I am running cometic head gaskets right now and last night i "pooched" a head gasket. I had thought that cometics were the better gaskets but i noticed alot of FI people are running stock head gaskets. Anyway i want to know what you guys think i should do. Should i go back with cometics or back to stock head gaskets?

Thank in advance,
Jed

 

I thought they where better too.. I would check the deck of the block and heads for low spots where the gasket blew

or maybe they just gave you a bad gasket

 

If you look at a lot of the high HP guys around here and LS1Tech, you see a lot of people running either head the Gm 5 layer MLs or the Cometics.

I would take a wild guess that the head gasket wasn't the issue. 13lbs isn't all that high so I think if it wasn't an overheating issue, I would look into your tune and have the deck and head surfaces checked for flatness.

Rick

 

13psi is all that it would make on the dyno, it makes more like 16psi on the street/strip. I'm having a hard time figuring out why it happened because I'm running arp head studs also. I'll check the block and head surfaces when I get the head pulled off tho.

 

A lot of us run GM MLS gaskets but with ARP J19 head studs, which allow us to over-torque the heads by 15 or so ft/lbs. *DO NOT* over-torque with bolts or other head studs.

The MLS gaskets are really pretty good pieces. With proper conditioning and installation, they last forever.

When I pulled BRT apart, the gaskets were perfect, despite big boost and about 10000 miles and 3 years of service (the heads had been over-torqued for the same period).

Last I looked into them, Cometics required extra installation steps, that if not followed could lead to failure. Now, that that with a grain of salt, because I've never installed or run cometics.

 

I just blew my head gaskets a couple of days ago but the wee the 3 layer gm gaskets and they were also for a 5.3 bore lol yeah don't ask Im not sure who excactly did that but anyways... I'm going to run th 5 layer MLS gaskets after I have my heads and deck resurfaced.

 

Get you a set of stockers and call it a day. They are proven and dont require a finer RA (roughness average) like other aftermarket brands.

 

thanks, that's what i was thinking about doing. Should i spray them with copper spray before i put them on?

 

Yes -- both sides

 

What does this do?.....I was always under the impression that you never put anything on a set of head gaskets.