head gaskets

[jwindbigler]

what is the best head gasket out there right now. i seem to keep have a blown head gasket on an engine that i just put it (new from the factory, which really irritates me). and i have had problems in the past with blowing them. i had a cavalier and blew 3 of them in that car. please advise

[mrr23]

first off, need to find out why you keep blowing a head gasket. how many have you gone through already? i use the mr gasket head gaskets. they are nothing more than victor reinz head gaskets repackaged.

[ninobrn99]

MLS or cometics. MLS are stock and come either composite or metal.

[jwindbigler]

i drive my car hard, one was my fault, due to overheating, but the others i really dont know why. in the cavalier i used dexcool antifreeze, and i lived in michigan, so there are very large temp swings there. thats about all that i can think of

[GOODZ/BADZ]

Yup, MLS or Cometics

[jersaerocoupes]

since you say you overheated the motor once, have you checked to make sure your head and block deck surfaces are flat? if they are not you will continue to blow out gaskets. max allowable warpage is .015-.020".

[jersaerocoupes]

sorry about the last post, brain fade. those specs are .0015-.0020".

[jwindbigler]

since you say you overheated the motor once, have you checked to make sure your head and block deck surfaces are flat? if they are not you will continue to blow out gaskets. max allowable warpage is .015-.020".

No, I have since got rid of that POS, and found the problem. National parts (the guys that sent me a bum engine) didnt torque the heads down right, so I had 2 channels through my #3 and #5 pistons. So I had a coolant to oil to cylinder leak. That was causing my cooling system to lose water, and in some cases overheat temporarily. Had to have the heads milled due to a nice little bubble on the head right at the seat of the gasket. Thanks for the help

[LS2Tuner]

The MLS FelPro will actually seal better than the Cometics if you don't have the "surface finish" that they call for....... FelPro have ALOT tackery film on them than the Cometics which will aid there benefits if your block and heads aren't machined for a "MLS" style head gasket.


"PermaTorqueMLS will protect an engine builder or underhood service
business from expensive sealing-related comebacks on OE-equipped MLS
applications or other engines with extreme casting motion," said Raymond King,
director of marketing-sealing systems for Federal-Mogul. "No other head
gasket will deliver the level of sealing performance, durability and
confidence Fel-Pro customers have come to expect."
Fel-Pro PermaTorqueMLS gaskets feature multiple layers of full hard
stainless steel separated by a thin rubber coating. This design enables the
gasket to maintain shape and compensate for thermal expansion and motion
between the head and block. Each gasket also includes precision-embossed
sealing beads that eliminate potential leak paths, ensuring a consistent and
lasting seal.
Single-layer composite and graphite gaskets are easily damaged by the
scrubbing and/or crushing forces caused by head-block casting motion. The
result is the creation of leak paths for coolant or combustion gasses.
"Engine professionals trust Fel-Pro because our products deliver permanent
sealing solutions for even the most challenging applications," King said. "We
do that by developing materials and designs that address each engine's
operating environment and by ignoring technologies that aren't up to the
challenge. That's why Fel-Pro won't offer composite or graphite gaskets for
engine platforms that were equipped with MLS at the OE level or other
applications that need MLS to ensure a lock-tight seal."

Here is a description for you I found.

[jwindbigler]

got the heads back on, but now, I need to get a new passenger side. Got bumped by someone on the highway.

[DaddySS]

As far as head gaskets go, the GM MLS (not graphite) is probably the best for a sure seal.

[jwindbigler]

Thanks appreciate the help!!!