cometic HG fitment ?

[7M4EVR]

Is it normal for the cometic MLS head gasket to block some of the water jackets down one side of the block? I have a complete rebuild gasket set and a cometic and both HG's do this..everything else lines up perfectly except
these few...I don't understand why they would make a gasket do this but maybe I am missing something.




View attachment 67504

 

[7M4EVR]

If someone who has used cometic before could check out the picture abd chime in here I would be very grateful. Took of work today to get some work done and I am at the point that the last thing I need to do is bolt the head on before this thing can go in the car.

 

[supraguy@aol]

I have used the cometic mhg, but i don't recall if it blocked any ports,
But it did have openings where there weren't any ports.

 

[7M4EVR]

Damn...I called cometic and they act like they have never had anyone ask about this before? I'm not putting this on until someone confirms its OK. If you see on the left side of the pic it has holes where there are no jackets but it is also covering some of them on that one side. Maybe it is supposed to to move coolant around to a different area IDK??

 

[nathaninwa]

Both the stock replacement and the Cosmetic have passages that are blocked? I'm sure others can chime in quicker, but I have a 7m Cosmetic and a spare block at home I can check when I get home. The idea behind some of the ports being closed off or blocked completely is to promote flow through the head properly. Water should flow from front to back in the block, the up into the head from back to front. So the holes are designed this way to help that so it all justdoesn't short circuit to the thermostat housing.

 

[Grandavi]

Cant see your photo attachment.. but I will show my block (without the Cometic.. just a Felpro)

Are you talking about the water ports on the intake side? I believe they do slightly cover the intake side port (if I recall when fitting mine). That's the cool side of the engine so it wont hurt it.

 

[7M4EVR]

Yep its the intake side. On the block the exhaust side has two longer water jackets per cylinder and the intake just has one, but on the head gasket there is two openings on either side. Your pic looks the same as mine, but can't really tell if yours are blocked off as much as mine are.

 

[Poodles]

Normal (and why you can install the gasket backwards/upside down by accident)

 

[7M4EVR]

Good to hear, thank you...

 

[Grandavi]

Yeah very odd why they don't do the intake side to match the coolant port. It would strengthen it... Maybe to even out the head pressure when torqued?

Yours looks like mine did when I put the cometic on it.

 

[JDMMA70]

Yeah very odd why they don't do the intake side to match the coolant port. It would strengthen it... Maybe to even out the head pressure when torqued?

Yours looks like mine did when I put the cometic on it.

The only head gaskets that ever matched the block were Trust head gaskets. I'm told they were the best for the 7M some argue better than HKS. They are discontinued otherwise I would've ran one but I'm running a stopper and I'm happy with the quality.

 

[Grandavi]

Yeah, that HG looks like its actually made for the engine

 

[3p141592654]

Agreed. And the OEM toyota gasket does the same thing.

 

[Poodles]

Agreed. And the OEM toyota gasket does the same thing.

Hmmm.... not from what I can remember. Paging Lange....

 

[ATL88Supra]

OEM looks just like the cheepo felpro

 

[Zumtizzle]

Agreed. And the OEM toyota gasket does the same thing.

bzzzzz.

 

[7M4EVR]

Think 3p might have meant does the same thing as in it blocks off the passages also...

I was just shocked out of all the head gasket threads I've read I've never noticed this before. Scared the hell out of me I thought I was going to have to wait another week for a new head gasket to come in the mail lol.

 

[Grandavi]

I remember looking at my beautiful shortblock and then seeing the cometic headgasket sitting on it.

My only thought was the same.., poor design?

Not sure if Toyota had a reason because the intake and exhaust sides are mirrored on the HG but the ports aren't the same. My only conclusion was to maintain even pressure in both sides by having the exact same amount of HG material on both sides.

 

[3p141592654]

Agreed. And the OEM toyota gasket does the same thing.

Yeah, that wasn't clear. Toyota gasket looks like the Cometic and blocks the passages, as does everything else except the Titan.

My memory is that the head has the full passages, so it may not make any difference then as there would be nothing to squeeze the gasket even if it was filled.

 

[mk3_7m]

The only head gaskets that ever matched the block were Trust head gaskets. I'm told they were the best for the 7M some argue better than HKS. They are discontinued otherwise I would've ran one but I'm running a stopper and I'm happy with the quality.

Dam I would of ran them too because the exposed metal on the block that the head gasket doesn't block off suffers from pitting. That came from using the wrong coolant thou :3.

Yeah very odd why they don't do the intake side to match the coolant port. It would strengthen it... Maybe to even out the head pressure when torqued?

Yours looks like mine did when I put the cometic on it.

because the intake side doesn't need much cooling than the exhaust side.