What Head Gasket should I use?

[Mo-Bo0st]

I need to pick up a head gasket. Its the last part I need before I can finally get my car back on the road. I have had my share of issues in the past 2 years trying to get my car back on the road (mainly issues with machine shops and shitty workmanship). Just to avoid any possible clearance issues, I want to get the thickest head gasket available.

Does anyone know if the HKS 1.6mm headgasket is thicker than the Cometic, or the Mitsu MLS. I think it is, but if not, I would rather not spend $300 on it when I could pick up one of the other ones for around $100.

Let me know what you guys know on this topic.

Thanks.

 

[TSIfreek]

The question you need to ask yourself is "what gasket do I need for MY aplication".
If you have not had the block and head surfaced I would without question go with a stock OEM gasket from the dealer with ARPs. With that small turbo you have you are waisting your money on a metal head gasket. Why do you think you need it??
The Mitsu MLS is a thick gasket but you can get the cometics any thickness you want. I think the HKS is a waist of money. BTW the stock HG has a thickness of .054

 

[anconover]

Stock head gasket with ARP studs has proven to hold up to 25psi passes. Actually more, but many daily drive 20+psi on stock headgasket no problems.

 

[Mo-Bo0st]

As I stated I want to avoid any possible clearance issues. Yes the head has been resurfaced, and the block is one that the machine shop found to replace my block that they ruined. So I dont know if it has been decked before or not. Hence the reason that I would like a thick gasket. Its just an insurance thing. Not to mention that my Big16g wont be on the car for long once it runs again. I would like to go with a 3052 down the road.

 

[anconover]

so get a depth micrometer and check the clearances. honestly unless both the head and block have FRESHLY resurface surfaces the metals are a bi*** to seal sometimes, and will push coolant under heavy loads. And remember, they must be resurfaced for a metal gasket, as they resurface them to 60RA on average for composite headgaskets, and a metal needs more like a 20RA finish.

 

[Mo-Bo0st]

So you guys are saying that I can get the Cometic gasket in any thickness I want? If this is the case I will get the Cometic for sure. If not, I will be going with wichever one is thickest (if anyone can tell me which one that is).

 

[anconover]

What? no one even mentioned the cometic. We mentioned the stock HG is probly the way to go unless you wanna be pushing coolant. But if your bent on getting a nice huge thick headgasket instead of properly checking to see if clearance would be an issue, get a mitsu metal. Plenty thick enough. But you may want to look into doing things the correct way rather than assuming u need some ridiculously thick HG cuz the head was resurfaced.

 

[Mo-Bo0st]

If nobody mentioned Cometics what the fvck is this?

The Mitsu MLS is a thick gasket but you can get the cometics any thickness you want. I think the HKS is a waist of money. BTW the stock HG has a thickness of .054

Jesus man...you have been about as much help in this matter as my shitty machine shop was anconover. If you cant keep up with a simple coversation plz quit posting.

I have used a depth micrometer to check things. THe fact of the matter still remains that I keep having pistion to valve contact. The fact also remains that I do not know the history of the block or if it has been decked (and if so how many times). All I do know is that everything is freshly machined, and I would like to take whatever measures are needed to avoid having any more issues with this motor when it gets put back together.

 

[anconover]

Then get a cometic. You never originally posted any numbers showing clearances, so what, is someone suppose to say, 'yea get a cometic at xxx size'? Cometics come in diff sizes, so get the correct sized one. This thread really wasnt necessary since you knew what size HG you needed, a simple search could have told you what to get.