Stock work just fine and are cheap $35a set(sorry my bad) Or you can use Cometic $72ea.
Nate

<small>[ December 16, 2002, 12:04 PM: Message edited by: Nasty N8 ]</small>

 

What about the head bolts GM or ARP?

 

definatly GM i got them for 19 a side at moritz in fort worth, and the arp's are 150+. but i got my head gaskets for 18 a piece, and that doesn't seem right that you said 38 above. is that the right price or did i get fukt?

Matt

 

You can get both head gaskets for $34.15 at SDPC http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...2170&pid=89529 .

You can get OEM head bolts there as well for $16.95 per head...

Dan

 

We had two WS6 cars here in town get H/C packages about 1 week apart and both blew there head gaskets! One blew his on a dyno tune run. He was fine N/A, but when he hit is nitrous 100 shot he blew his gasket. The other blew his on the highway. This is why I ask which gaskets and bolts to use. I'm getting mine on later this month. Do you think the bolts could have streched or the gaskets were not the best? I do not want to repeat what they are going through. Luckally the owner of the shop is really cool and is taking good care of their cars.

 

i am also interested in a good head gasket/ bolts or studs.

i have heard gm gaskets blow quite often.

 

I just bought the Cometic gasket/ARP 12-pt stud package from Speed, Inc. Came to $390.

 

Formula 1, if you want the best, use ARP! As far as head gaskets, if cometic's are better, then use them, can't go wrong. As far as OEM head gaskets blowing all the time, thats not true. Plenty of people are running OEM gaskets and head bolts, including me, on head/cam with 150 shot nitrous and have no issues, but, there is definately better stuff out there than OEM...

Dan

 

Be careful with the Cometics. I put a set on with my 5.3l heads along with the ARP studs (thank goodness for studs!). I won't go into all the dtails here but one of the Cometics had a persistent leak (3 times) - even after swapping the gasket on the chance that the first was bad. The leak was on the outside-front passenger head.

After a LOT of work and analysis, I discovered that the perimeter-sealing configuration of the gasket would not work on my passenger-side head. The Cometic counts on the rough cast shape of the head on the corner to conform to a .090" raised land along the perimeter to seal. No go. I even tried K&W Copper-Coat sealant on the advice of the tuner I bought the h/c and gaskets from. The gasket stuck out .118 from the head at the corner with both Cometics I tried.

The first 2 leaks I had were coolant. The third was oil. That's another thing - the oil drain galleys in the heads are not sealed off like in the stock gaskets so the sealant stopped the coolant but allowed oil through.

It was a frustrating but educational process. Ultimately I went with '97-'00 composite gaskets due to the relief in the head at the #6 cylinder, although I would have gone with the newer MLS stockers if I could have - they appear to be quite good.

The Cometics are beautiful and I'm sure quite good when no sealing issues like mine exist. But I'm getting credit back for them from the tuner and we put stockers on my buddy's also when we did his h/c last weekend because of this potential problem. He's returning his unopened.

 

what are mls stockers

 

MLS = multi-layer steel

stockers = stock gaskets

The Cometics are mls also with the outer surfaces completely teflon-coated. They are comprised of three metal leaves that are riveted together at only a couple of points.

 

I definitly recommend ARP studs instead of the stock "torque to break" bolts.\
As for gaskets,stockers will work good on NA applications.I prefer Cometics since I've had good luck with them and I'm not worried about putting the juice to them.

 

What head gaskets to use when doing a H/C package? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" /> Thanks