ATTN: All QUALIFIED CA techs...

[MeanGreenS13]

ok as ive already said for those that dont read, IT MAY BE USER ERROR.

i have 2 hairline fractures in my right foot, i cant really get around too well right at this moment, which is why i havnt done anything about it.

This thread was not intented to be a COMETIC sucks thread which is pretty much what it is. Im gonna say it again THERES NO REASON FOR A HEAD GASKET JUST TO LEAK, THERE ARE OTHER VARIABLES

dee, without being here, figures maybe when i was TQing the head down, the socket was getting friction against the head (WHICH IS VERY POSSIBLE) because its VERY tight in there, thus giving the tq wrecnch a false reading. When im mobile, ill get in there and check it all again, but for now, just leave this thread alone.

[boost_boy]

Just take your time and try and follow the procedure I gave you. My cometics or NISMO gaskets are no different from anyone else's and I'm no more special than any one member in this forum, so why are you guys having problems with these gaskets and I'm not? As some may notice, I'm in no rush to get a car running and boosting (Get around to it when I can ). But seriously, we put a lot of trust in the confidence and fidelity of our machine shops and that alone can put most of us at fault for our mishaps because we fail to double check the work of the machinists.

As mentioned before, be wary of tight socket clearances as they will cause you to have false torque readings. So it is wise to check and re-check your torque job to make sure that everything is within spec. Good luck to all who go the cometic route.

Dee

[ILOVESILVIA(S13)]

I just had my block o-ringed and am using a stock headgasket.

[float_6969]

Well I hope we get this figured out.

If we can get a DEFINITIVE answer to what causes this, I'll get it in the Cometic sticky and we won't have this problem anymore.

[MeanGreenS13]

im willing to garuntee it was false tq readings due to the tightness of the head

[float_6969]

Did you not grind down the outside of the socket?

[MeanGreenS13]

i had but i left it dry, i didnt want to grind down too much because of it being a ****ty stanley socket.. all my good tools are at work. This time im gonna smear oil on the socket as well to make sure it does slip.

[good morning]

and i would bat my eyes twice if an oem gakset held up to 20+ psi and an extra 75shot of spray at 1800psi bottle pressure... that gasket would shred dude, IVE DONE IT!

You can shred anything if it is not tuned or setup right.

[MeanGreenS13]

[sideways danny]

I've compared cometic gaskets to Trust, HKS and ACL steel gaskets and I like the design the least. Having said that I know a lot of people in the UK use the cometic, and I dont know of a single problem. There's very few people over here that use ARP studs though. I personally dont and wont use ARP head studs on a CA. The only reason to use them it to run a higher clamping force and I think you're running standard torque settings. waste of time IMO.

Oh and you dont need engine out to get the head off, I've changed a head gasket with engine in the car in 4 hours.

If you do take the head off, clean the viton coating off with celulose thinners and get some wellseal on there. I've used in on my own and a few customers cars. Once you've smelt it you'll look for excuses to use it

http://www.burtonbikebits.net/...d.htm

[MeanGreenS13]

i was referring to pulling the motor out with these guys suggesting i ring the block when its already in the car... thats just the dumbest suggestion anyone could make at this point

[bentvalves]

well thats because you were bitching about the ca18det being rubbish, and a v8 going in its place yada yada, when In fact the problem was you being a meat head about putting it together.

dont take to much offense to that, just roll with it

[MeanGreenS13]

i dont care, i laught because 90% of you wont have **** on this car lol so i just sit back and go pfft =) dont take offence to that

[MeanGreenS13]

_Engine_CP Pistons, Stock Rods, Stock Crank, Balanced rotating assy new rings, bearings, seals and gaskets. ARP Head studs and main studs, NEW Oem rod bolts, Cometic headgasket, new oem water pump, new oem oil pump, ported and polished head rebuilt alt_Chassis_ MR Street Coilovers with replaced Eibach springs with lower 4k spring rate all 4 corners, WELD Draglite wheels, Dunlop tires up front and BFG Drag radials (275/50/15) out back

Car only has about $6000 in it right now...

[sideways danny]

i was referring to pulling the motor out with these guys suggesting i ring the block when its already in the car... thats just the dumbest suggestion anyone could make at this point

wire ringing the block is old tractor technology. screw that.

Did you see what I said about the torque settings? I dont know what ARP specify but the whole point of using APRs it to use a higher clamping force on the head

[bentvalves]

bring it meangrean.....your cars going to go fast in a straight line, wooo-hoooo!


Modified by ks13 at 7:29 AM 2/19/2008

[MeanGreenS13]

bro, ill work you on a road course any day, 15 years of shifter karts says i will. all i have to do is put my swaybar back in, drop my 5zigens on and swap out my springs... =)

[bentvalves]

hahahaha hells yea kid!

I just purchased a 125 cc 6spd shifter kart, and have always been into motorcross and dirtjumping.

We are apples that fell off the same tree!

Now fix your car and bask in CA18 glory.

Greg

[MeanGreenS13]

i still have one of my 125s (altho probably hasnt been touched in 2 years now) i miss it to death. But real cars are WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY more fun =)

[dash]

meanI hope your sealing issues are nothing more than bolt torque

wire ringing the block is old tractor technology. screw that.

maybe so, but remember tractors are tough

Several street starions run big turbos @ 35+psi making upwards of 600 ft-lbs of torque from a SOHC 2.6L 4 cylinder.How? O-ring block OR head, used with a $17 Fel-pro gasket.Wide head bolt spacing and a shallow non-rigid head presents sealing problems on the 2.6.A wire ring + cheap gasket is definitely something I'd try on a CA18 if my adventures ever come to that.Some veteran aussies use the exact method.

[MeanGreenS13]

my 2 car choices were actually between a Starion and this, was going to put the 4G63 in a starion tho...

im pretty confident my problem is TQ issue...

[sideways danny]

A wire ring + cheap gasket is definitely something I'd try on a CA18 if my adventures ever come to that.Some veteran aussies use the exact method.

When I see the word veteran used I just think of old and unreceptive to technology. A well fitted steel gasket solves all the issues that wire ringing does in a much simpler and structurally superior way. The wire ring is there to stop the fire rings moving, on a steel gasket there is no composite pressed fire ring so it CANNOT move. Things move on.

MeanGreen13 - I think it's torque related too

[bentvalves]

sideways, and others....what do you guys think about the headgasket being the weak link as another member mentioned? Rather pop a gasket that break a ring land/ring/piston etc.

[MeanGreenS13]

do you actually UNDERSTAND how much more pressure spraying nitrous adds to an already boosted engine? I would never be able to make one pass that composite gasket would fail first run, i promise

[sideways danny]

sideways, and others....what do you guys think about the headgasket being the weak link as another member mentioned? Rather pop a gasket that break a ring land/ring/piston etc.

It's a theory I've looked at a lot actually. I've had and seen too many engines melt pistons and do permanent damage before the HG blows to but much belief or relaince in an inferior part. When you're dealing with the higher cylinder pressures, and levels of vibration (which is what will disturb the seal on a standard gasket) a composite gasket is too much of a compromise

[dash]

When I see the word veteran used I just think of old and unreceptive to technology. A well fitted steel gasket solves all the issues that wire ringing does in a much simpler and structurally superior way. The wire ring is there to stop the fire rings moving, on a steel gasket there is no composite pressed fire ring so it CANNOT move. Things move on.

"veteran" in the sense of street cars running in the 30psi region.Not a place for 'the inexperienced'.Some applications had no steel gasket available, others simply preferred the O-ring/stock gasket.

FI Pro commisioned SCE to make a "new technology" gasket for the 2.6sohc. None have held up as well as the "O-ring+cheap Felpro" cars. At $100-150 + $17, it simply works (and convinced me).

Sure, "things move on" ...but when heavy 4 cylinder street cars go 11s & 10s using old T04B turbos blowing thru SOHC motors (far less costly parts) on pump gas..... hardly gets any better imo.Sometimes resistance to change can be justified/argued.

I wouldn't "stress" a composite, but o-ringed... without hesitation.

When you're dealing with the higher cylinder pressures, and levels of vibration (which is what will disturb the seal on a standard gasket) a composite gasket is too much of a compromise.

Hmmm....I'm wondering if removing those sturdy oe brackets from the intake, has an adverse affect on the head/block/composite seal ?Folks usually discard these. You'd think Nissan didn't go thru all that trouble to 'triangulate' the lump, for no reason, eh.

[boost_boy]

Hmmm....I'm wondering if removing those sturdy oe brackets from the intake, has an adverse affect on the head/block/composite seal ?Folks usually discard these. You'd think Nissan didn't go thru all that trouble to 'triangulate' the lump, for no reason, eh.

Hey Brother, you bring up a valid point, but I'll be the first to admit to ditching them ASAP! I just haven't seen the effect of the absence of those brackets, but it's not to say that it can not and/or have not affected others' projects. Maybe the boost gods feels sorry for me and let me get away with bloody murder (some short-cuts). Note to CA forum: Stop ditching parts you .

Dee

[MeanGreenS13]

TO ALL YOU HATERS IT WAS NOT THE COMETIC!

[mbmbmb23]

ARPs?

[MeanGreenS13]

no clue... it still leaks... gonna look at it more tomorrow

Runs and drives amazing tho.. pulls like a raped ape and roasts tires to 3rd gear even tho im only at 8psi and running rich as trump