copper head gasket

[awd4g63]

Any useful information on the pros/cons of these things? I plan on getting one for my new 4g63, but I've heard several different things about them ranging from "they don't blow" to "you would want your head gasket blowing before your piston rings are fried..."

I'm confused... please add your .08 cents

- Jon

 

[GreenGVR4]

First off, they suck at sealing your water and oil canals. You cant even use it ynless you get your block and head decked because it wont even seal, even then it probably wont seal right. You need to have your head o-ringed so that the coolant and oil wont leak into the cylinders, but it still will leak everywhere else. i reccomend going with the mitsu metal, or even better, run stock headgasket with a o-ringed head.

 

[awd4g63]

Sounds like that last one costs a lot of money

Anyway, I can get a mitsu-metal head gasket for around 80 bucks, so I may just do that. Can you tell me what the benifits are of a stock head gasket with an o-ring'd head? And why mitsu-metal over copper head gasket? I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but I gotta be a perfectionist when it comes to my baby

- Jon

 

[KenTSIII]

With the metal HG.. you'll prolly want to have the head and block decked to ensure a good seal. The HKS & mitsu metal HGs are multilayer and have a bit of gasket material around all the holes to help ensure a good seal. The copper gaskets are 1 layer of copper & don't seal very well at all unless the head or block is Oringed. I'm personally from the belief of using the HG as a fuse. If you get serious detonation.. I'd rather blow the HG than bend a rod or blow the motor. I use the stock composit HG w/ ARP studs cranked down to 90 ftlbs.

 

[GreenGVR4]

Originally posted by KenTSIII
I'd rather blow the HG than bend a rod or blow the motor. I use the stock composit HG w/ ARP studs cranked down to 90 ftlbs.

this is also a good idea, o-rings cost about $100 + headgasket... you are gonna spend about that on the studs. but either way is good..

 

[KenTSIII]

But you'd want to buy the ARPs regardless. General rule of thumb.. head comes off.. ARPs go in...