I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience with Cometic Head Gaskets. I was told they were the ones to use with an iron block & aluminum heads, but now I'm hearing they have leak issues & might need to be re-torqued after the engine gets warm.

Anyone have any knowledge about these, & if this is true, what works better?

PS I will be using ARP studs if that matters....

 

I have always had good luck with MLS head gaskets. Pretty similar to Cometics.

 

So do you re-torque them Eric?

 

On old school small blocks we always use coper gaskets with an iron/alumminum motor, just seams to seal better. Check out SCE gaskets, I have heard good things about them. They will be in mine.

 

I never have and have never personally known anyone to do it, but that doesn't mean that people out there don't do it. A guy I know that builds 1500+ hp boat engines all day uses the MLS (Multi Layer Steel) gaskets and he said he has never had to retorque them. I spray the sack off of my motor and have never had a problem. That's even with the weaker SBF head bolt design.

Good luck with whatever you decide on.

 

I ran Cometics on the 414, No Problem. No Retorque required.

 

Besides the one locals case I have heard of many leaking and or blown sets lately.

 

SCE was closed so I emailed them. It would be nice to be able to use my $60 Cometics tho....

 

I had problems with the first set of Cometics leaking on my Darton MID sleeved block.

I replaced them with a new set of Cometics (installed dry) and then retorqued after the first warm up/cool down of the motor. So far they are holding up. But I only have a few hundred miles on them as another problem surfaced with the motor since then

For all Darton MID Sleeved blocks a retorque after first warm up/cool down and dry install is the proper procedure as stated in posts on this forum by Steve of RED. Cometic is also the only gasket designed for the Darton MID sleeves.

This info may vary for other Cometic gasket designs or LSx blocks.

Thanks, Perry

 

I used them on my LS6 without issues

 

I also got a few more stories today on them letting go. Most of the time they just seep fluid but it seems on the darton sleeves some thing may be up.

 

The FI guys seem to love the SCE titan gaskets as they go on dry and already have a very thin rib of some silicone style crap already in the head gasket. Search for em and that is the norm.

But if you already have cometics, just slap em on and go.

Nate

 

That is true abou the silicone. Just make shure you clean that deck and the head surface very, very, very well before you put them on and they should last until that cheap *** rotating assy falls out the bottom of the motor

J/k mark, I think you will be very happy with sce, they are a little pricy but well worth it in the long run, like a said once they are tourqed down should be good for any amount of boost that you want. Just be shure to use a nice set of arp studs, and please make shure that deck is very clean, which I know you will.