I know for sure my Group A gasket must be on borrowed time with over 440bhp so time has come to look at the top end and make it strong.

Can these multi layer gaskets be thrown straight on, without skimming as currently fine, standard head bolts.

Or do you have to have block decked and head skimmed?

Which one???? not just for who it's made by but cost, layer etc

Genuine mountune 4 layer

or

5 layer cometic

 

By rights you should have the head and block refaced if your going to use a MLS gasket.

Either way the Genuine Victor Reinz (Mountune) gasket is the one I would use.

As for bolts, everyone has their own opinions but I'd rather use oe bolts than ARP's if you don't want to get into rebuilding the bottom end to get long studs fitted.

 

My block and head were done before the gasket was fitted , also long studded it too.

 

as above mentioned, I have used the arp nut/stud kit with a grp a for the 205 block and never had any problems other than they need to be retorqued now and then, and especially after the first few heat cycles. I've used standard head bolts on a t34.63 running a grp a gasket, peaking at 34psi holding 28 psi it lasted 3 years before the engine dropped 4 valves onto its pistons.

As you have said though the final finishing faces of both block and head need to be very fine for a mlr gasket, and they can be more susceptible to oil leaks than a group A,
Also if you still have an early 3dr head Id have a look at getting the water jackets on the exhaust side welded and drilled , to reduce the chance of gasket failure.

 

wire-wrung block + grp-a/std gasket, no need to skim, no need for expensive gaskets.

 

fitted the 5 layer cometic to mine a few months back, had the head skimmed and spent hours cleaning the block and made sure it was a 100% true which it was, bolted down with standard bolts and a shit load of wellseal, seems ok with 30 psi & a t38

 

WRC gasket on mine, head skimmed, block decked, standard head bolts, wellseal, touch wood its been fine so far.

I did have a Cometic but hadnt had the head skimmed [hadn't blown a gasket so didnt think it required it] so might be reason for the failure

 

Some norwegian boys have over 500bhp for years on a group a without problems.
tabetha

 

as long as the head and block are perfect if not have it decked and skimmed u dont have to just because!

 

Looks like the grp A stays as I'm not stripping the bottom at under 3k on rebuild

 

Chris, if it AINT gone then don,t worry about it mate, worry when it does.........

Plus he may not need skimming anyway if both are ok..

 

u will not have too if they look ok

 

And there's me skimming to get the compression up, not because it isn't flat!!
tabetha

 

just had mine done
wrc 4 layer ,standard head bolts ...
fingers crossed its ok
going for,,,greys, t34 .63 ,etc etc
not had block decked or head skimmed ,just a proper clean up.
my group a was just starting to go ,

 

i might just go for a wire rung block then, who does this and is it expensive to do, also what is the thickness of the 5 layer one??

 

NMS do it i think

 

thanks mate wil give them a bell