My stock headgasket is gone and Im trying to figure out whether to go with the OEM (and get it copper sprayed? as one of my friends suggested) although I have been checking out the other options such as the HKS and Cometic among others.

I did a search, and I didnt find too much information regarding the differences(since the $ difference seems to be so great with OEM vs Aftermarket). I did find that I DONT want to go with a thicker gasket, but HKS and all the other aftermarket gaskets do offer a 1mm which seems to be what Im looking for.

From the people I have spoken to so far, it seems that my best bet is to go with the OEM. Another friend of mine used the Cometic on his turbo GSR and it worked great on his car. But for the money, so far it looks like the OEM is the best.

Does anyone else have anything to throw in to explain what justifies paying more money for an aftermarket headgasket besides the name itself.

TIA

Kenny

 

I've heard good things about cometic also but I'm still partial to oem especially if you're staying with the same thickness

 

Ya....Im leaning on the OEM.

Are you familiar with spraying copper on the gasket? Sorry if its so noob-ish. Im just trying to learn and understand.

Kenny

 

BUMP, Interesting topic, anyone else have more info. they can share?

 

Spraying copper on the gasket seems redundant. Copper is a softer metal so they're often used as gaskets (ie. oil drain plug washers). I wouldn't worry about not having a special copper spray nor would I pay more for it.

 

i run the cometic.... its great.

 

Spraying copper on the OEM gasket won't hurt anything. IMO, it's extra insurance. But it is a little messy to work with.

 

I only hear good things about the Cometic. Is it worth the extra money over the OEM in your opinion?

BTW, I just wanted to be sure....1 mm is the OEM thickness right? And if so, Im assuming your Cometic is the same as well?

Kenny

 

I have running the cometic for 5k miles now with no problems...

 

I would stay with the OEM one. If you are going all out with a built motor, Oringed block, etc. Then yeah a Cometic head gasket would be a choice.

 

I would second the Cometic but only if you're going to have the head and deck resurfaced. Also you've got to make sure you're dealing with a machine shop that is familiar and has FIRST HAND knowledge with the surface finish required for a good seal with the Cometic. The Cometic gasket requires a very smooth and very flat surface to seal properly as there is only .001" of Viton seal. Since the gasket is steel it will not compress at all so any surface imperfections could cause a coolant leak. Coolant leaks are the most common issues I've come across when researching the Cometic gasket.

Copper gasket spray is an inexpensive way of ensuring the head gasket won't leak coolant. I've read reports of great success spraying down the Cometic gasket with a couple coats of copper spray. The copper spray probably adds just enough compliance to the gasket surface to help prevent coolant leaks.

 

Why do you need to check the deck? Even with an iron block?

 

No need to be like that. It was an honest question. Why do you need to check the deck on an iron block? Can detonation or head warpage deform the deck, or would it be a case where the block wasn't flat in the first place and that caused the gasket to blow?