mine always fail between the cylinder and the water jacket on #4. Every one [so far] has been in the same place. Engine is stock, PCA race spec, stock boost. Its raced hard, and the last gasket held strong for two full seasons.

theedge

I dont have cold leakage on my MLS. I used the spray on sealer and ARP studs.

Techno Duck

If you do a widefire headgasket, i would consider having an o-ring groove cut into the head to take maximum advantage of the wider sealing ring.

eniac

The widefire is no better then stock and IMO stock is no better then a widefire. The wide sealing ring is only on one side so it's really pointless. I only used it because there wasn't anything better out at the time. My stock gasket was still good when I took the head off for the headwork. The reason I can hold 30+psi boost is NOT because I have a widefire....just wanted to make that clear incase my previous made it sound that way.

LUCKY DAVE

What's the deal with the O ring groove? How is it beneficial if you only cut one in the head without a matching one in the block? I assume the idea is to size an O ring to seal against the fire ring (near the OD of the fire ring) in the gasket. What size ring? (.070".103" .139"?) What O ring material? Nitrile? Viton? Silicone? Other?
I can easily cut whatever size groove in the head as I run a machine shop.