ianbott

Hello I've had my heads skimmed and was wondering what thickness and make of head gaskets is best recomended for me?
Heads are from a 98 uk turbo, going onto a 04 sti bottom end although it's gonna be running more or less standard apart from ported exhaust and very short free flow exhaust downpipe and performance panel filter.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

You need to know what thickness was skimmed off the heads.

Then you add that thickness to the thickness of a standard gasket, to give the thickness required in the new gasket.

Failure so to do will lead to a change in the car's compression ratio, with possibly disatrous results

ianbott

Thanks mate, they have been skimmed by 5 thousandth of an inch or 0.127mm.
Anyone know the thickness of the standard gaskets?

wrxcook

I'm no expert in the car gaskets but as u say 5 thou isnt alot there are 40 thou in a mm I'd say even at the correct torque you may see that sort of different in the gasket compression anyway so as for changing compression ratios I'd dout it

ianbott

My thoughts exactly to be honest, plus the head place said they wouldn't need different gaskets.
Would like the opinion of a few others though please.
Plus what are the best gaskets to go for?
Thanks Ian.

MOTORS S GT

iTrader: (2)

Replace with std gaskets, 0.127mm skim is'nt worth calculating, you get a bigger build of carbon than that on the pistons over time.