What head gasket to use?

[Scott_S]

Hi. Like the title says, what are your opnions on head gaskets. I don't need anything fancy because if I go much bigger than what I'm running now I might as well do a full rebuild. Really the gasket only needs to hold no more than 35 psi because the MOST I will run is maybe ~25. So I'm thinking an OE mitsu one. Any other suggestions? I will also be using ARP head studs

 

[JDNSBR]

Hi. Like the title says, what are your opnions on head gaskets. I don't need anything fancy because if I go much bigger than what I'm running now I might as well do a full rebuild. Really the gasket only needs to hold no more than 35 psi because the MOST I will run is maybe ~25. So I'm thinking an OE mitsu one. Any other suggestions? I will also be using ARP head studs

If you want to stay somewhat stock I would go with the mitsu metal head gasket. It is a layered metal gasket straight from Mitsu. And it can hold the boost you are looking for. Here is the part number. MD 349347

 

[Alucards_blood]

I'll be rebuilding a six bolt pretty soon and I'll probably use one of these from slow boy...

This one's from Power Enterprise http://www.slowboyracing.com/shop.php?sid=&cat=2313

And this one from HKS http://www.slowboyracing.com/shop.php?sid=&cat=1638

Everyone says HKS is the best. I don't think it would hurt to overbuild it just a little. But that's just me, good luck!

 

[talontsi902]

just buy the mitsu mls head gasket

 

[TurkF26]

ya i totally agree, get the mitsu MLS headgasket. way better than any others.

 

[keltalon]

ya i totally agree, get the mitsu MLS headgasket. way better than any others.

I know this thread is old but this thinking is rather present that the mitsu mls is the best gasket I disagree! I am not saying that the gasket isn't worth using, I am saying if you use it and you just so much as has any encounter with detonation you will push coolant long and short! Its not what brand of head gasket to use the question should be more so wath type of head gasket to use. Most head gasket will do just fine with a perfect tune and a perfect tune depends upon perfect fuel and this does not exist from pump to pump unless you just chose to run racing fuel all the time to guarantee zero knock. So what I am saying is if you choose to use a non grommet style head gasket and you so much as have any episodes of detonation you will run into coolant pushing issues! You can believe me now or later its up to you. I speak so frankly about this subject because I have been through my share of head gaskets, heading everybody recommendation as to the best head gasket to use. They were right in their recommendations from fel-pro perm torque to cometic to mitsu mls and even oring block and stock composite, all of these gasket when going head to head with unexpected episodes of detonation lost! I was just beating my head against the So back to the computer to try and understand how to solve the problem. So having all the failed gaskets on my wall at the shop I started to study them one by one, the thing they all had in common after taking them apart was that one layer of the mls, the thin layer had waves in it, that came from the episodes of detonation, The gasket was no longer perfectly flat and caused pressurized air to enter the coolant passage. So to make a long story short I said only if someone made a gasket on the oem composite style with grommets and mls I would not have to worry about any of the layers of mls suffering from the pounding of detonation and I came across this gasket and decided to use it and to my surprise detonation would not knock the gasket off of its sealing properties No more coolant issues!! Just my $.02
http://www.powerenterpriseusa.net/products/engine/gasket/gasket.html

 

[black_gst]

well for $230 it better be the best and you may be right... but if you knock and you hg doesn't blow what will??? if your going to have a weak link why not let it be you hg and not your pistons. just my .02

 

[DSMtsi23]

Cometic Head gasket. Permatex copper sealent and torque those arp's properly. Dont forget to let your car warm up fully for 15 min. Then shut it off and come back when its cold(best to to do this the next day) then take valve cover off and retorque those studs again.

 

[keltalon]

well for $230 it better be the best and you may be right... but if you knock and you hg doesn't blow what will??? if your going to have a weak link why not let it be you hg and not your pistons. just my .02

Here's my thinking no one want's to detonate and its takes a whole lot of repeated detonation to destoy a rod bearing so I just want a little more safety margin for tuning than blowing a head gasket every time detonation occurs. It doesn't take from my personal experience for detonation to occur once or twice to hurt a beaded mls like the mitsu mls to the point of pushing coolant and off the head has to come. I have finally got my tuning down to a science even with the inconsistance e-85 around here to were I finally don't have to worry about knock I just thought I would share my finding for the forum so everybody can make a decision on how they want to address the issue without having to pull their head off the car everytime they have an issue with coolant pushing or for that matter when they do have a coolant pushing issue to assume that the gasket they used is a POS!

Cometic Head gasket. Permatex copper sealent and torque those arp's properly. Dont forget to let your car warm up fully for 15 min. Then shut it off and come back when its cold(best to to do this the next day) then take valve cover off and retorque those studs again.

Trust me I am not arguing about doing your head gasket right or using the right studs coolant pushing issues don't happens from the start when a head gasket job is done right. It develope after a few episodes of detonation! Don't blame the head gasket blame the tunning! That all I am saying

 

[zdravko_k2002]

+1 on the Mitsu MLS Headgasket, can never go wrong with OEM components

 

[VTEC KILLR]

Felpro permatorque and a nice coat of hylomar. Know several people that run 25+ psi on that set up. Cheap easy and reliable........

 

[JEFFREYCASTGSX]

The Mitsu MLS is considered by the majority of people to BE THE BEST, and if your blowing the Mitsu HG with knock, then there is something wrong.

 

[keltalon]

The Mitsu MLS is considered by the majority of people to BE THE BEST, and if your blowing the Mitsu HG with knock, then there is something wrong.

Nobody never mention anything about blowing a gasket! Its about the gaskets ability to seal after a knock episode I guess until you are making 500 plus hp you will not understand. Mitsu mls is alright but the power enterprise full gromett seals like no other. I should know I have tried 3 mitsu mls with L19 studs and they refuse to seal at my power levels the power enterprise is the only one that did the job

 

[donniekak]

I have run everything from a fel-pro composite and stock 6-bolt head bolts at 30+psi on a hx40, to a mitsu mls with arp studs, to cometic, ebay mls, and never blown any of them. So most of the time i just use a regular colposite with some good 6-bolt stock headbolts. I currently run a evo 3 at full wail on a stock rebuilt 6-bolt, with a fel pro composite and stock head bolts, on e-85 with no issues at all. The stock 6-bolt headbolts are plenty stong for most people. Anything less than 400 whp and i wouldn't worry about any stock part on a 6-bolt. I see so many people with fully built engines running 13's and 12's, the money would be better spent on go fast parts. The ebay 4 layer nippon racing mls is the mitsu mls, i have both of them right now, you can't tell them apart. A composite gasket and stock headbolts has been taken into the 10's plenty of times.

 

[desolateboosted]

Go with a cheap autozone Fel-pro composite HG & ARP Headstuds torqued to 110ft lbs. You will be able to run 35psi saftely. That is the combo I use and I've had no problems with it.

 

[dsmspickdad]

I run 25 lbs of boost with the Oem Mitsu head gasket with no problem. Most of the time I have seen leakage with improper head bolts torque methods. I follow the Mistu methods with no problem.

 

[RayBan GST]

my friend has a graphite head gasket that he got from Ebay with complete kit and bolts ( AJUSA Bolts) for 52 USD and he is running 26 psi daily on a 16g without any problems so far , he installed this gasket 3 months ago and its holding well. if you compare this graphite ebay gasket with the oem they are almost the same however the graphite is a bit thicker and it looks stronger to me.

i am in the process of changing mine as well, hopefully this saturday once i get off and once i receive my new 16G , i bought this kit already with the graphite gasket.

will let you know after saturday how it will hold for me.

 

[Ibbanez]

Mitsubishi MLS all the way

 

[keltalon]

I run 25 lbs of boost with the Oem Mitsu head gasket with no problem. Most of the time I have seen leakage with improper head bolts torque methods. I follow the Mistu methods with no problem.

Well I guess after reading what head gasket people are using its basically boils down to each his own I know with my hp goals 700plus I need to use what works for me none of the mentioned above worked the power interprise full grommet flawless!!! I don't know why I waste my time sharing my findings on this forum ! In the mean time check out what my buddy/neighbor ,who suggested the head gasket changed that worked for me ,ran recently.


new personal best - Georgia DSM

YouTube - Mitsubishi Eclipse 1/4 mile in 9.26 sec @ 162 mph

YouTube - gastroker 1000whp dyno

 

[RayBan GST]

1004 WHP please lend me 100 HP

 

[94hipsitsi]

Hey keltalon, thanks for the comments and sharing. I actually just tagged your post as helpful. I run the same turbo along with a E85/93 mix. I was never aware of this head gasket and may have to try it myself the next time around. Pushing coolant is not cool.

 

[keltalon]

Hey keltalon, thanks for the comments and sharing. I actually just tagged your post as helpful. I run the same turbo along with a E85/93 mix. I was never aware of this head gasket and may have to try it myself the next time around. Pushing coolant is not cool.

You are welcome. When I get a chance I will see if i can get a couple pics of the last 4 head gaskets that i've used and maybe you will see in those pics how all it takes for a beaded mls, is a few minor episodes of knock to damage one layer of the layers that makes up the mls head gasket to have a coolant pushing issue. Mine was very minor with the mitsu mls and l19 studs but none the less annoying. I could ride around beating the heck out of my car boost set at 20psi and no coolant pushing issue what so ever, the problem with this is my turbo shine when boost is set 27 to 32 psi. The mitsu mls had no problems holding these boost levels at first but in time some episodes of knock damaged the sealing power of the gasket. Even small episodes of detonation at 500whp is not so kind on the layer of any mls gasket in which all the layers making up the mls gasket aren't protected with a encased grommet. In my using all these gaskets the stock composite gasket held up the best because its a full grommet style gasket surrounded by graphite materials which in time weaken and failed. so the full grommet around the cylinder actually protects the gasket from the destroying nature of even small detonation because individual layers of the mls is not subject to the harse enviroment of the combustion chamber. So the perfect gasket for a hight horsepower set up would be full grommet mls Hks makes a full grommet mls but no one seems to carry it for our cars they only carry the stopper type head gasket in which individuals layers of the gasket is still exposed to the cylinder without protection from detonation. In case you are wondering the mitsu mls is a beaded type mls which is the worst of the three types of mls gaskets that are available for high horsepower. Power interprise is the only one that makes the full grommet mls for the eariler 4g63. Tomei makes one for the later model evo which will not fit our cars. If you think 230.00 is steep for a head gasket this baby by tomei is twice the cost TOMEI Metal Head Gasket Evo 1-3 4G63 for sale - TradeMe.co.nz - New Zealand

To fully understand what I mean click on this link and remember the mitsu mls is the beaded type and the hks is the stopper type and the tomei and power interprise is the full grommet type POWER ENTERPRISE USA
Listen to me now or believe me later!

 

[16G1G4G63Talon]

cometic is what i went with...arp w/ cometic = good combo

 

[popwarbunny111]

If you stay somewhat stock, you should be ok with a metal head gasket.

 

[keltalon]

If you stay somewhat stock, you should be ok with a metal head gasket.

Even a stock car that knock will damage a metal gasket. The thing that gets me is there are a lot of guys pushing coolant and don't even know it until the car eventually runs hot