Any N/As using cheap-o graphite Headgaskets?

[Tire Shredder]

Hey guys,
A friend of mine has rebuilt several 5mges and found the seller "gaskets4less" on ebay seems to sell the highest quality gaskets for only $50. A telltale sign of quality for 5m gasket sets is if the cam tower gaskets are made of metal and not paper - this incredibly cheap kit has the metal ones. This seller also has gaskets for 7mges.

I won't stand for leaks and the headgasket is the most critical seal in the engine bay but if I can get the job done with saving some money, i'm all for it. I'm the one in the camp that says stock headgaskets aren't bad at all if torqued properly. I know local club members with a toyota HG, with copper spray, torqued properly and running elevated boost levels for several years (5+) without issue. Because of this, I have a mindset that says it may be overkill for a metalheadgasket on an NA. Now...that's not a bad thing but i'd just like to see if these cheap head gaskets actually work.

My friend has installed this kit on his 5mge, so far with great results. My question is, has anybody run a cheap, no-name graphite headgasket on their cars? (this would be anything other than a toyota or metal headgasket) if so, what is your experience?

 

[supramacist]

I don't think this is the place for you to search a for a fan base. Your'e not going to find too many people doing what your'e talking about unless they are into working on their ride all of the time.

 

[drjonez]

no reason why any stock-style HG won't work. get ARP bolts or studs, tq to 72 ft lbs and drive happy.

 

[Tire Shredder]

no reason why any stock-style HG won't work. get ARP bolts or studs, tq to 72 ft lbs and drive happy.

Thanks Adam!

 

[supramacist]

For maybe 30k if your lucky. I meant no disrespect.., I just don't happen to agree and there aren't too many guys doing it unless they are consistently doing something to there engines. I just don't want to have to trust one is all.

I hear mixed things about the copper spray. I used it when I replaced my water pump. That was probably 8 months ago because the car has been waiting on my funding to be applied for the last 4/5 months, all last winter. Thank goodness it was short.

 

[supraguru05]

i have a felpro one with arp bolts two years of autocross on it and its held up fine however a hks gasket is only 99 dollers so if your there why not

 

[supramacist]

I'm going hks, probably the stopper.

 

[87nasupra]

I'm running on now, Cheap from eBay for the fact that im not going to be keeping this engine N/A for long after my turbo build. It's my DD and i haven't had any problems with it AT ALL! It's all in your prep work. I used the CopperCoat sealer just for grins and giggles., with arp studs....i wish i would have used it on my original N/A engine. It probably would still be running today. Compression check last week shows my cyls. are close to factory specs, even though i am JDM N/A with 62k on it. :icon_bigg

 

[Tire Shredder]

great. these are exactly the responses I am looking for. thanks guys.

 

[drjonez]

For maybe 30k if your lucky. I meant no disrespect.., I just don't happen to agree and there aren't too many guys doing it unless they are consistently doing something to there engines. I just don't want to have to trust one is all.

there are 2 contributing factors to the 7M's HG problems:
1. low factory tq spec
2. idiots running too much boost on an unmaintained engine (i.e. detonation)

as NA guys, you don't have to worry about #2 and #1 is easily remedied by proper tqing of the bolts/studs.

I hear mixed things about the copper spray. I used it when I replaced my water pump. That was probably 8 months ago because the car has been waiting on my funding to be applied for the last 4/5 months, all last winter. Thank goodness it was short.

not the best idea.

http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29335

 

[Tire Shredder]

there are 2 contributing factors to the 7M's HG problems:
1. low factory tq spec
2. idiots running too much boost on an unmaintained engine (i.e. detonation)

as NA guys, you don't have to worry about #2 and #1 is easily remedied by proper tqing of the bolts/studs.



not the best idea.

http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29335

I thought copper spray was used as a gasket aid, not a replacement. Shouldn't a water pump gasket be used with a high quality FIPG like "The Right stuff" or a quality cut gasket?

I thought the downside of using copper spray on a MHG was that it ruins, or rather does not allow the fluoroelastomer coating to work properly. I would think it would be fine as a gasket aid for paper gaskets or graphite headgaskets, wouldn't it?

 

[drjonez]

I thought copper spray was used as a gasket aid, not a replacement. Shouldn't a water pump gasket be used with a high quality FIPG like "The Right stuff" or a quality cut gasket?

I thought the downside of using copper spray on a MHG was that it ruins, or rather does not allow the fluoroelastomer coating to work properly. I would think it would be fine as a gasket aid for paper gaskets or graphite headgaskets, wouldn't it?

water pump gasket = paper/fiber, in which case a coating of RTV or FIPG is perfectly acceptable.

 

[supramacist]

You spray the gasket while it hangs and then put it together. The parts house I use recommended it so I tried it.

I think it depends on the type of gasket you use. I would spray a graqphite hg with it. Your'e going to torque to over 70 lbs. It helps it seal. I wouldn't use it on a MHG.

 

[drjonez]

You spray the gasket while it hangs and then put it together. The parts house I use recommended it so I tried it.

just because it's "recommended" doesn't mean it's any good...

I think it depends on the type of gasket you use. I would spray a graqphite hg with it. Your'e going to torque to over 70 lbs. It helps it seal. I wouldn't use it on a MHG.

perhaps, YMMV.

the point of MORE tq is to cause the gasket to "squish" more....thus helping seal better. if you're adding tq, adding some other sealant to the mix is rather pointless...

BTW- no over tqing of the stock HG. it's bad.

 

[Tire Shredder]

sorry, I missunderstood. sounded like the spray was being used a a supplement for a waterpump gasket.

 

[87nasupra]

I sprayed the coppercoat and let it sit about 10-15 mins before i put it on with the head. It was good and tacky and makes a better seal from what i read on one of shaeff's threads...although i think they used the brake quiet spray instead ?

 

[jd20phill]

i put one of the cheap ebay gaskets on my 87 NA, torqued it down to 72 ft.lbs, and never had a single problem out of it. Given, i only put a few thousand miles on it before i sold it, but i drove the hell out of it during that time. I still miss that car :wtc: