Head gasket problems!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[racerstev]

I called Cometic today asking about this. I got pretty much the same line as Bob did, $3000 tooling cost plus $90ish retail price per
gasket. I pushed back a bit on the tooling and was told they wouldn't charge us tooling if they had something on the shelf that
would work.

All we need to do is to send him a gasket to spec out, does anyone have a turbo gasket they can send to them? It can be used..

Steve

[bobbrown]

I called Cometic today asking about this. I got pretty much the same line as Bob did, $3000 tooling cost plus $90ish retail price per
gasket. I pushed back a bit on the tooling and was told they wouldn't charge us tooling if they had something on the shelf that
would work.

All we need to do is to send him a gasket to spec out, does anyone have a turbo gasket they can send to them? It can be used..

Steve

I had already done most of this but not an actual gasket just a picture of one as the guy there had aready stated he did not have one on file that was specific to this engine and needed a picture to make sure that this was the case.

Steve, if you want to carry on with this feel free as I do not believe two of us doing the same thing is going to be productive so I will declare my self out.

Bob

[tigerdog]

For what it's worth, I recently spoke to Scharff Motors; they informed me the original Isuzu gasket is no longer available for order.

[racerstev]

I'll see what I can do, I think I have a gasket sourced from the guys at Isuzone. Hopefully this will go somewere.


Steve Lockett

[tonny006]

I have managed to source an original gasket.
Is anyone else in the same position as me with thier car in bits waiting for a gasket?
If so PM me as i know where there are 3 more.

Tony

[Fubar1764]

If there's a group buy, count me in!

[tonny006]

I have managed to source an original gasket.
Is anyone else in the same position as me with thier car in bits waiting for a gasket?
If so PM me as i know where there are 3 more.

Tony

I got it from SJ Sportscars but they are ALL SOLD NOW

[PECKHS]

I have managed to source an original gasket.
Is anyone else in the same position as me with thier car in bits waiting for a gasket?
If so PM me as i know where there are 3 more.

Tony

I got it from SJ Sportscars but they are ALL SOLD NOW

are they sold out? I just bought and paid for a head gasket set P/N SJ100E0008 from them. now i'm worried whether they will send it out without the head gasket or not...

[bobbrown]

SJ100E0008 is not a Lotus part number but one that SJ's use hence the SJ so probably available but would think its an aftermarket product not a genuine one.

[tonny006]

The head gasket was genuine,but the rest of the gaskets he supplies are sometimes not.
It is a kit he puts together using a genuine head gasket and the rest of them may be aftermarket ones.
Enough gaskets to do a head gaskes unless you get it skimmed which i would recomend.
It comes without stem seals.

Tony

SJ100E0008 is not a Lotus part number but one that SJ's use hence the SJ so probably available but would think its an aftermarket product not a genuine one.

[bobbrown]

Without the valve stem oil seals! so not a full head set then and at £6.03 + vat each I can see why he left them out.

[dedmans]

Is it now a fact that if a head gasket goes as I had happen 3 years ago, that a suitable new new one is no longer possible to acquire? It makes me horribly think that my car is now getting too obsolete and difficult to keep. I have to always convince my other half that we must keep it and not get a sensible alternative!

[racerstev]

Is it now a fact that if a head gasket goes as I had happen 3 years ago, that a suitable new new one is no longer possible to acquire? It makes me horribly think that my car is now getting too obsolete and difficult to keep. I have to always convince my other half that we must keep it and not get a sensible alternative!

Aftermarket is still avalable, they work fine.


On another note, my Isuzu gasket is on the way from SJ, as soon as I get it I'll ship it off to Cometic.

If this turns into a dead end I'll O Ring the block, this has worked ok in the past.

Steve Lockett

[racerstev]

Things are coming along on the gasket, we are about ready to ship a gasket out to Cometic..

http://www.isuzone.org/forums/showthread.php?t=21548

[bobbrown]

Information Quote:
Surface Finish
MLS gaskets require sealing surface finishes much finer than a conventional composite head gasket. Fel-Pro recommends 15 to 30 Ra surface finish for their MLS gaskets, to give you a visual, crankshaft journals are finished to about a 12Ra, so, for proper installation of an MLS head gasket you will see your reflection in the sealing surfaces. One reason MLS gaskets require such smooth surfaces is that the gasket layers are made of stainless steel, which is harder than either the block or head, thus the gasket will not conform to irregularities. Further, the sealant coating is only .001” thick which is not sufficient to seal leak paths under the gasket formed by standard head surfacing of 60Ra. Ra stands for roughness average and it is measured in microns or “millionths of a meter”, a surface finish with a roughness average of 60 will have peaks and valleys of .002362” whereas the much finer surface finishes of 15 to 30 Ra will have peaks and valleys of .000590” and .001181” respectively. As one can see from these figures, MLS gaskets would leak fluids on a standard “out of the box” surface finish, in addition the normal surface finish will quickly abrade or “scuff” the black fluoroelastomer (Viton) sealant coating on the MLS gasket exacerbating the fluid leak problem. Many machine shops did not have the equipment necessary to produce the surface finish required for MLS head gaskets but they are getting better as more production engines are fitted with MLS gaskets.

Bob

[racerstev]

http://www.cometic.com/faq.aspx

[CRAMBURY RS]

just wanted to jump in and say thanks to Steve for heading this up. the DFX file i drafted has been sent to cometic earlier today. also, a huge thank you to Runix (isuzone) for sending an OEM HG 1300 miles for me to use for drafting.

for your viewing pleasure

[PECKHS]

just received the head gasket from SJS.
it's an original lotus replacement, but the country of origin is stated as Japan

[esprit888]

Which would be correct as Lotus did not make the engine or its gaskets. These were all isuzu sourced i believe.

just received the head gasket from SJS.
it's an original lotus replacement, but the country of origin is stated as Japan

[ashm]

Out of interest, and somewhat I know but does anyone know what materials are typically used for stock head gaskets? The ones I've seen looked like some sort of metal reinforced composite.

I think if I was going to use a steel gasket I'd probably surface grind/scrape and lap the mating surfaces; I believe many workshops will just flycut a head, and I wouldn't be confident of getting a suitable surface finish that way.
Having said that I suspect a fine finish and steel gasket would be one of the strongest possible options.

How well do the Inconel alloys conform when used as gaskets? They're certainly corrosion resistant and strong at high temperatures, but I know they're prone to work hardening. Or maybe some of the cupronickel based materials?

Adam