What are the advantages of using metal gasket?

[wgx3059]

Hey guys, what are the advantages of using metal head gaskets in your engine? I'm using standard GSR. What can I get out of it? The mechanic I go to told me that I can boost up to 1.3 bar, but it is true or not? Please let me know from your experiences or from your friends...ThanKS!

 

[GSR5559]

if im notmistaken, wif metal gasket u can boost higher den using normal gasket..and of course it is better to use metal gasket le..we need to boost higher its becus dat by using metal gasket ur performance will be kinda laggy abit so need to boost up to gain power..and about the inernals like pistons and etc..need more advise from pros..hope im correct ..us my 2 cents

 

[wgx3059]

Thanks for the fast reply GSR5559! The purpose of putting in the metal head gasket for me is to make the car more reliable without worrying of any leakage from the gasket, so what you're saying is that it is good to use metal head gaskets for the engine right? Btw whenever I go chillout at SS15, I think I always see your car parked near the Darul Salam mamak. Anyways, Thanks for the info!!

 

[wildboar]

the main reason ppl change to thicker metal gaskets is to allow higher boost...its vr dangerous to play wif high boost on standard gaskets...so indirectly it is taking care of ur engine...but if u just intend to play with standard boost, then there is no need for metal gaskets...furthermore, the thicker the gasket, the lower the compression and hence ur car will be more sluggish during off boost...so just stick to the standard gasket if running on standard boost...bare in mind if u wanna play high boost, then must take care of the engine internals as well...

im not so sure oso..but i think standard gaskets can withstand boost up to 1.2 or 1.3bar...more than that, metal gaskets is a must...

just me dua kupang...

 

[seantang]

Putting in a metal gasket does not mean that you can now boost higher. It's a thicker gasket which is essential, not the material.

Thicker gaskets to decrease compression are what you need to employ in order to be able to increase the boost level. The thicker gasket can be metal OR not.

Metal gaskets last longer than normal gaskets, especially under very high boost or if your engine is not tuned well. They can be re-used (which turns out to be cheaper if you're a mod kaki cos most will remove the cylinder head once every year or so). And most importantly, because they are after market, they come in varying thicknesses.

 

[wgx3059]

If I run with 1.2 bar boost with metal head gaskets and stock internals, is that ok?
would there be any power difference with 1 bar stock gasket? Just want to know more before I put the metal head gasket in if not difference maybe I'll go for stock gaskets.

 

[GSR5559]

dude WGX: yeah at times i hang out ther..but now seldom oredi le..
i think for a stock internals in GSR better not to boost so high..the pistons, and etc not so reliable unless u get those forged pistons and those aftermarket valves and so on..and bear in mind dat if ur using metal gasket ur car will be abit laggy like wht i said ..cus the compression is lower ..anyway its good to use metal gasket too..as for me i use those normal plastic gasket, i can see sum oil leaks from the screws and in between the head and the block..anyway wht car r u driving? u hang out in darus oso isit?

 

[seantang]

Running higher than stock boost is neither safe nor unsafe. That depends on the modifications.

Really, running a high boost on any turbo engine is dependent on only 2 factors really:

- tuning (timing, fuelling - the software ie. SAFCs or Motecs etc + the tuner's skill)
- hardware (forged internals, heavy duty bearings, metal gaskets, oil coolers etc)

There is a minimum baseline for both factors. That's something like adequate fueling/rich enough (tuning) or an accurate wastegate & an adequate cooling system (hardware).

But beyond that, the better one factor is, the less optimal the other factor can be.

For eg. if you have perfectly set fuel & ignition maps, you can have 1.2bar boost with stock internals.
But if your tuner is an average guy and cannot chart out the thermodynamic effects of hot weather on a 75% efficiency intercooled turbo system... much less figure out how to deal with that by adjusting the fuel and ignition maps, - then you need to put money into the hardware factor to compensate for low tuning factor. You will need hardware like forged pistons, metal gaskets, tougher bearings etc. to deal with the extra boost.

There are of course limits on both sides of the equation, and the minimum requirements increase as the power produced is increased.

So, ask yourself... how good is your tuner? And how much are you willing to spend on hardware (knowing full well that the lousier your tuner is, the more you'll need to spend)?

I've seen stock GSRs do quite well with 1 to 1.1bar of boost with virtually no modifications except a SAFC but the tuning of the AFC is very, very important.

 

[wgx3059]

Thanks Seantang, wildboar, and gsr5559 for the advice!! At least now I know abit more about the usage of metal gaskets.

gsr5559, yeah I hangout quite alot at Daroos last time but now less already lor....
but last night I was there........hehehe........What car I drive ah? I drive a Satria Gti Gsr with standard rims wan ah....Shylar no money to change rims....hehehe

Anyways, thanks guys for your help!

 

[GSR5559]

oohhh...aiyoh rims slowly le..anyway gti stock rims oso not bad mar..low profile..the more thing u have the higher possibilities to get stolen..as u know nowdays in subang area is not a safe place for car lovers..and wht i heard from my mech today..for a stock internal GSR, it is jus nice to boost around 1 bar..max 1.2 bar but is not advisable cus internal all are stock..unless get a forged pistons and evrythin like wht seantang said..den i think u can boost higher than 1.2 bar..
and for a safer side 1 bar is more den enuf le..

 

[wgx3059]

gsr5559, right now feel like using back the original gasket already, put metal head gasket like very mafan wan.......yeah nowadays alot of people meter kena curi man, mine almost stolen, they broke my passenger window but they didn't manage to take anything, maybe got some car passing by. It happen at Puchong.
Thanks for the help man!

 

[GSR5559]

yeah actually even ur running on stock internals oso there is no prob using metal gasket..safer and dun need to change so often ..but if u want the performance u need to boost up ur car to get back the right performance u wanted..cus the thicker the metal gasket goes, the lower compression ur engine wil go ,results laggy and kinda slow i guess..the oni way to increase back to the origin performance u got to boost higher..of cus dun boost until 2 bar if ur internals still running on stock parts..i dun think the pistons,valves,valves springs can upstand high boost..unless u get those reli hard and aftermarket performance stuff to strengthen ur engine ..
correct me if im wrong..jus my 2 cents