Had a bad new Cometic gasket
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
Had a bad new Cometic gasket Last weekend, a buddy and I installed an MMS h/c package in my 2002 C5 and all appeared well until the next day when I noticed a trickle of coolant at the lower front passenger head directly under the ARP stud in the corner. Today my buddy brought over one of the Cometics from his package which we're installing next and we swapped out the gasket in my car. It fixed the leak.
When we looked at the faulty one, it had some subtle defects in the stamping that we hadn't noticed when we first installed it. It looked like the stamping tool was worn and put an extra "shelf" in the metal near the edge. The center, sandwiched piece also had a burr in it that wasn't allowing the head to seat properly - thus the leak. The one my buddy brought over was manufactured 8/02 while mine was made 7/02. His had no riveted tabs on the ends of the gasket while mine did. There must have been a tooling and design change between June and July.
PITA having to pull it apart again for this but at least it wasn't the head or block. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />
<small>[ November 09, 2002, 07:18 PM: Message edited by: Buckshot ]</small>
When we looked at the faulty one, it had some subtle defects in the stamping that we hadn't noticed when we first installed it. It looked like the stamping tool was worn and put an extra "shelf" in the metal near the edge. The center, sandwiched piece also had a burr in it that wasn't allowing the head to seat properly - thus the leak. The one my buddy brought over was manufactured 8/02 while mine was made 7/02. His had no riveted tabs on the ends of the gasket while mine did. There must have been a tooling and design change between June and July.
PITA having to pull it apart again for this but at least it wasn't the head or block. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />
<small>[ November 09, 2002, 07:18 PM: Message edited by: Buckshot ]</small>
Re: Had a bad new Cometic gasket ALOT of people seem to be having problems with them. ALOT of people are also making excuses for all the problems for some reason. I ain't touchin em.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
Re: Had a bad new Cometic gasket No excuses here. It was poorly made and their QC didn't catch it. Cost me a lot of extra work and I won't be using them again. I think my buddy and I need to rethink using them on his car.
On the other hand, The ARP head studs rock! Nice to not have to worry about head bolts when you're pulling the head. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />
On the other hand, The ARP head studs rock! Nice to not have to worry about head bolts when you're pulling the head. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
From: Meffa, MA
Re: Had a bad new Cometic gasket </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Buckshot:
<strong>No excuses here. It was poorly made and their QC didn't catch it. Cost me a lot of extra work and I won't be using them again. I think my buddy and I need to rethink using them on his car.
On the other hand, The ARP head studs rock! Nice to not have to worry about head bolts when you're pulling the head. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have the riveted ones, no leaks that I can tell. Sucks to hear they're having problems though.
-Dave
<strong>No excuses here. It was poorly made and their QC didn't catch it. Cost me a lot of extra work and I won't be using them again. I think my buddy and I need to rethink using them on his car.
On the other hand, The ARP head studs rock! Nice to not have to worry about head bolts when you're pulling the head. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have the riveted ones, no leaks that I can tell. Sucks to hear they're having problems though.
-Dave
Re: Had a bad new Cometic gasket Ed, congrats on the fix. That's unfortunate regarding the gasket <img border="0" title="" alt="[Sad]" src="gr_sad.gif" /> . Great thing you got the head studs <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Ga.
Re: Had a bad new Cometic gasket </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think my buddy and I need to rethink using them on his car.
The ARP head studs rock! <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" /> </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Buckshot, stuff happens buddy; I was more worried about our wife’s then the car. Fix’en the car is easy! I’ve given it some thought and I’m gonna stick with the Cometic gaskets, we just need to do a closer inspection before we drop the heads on.
ARP studs, well we’ll never do another motor without them. They paid for themselves this weekend.
We need to find time to lower your idle settings… that thing’s gonna really thump.
The ARP head studs rock! <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" /> </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Buckshot, stuff happens buddy; I was more worried about our wife’s then the car. Fix’en the car is easy! I’ve given it some thought and I’m gonna stick with the Cometic gaskets, we just need to do a closer inspection before we drop the heads on.
ARP studs, well we’ll never do another motor without them. They paid for themselves this weekend.
We need to find time to lower your idle settings… that thing’s gonna really thump.
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 60
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From: Atlanta, GA
Re: Had a bad new Cometic gasket Wt99C5, you're supposed to be relaxing/recovering after the marathon h/c install. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />
Close inspection of those gaskets is a given. And <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" /> to the studs.
Definitely need to lower the idle. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />
Thanks for all the help, buddy! <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[chug]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_chug.gif" />
Close inspection of those gaskets is a given. And <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" /> to the studs.
Definitely need to lower the idle. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />
Thanks for all the help, buddy! <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[chug]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_chug.gif" />
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Brett Foote Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 60
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From: Atlanta, GA
Re: Had a bad new Cometic gasket Thanks, Levi. Having had to pull the head a week after intstalling it was ameliorated by the head studs.
Installing the heads on a C5 with the studs was anti-climactic. There's plenty of room - no clearance issues whatsoever. Don't know about f-bodies - I haven't seen one with studs yet although I'm sure there are plenty out there.
I never even priced the stock head bolts so I don't know what the cost differential is compared to studs, but I personally think it's worth it.
Installing the heads on a C5 with the studs was anti-climactic. There's plenty of room - no clearance issues whatsoever. Don't know about f-bodies - I haven't seen one with studs yet although I'm sure there are plenty out there.
I never even priced the stock head bolts so I don't know what the cost differential is compared to studs, but I personally think it's worth it.
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
From: Meffa, MA
Re: Had a bad new Cometic gasket </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Buckshot:
<strong>Thanks, Levi. Having had to pull the head a week after intstalling it was ameliorated by the head studs.
Installing the heads on a C5 with the studs was anti-climactic. There's plenty of room - no clearance issues whatsoever. Don't know about f-bodies - I haven't seen one with studs yet although I'm sure there are plenty out there.
I never even priced the stock head bolts so I don't know what the cost differential is compared to studs, but I personally think it's worth it.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No problem on the Fbods either, plenty of clearance.
-Dave
<strong>Thanks, Levi. Having had to pull the head a week after intstalling it was ameliorated by the head studs.
Installing the heads on a C5 with the studs was anti-climactic. There's plenty of room - no clearance issues whatsoever. Don't know about f-bodies - I haven't seen one with studs yet although I'm sure there are plenty out there.
I never even priced the stock head bolts so I don't know what the cost differential is compared to studs, but I personally think it's worth it.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No problem on the Fbods either, plenty of clearance.
-Dave
