head gaskets

Seight-V8 · Post by **Seight-V8** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 6:59 pm

hello all,

what are generally accepted as good rover v8 head gaskets for the 4.6 engine.

At the moment my elrings, are leaking and it look like they need replacement.

Don't want cheap ones, just ones that are not too expensive but good value for the money.

any experiences welcome.

cheers

scott

ChrisJC · Post by **ChrisJC** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:41 pm

Interesting. I have Elrings on mine, no issues so far......

Any idea what has caused them to leak?

Chris.

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:59 pm

I've had normal composite gaskets fail when running a fairly big NOS shot. I think that the reason that they fail is because the fire ring is not fully compressed across its entire width due to the big chamfer at the top of the bores.

Cometic MLS gaskets are available with a bore size that is 2mm over rhe standard 4.6 size, these would work well on a standard bore size 4.6.

Cheap they ain't!

I still run standard comp gaskets but sprayed with silicon copper, so far they have held up but if I'd known about MLS gaskets when I last had the heads off I would have used them.

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 12:31 am

Just use the OEM gaskets, Payen etc.

I dont recall them being expensive when I used them

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 4:24 am

20 quid for normal comps, 80 quid for MLS jobbies...

http://www.burtonpower.com/parts-by-cat ... _manuf=708

Still I'd pay 80 quid for them. Dunno if Burton do the over size ones but it would be worth seeking them out.

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:57 am

Unless both block and head surface are meticulously flat, I wouldnt bother changing to MLS.

Plus the thinner gasket will affect CR

And really, for a n/a build it's hardly needed either. I never had any problems with Payen gaskets on my twin turbo 4.6 years ago.

Seight-V8 · Post by **Seight-V8** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:44 pm

thanks for the replies.

not sure yet why they have both failed the same way, but they have been leaking for a while by the look of it, both from the centre two cylinders.

My heads where newly skimmed, but the block wasn't, do I do remember checking the flatness before building the engine though.

Only problem I remember having was the torque of the ARP head studs, so maybe this is it.

Wont be taking it to bits for a while, as car is off the road anyway, and it can be a winter job to put right.

Would love the cometic ones, but I think at £190 for 2 gaskets def aint cheap, but its just the work involved during a strip down.

Does anyone know what makes are the genuine LR ones?.....as some are £40ea but are these any different to the elring ones?

cheers

scott

mgbv8 · Post by **mgbv8** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:48 pm

sidecar wrote:20 quid for normal comps, 80 quid for MLS jobbies...

http://www.burtonpower.com/parts-by-cat ... _manuf=708

Still I'd pay 80 quid for them. Dunno if Burton do the over size ones but it would be worth seeking them out.

£80 a pair is a bloody good price

My first pair were about £70 each +vat and thats the sort of price I'm finding elsewhere now !

So they are on my Xmas shopping list

stevieturbo · Post by **stevieturbo** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:55 pm

As already mentioned, Payen supply OEM gaskets and are what I used on my TT RV8

No point even considering MLS gaskets unless both head and block are immaculately flat.

Obvious things to check are the studs arent bottomed out, you arent running out of threads when tightening etc, torque wrench is in fact accurate etc etc

But gaskets like the Payen or OEM on a 4.6 should be perfectly fine.

ChrisJC · Post by **ChrisJC** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:25 pm

I used Elring because I had my liners done by Turners, and that is what they supply. I figured they ought to know their stuff....

Chris.

Seight-V8 · Post by **Seight-V8** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:33 pm

those cometic ones are £82 each, not per pair, if you add it to the basket, its £163 for two, not what I call cheap.

Looks like elrings again, but with a bit more care in checking the head & block faces, and tightening the ARP head bolts.

cheers

scott

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:49 pm

Seight-V8 wrote:those cometic ones are £82 each, not per pair, if you add it to the basket, its £163 for two, not what I call cheap.

Looks like elrings again, but with a bit more care in checking the head & block faces, and tightening the ARP head bolts.

cheers

scott

I did have a feeling the price was for each!

You could spray the comps with copper/silicon spray

SimpleSimon · Post by **SimpleSimon** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 8:55 pm

Elrings are the OE factory gasket on the RV8

they are also very accommodating, various TVR boys are using them with forced induction/NOS etc without any problems more likely your tightening/torque technique IMO

never known them to be not fit for purpose unless the RV8 is really stretched i.e bigger bore then the fire ring becomes to small obviously

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 9:03 pm

There are post on the forum from people who have seen the same issue as me with regards to the fire ring. In fact Roy Burrell who did most of the head porting for JE has spoken to me about it. Skimming 30 thou off the decks helps reduce the issue.

Robrover · Post by **Robrover** » Tue Aug 05, 2014 9:11 am

Not quite what you're after, but I use Felpro Permatorque Buick 300/340 tin gaskets sprayed with clear acrylic paint and have never had a problem, though I do use ARP studs in place of the OEM head bolts.

http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/f ... make/buick

They'll raise your CR but can be used in place of Rover 4.6 gaskets.

Victor Reinz and Best Gaskets are also available for these engines in the States.