Gaskets
Gaskets
The cylinder head gasket is likely the most important seal in your engine. Aftermarket head gaskets are available for most engines and may be used in place of the factory gaskets for a number of reasons. Thicker aftermarket gaskets are available for those who may want to lower the compression ratio of their engines. This is most commonly done when adding some form of forced induction to the vehicle. A thicker head gasket may also be desirable when it is employed to offset the effect of deck or head milling. Aftermarket gaskets are also produced to accommodate vehicles that have enlarged their cylinder bore size. These will be necessary when upgrading to pistons designed for a larger bore than stock. The preferred gasket for most modern production engines is the multi-layer steel gasket (MLS). About 80% of today’s production engines are designed with MLS gaskets. If your vehicle happens to be one of the few that is not, you may consider upgrading to an MLS gasket to accommodate your other engine modifications. A head gasket replacement is also an opportune time to upgrade your head bolts with a stronger aftermarket stud kit. When assembling any built motor, we strongly recommend a new head gasket to be used for ensuring a proper seal between the head(s) and block.
