Re: [alfa] How (not) to install a Reinz head gasket

["Dean" <tessiedog@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The gaskets I obtain must be a better product.
Dean
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Lane <srlane@domain.elided>
To: alfa digest <alfa-digest@domain.elided>
Cc: tessiedog@domain.elided <tessiedog@domain.elided>;
lyfordhale@domain.elided <lyfordhale@domain.elided>
Date: Monday, 10 May 2004 3:08
Subject: Re: [alfa] How (not) to install a Reinz head gasket


>Lyford Hale said...
>"The other car belongs to a friend.  We got our Reinz head gaskets from
>different places, neither of which told us to use sealant"
>
>Then "Dean" <tessiedog@domain.elided> said...
>"If you use a genuine head gasket you do not need any selant. If you
require
>selant for a head gasket something is wrong. Genuine gaskets dont fail for
a
>long time and I have never ever used a sealing compound"
>
>I'm the friend Lyford mentions above. Sorry Dean but this old chestnut
about
>the genuine head gaskets not leading sealant simply no longer applies. They
>should come with a large "Beware" sticker on the packet.
>
>Lyford and I both used genuine OEM Reintz head gaskets. These come
manufactured
>with a bead of black sealant that runs around the entire perimeter of the
>gasket and also around the 6 small o-ring holes down the sides - However,
at
>the large oil-drain holes at the rear of the block, there is no sealant
around
>the inside where there is a need to seal out water around the liners from
these
>oil drain holes. This is simply incorrect and is a gasket manufacturing
error.
>I'm told it's because the later engines didn't have any oil drains there
(i've
>never seen one apart so cannot confirm) and so the gaskets sold as OEM for
a
>'74 2L motore are really made to suit the later blocks. This has been
confirmed
>to me by various local experts who all say they've seen a few that sealed
ok
>but a lot more that failed immediately (as mine and Lyford's did).
>
>The one supplier who seems to get it is John Norman (and his extremely
>experienced head-modifier and all around expert Dan Marvin). John (of
>Alfa-Parts) now attaches a diagram to all the gaskets showing where to
apply
>the sealant. A couple of weeks back Tom Sahines (ARA tech-advisor) also
warned
>right here on the Digest about this mistake on the gaskets. Use Permatex
>Ultra-Grey on both sides of the gasket around these oil drains and assemble
and
>torque quickly....
>
>So after two head gaskets in a week (and these "genuine" Reintz ones don't
come
>cheap) I now seem to have water and oil separated - and that's a good
thing.
>
>Richard Lane
>San Jose, CA
>1967 GTV with a 2L
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