With the warpage issue on the aj126, thinking about using their 4 layer gaskets, has anyone used them and what was your expience?

 

Hi,

Warpage comes from overheating, it is relaxation of the aluminium.

The only good way is to make it flat again, that means to the workshop with the heads and if so, the block.

Euro Amp head gaskets seems like good head gaskets to me, must be a regular brand.

regards,

Adam

 

I would recommend Cometic.

 

Thanks Stuart

 

BTW - we are working on confirming that the head studs we developed for the V8 are compatible with the V6. Might be something to consider on a rebuild.

 

Well, Cometic only makes headgaskets for the V8 and not the V6, so that sucks!

 

Sorry, I thought they made V6 as well. Bet you they would.

 

Never knew about a warping issue. just coolant and timing chain...both of which I've had redone at 37k miles - have an article or a discussion about this issue I can read up on?

Loth

 

The theory is that if/when a coolant pipe bursts and much of the coolant is dumped and the driver ignores the warning signs and keeps driving, the engine will over-heat badly enough to blow a head gasket and/or warp the head(s) and/or the block.
A small number of reports of this happening but way short of an epidemic.

 

Aaahh... the complication of the coolant pipe issue and the overheating. I thought there was something else going on new.

 

From what an indy shop told me, if you do not undo the heads correctly, they can warp. You have to loosen the bolts in stages to prevent the warping.

 

Things should be disassembled correctly, but the in my experience warped heads have always been from overheating. I remember one of my motorcycles' service manual noting that cam bearing caps need to be loosened in order to prevent breaking the hollow camshafts.

 

I don't see the aj126 gasket on their site... only the v8. am i missing somthing?

 

If you noticed my post after Stuart, I mentioned they do not make a v6 gasket.

 

OEM gaskets are fine, the issue comes from the engine being particularly sensitive to overheating, worse on the V6 vs the V8. Just my opinion but I believe it has to do with the structure of the block, the modified v8 block used on the v6, that causes heat to build up unevenly when they do overheat. It's very common for an overheated V6 to no longer be flat on the heads or block, and as machining is against factory workshop process, we have to replace. I have opened them up and found no warpage, installed new gaskets and they were fine. But the issues always stem from overheat, not a gasket failure itself.

One downside to modern MLS gasket technology, is they are extremely intolerant of poor sealing surfaces. The two faces need to be perfectly flat and clean, and then the gaskets will take all kinds of abuse. Once the surfaces are not flat, the gaskets don't work at all. There is no wiggle room.