Mike Lindsey

It was brought to our attention yesterday from a distributor that Victor Reinz
had made a mistake on their paper cam housing gaskets by printing the
wrong side of the gasket with the word "Top". If you install that gasket with the
words "Top" on top, you will block the oil supply hole to the cam housing.

We don't know how many we have sold like this as they do not know when
the problem started. Out of the 25 gaskets we have in stock and looked at, 5 were printed wrong.

We will be sending all out customers a email or letter regarding this who purchased gaskets since January 1st, 2011 as this is when the distributor thinks the problem may of started. This supplier sells to many many companies. So this is also to alert you even if you didn't purchase a gasket through us.

If you hear loud valve train (lifters) having just changed your gasket, then this is likely the issue. You can pull a bolt access plug and start the engine briefly and verofu oil flow on and to the camshaft. There should be plenty or oil flowing off and around the cam. No oil means the gasket is upside down or you could have a stuck oil check valve in the head.

Of course a person could just install a good gasket upside down if not paying attention and get the same results.

We thought you should know of this mistake by Victor Reinz and be alerted.

Link to Gasket

-Lindsey Racing

JohnKoaWood

FWIW, I recently did my head gasket on my NA, and when dis-assembling the cam tower gasket was correctly installed, but the printed TOP was on the wrong side..

Apparently this isn't a new issue, and I would caution everyone to ensure the passages line up correctly with the gasket regardless of the side TOP is printed on despite the info in the FSM regarding gasket orientation.. whoever did mine the last time got it right, even though the gasket was wrong!

Thanks to LR to bringing this up!

I noted it as odd when I did mine, and double checked the new gasket when putting eveything back together, my new gasket had TOP on the correct side, and was Victor Reinz!

User 52121

Hmmm. Thanks for the heads up. Now I'm starting to wonder about this myself. I know I didn't pay any attention to any markings on the gasket, I just lined it up relative to the holes on the head and cam tower. In the photo of the gasket on the link Mike provided, there is an extra hole on the bottom right keeping it from being symmetrical it seems. I imagine I would have caught that and installed it properly but now I'm wondering....

pettybird

definitely thanks for the heads up!

slap929

Thanks for the heads up.

ehall

Same here.

Mike Lindsey

Although the paper gasket is not symetrical, (aside from the oil hole of course) with the paper gasket, one could install it upside down by slightly deforming it. It "may" or "may not" damage the gasket in
the mean time since it's pretty close and the holes are larger then the bolts (9mm holes for 8mm bolts). Our metal RCS version will not go as it does not give like the paper one. So it's "possible" to
install it wrong if going by the "Top" printing, which is why we wanted to alert the group.

As the old saying goes... Better safe then sorry.

User 52121

Thanks for clarifying, Mike.

Black88TurboS

Mike Lindsey,
Can you please take a look at my post regards one of your chipsets (Hello from the UK Post) your advice would be greatly appreciated and thanks for the heads up as i am looking to take the top end of soon.

Mike Lindsey

Did and posted. FYI, we don't read threads unless there is something in the
subject line that pertains to us or something we are interested in. But welcome to RL regardless.

alxdgr8

Good to know, will have to double check mine since I have to pull the cam tower again. I forget if I installed the paper one or upgraded one.

azmi951

Easy solution, use the MLS Lindsey cam tower gasket.