I think I really f#@&Ed up

I got a 1075 kit from wiesco and I used there MLS gasket and also used the the peanut o-ring gasket located in the center of the jugs when I installed the head. Im having problems with the head gasket leaking. I had about 250 miles with no leaks then I pulled the head and got another gasket and it only took 50 miles for it to leak this time. I believe that's where my mistake was made. Am I correct on this? Also can I re-use my MLS gasket from wiesco or do I have to get a third gasket? Thanks guys

Is it coming from the center? I got tired of it always leaking so I use a one piece gasket. If it leaks it will be a seep not a gush. I've reused head gaskets, don't like to but sometimes it has to be done. In the day I used silver spray paint. Now I use copper spray. May have to do it again this time too.
Steve

West I used the multi steel one piece and the o ring in the center together. It is coming from the outside edges by the 6 mil bolts

Don't use the cam tunnel 'O' ring with a 1 piece headgasket.
Fill the groove with RTV and slice it flush with the head once it's cured overnight.
The MLS gaskets don't like being re-used as they rely on distortion and the very thin coating of sealant they have.
Once used and flattened they are very likely to leak.
You may be able to re-use it by spraying it with Loctite 3020 which easily copes with the 30psi of boost i'm pushing through my turbo motor but it's a 50/50 chance of working.
I have to say that those MLS gaskets need a very flat and clean fresh surface to seal against and are not as forgiving of imperfections and pitting as the fibre ones are.

menace wrote: West I used the multi steel one piece and the o ring in the center together. It is coming from the outside edges by the 6 mil bolts

Are there O rings there as well?
Steve

Double check for correct MLS gasket!!!! I got one from Wiseco and they had them all packaged wrong. For my J engine they sent an early KZ gasket (part number as per catalog) . The big difference was the sealing ridge around the chain tunnel overlapped the o-ring groove, instead of going around it. Would have caused a major leak at the rear-center if I remember correctly.

I sent a pic to Wiseco, they realized the mistake, and I was hoping they corrected it. I shied away from MLS and went OEM because squish would have been too tight.

No o-rings required with MLS, and the decks have to be much smoother than needed for a composite gasket. Some say 30 Ra (Roughness Average).

Saw this happen on a Honda 2.4L several years back. Sent the head out to be machined straight, new gasket, and it came back with slight coolant consumption. Pulled the head and you could see where the machining grooves in the head deck cut into the sealant coating on the MLS gasket.

thanks for the input guys. i used stock orings on the bottom of the cylinders. i used the wiesco base gasket and the oring for the cam chain galley and the mls gasket. i have a stock head gasket but its only for stock size bore. i herd i could use that without trouble if i wanted but i would still need to re order the center oring. i have the new mls head gasket on the way should be all put together by mid next week. so i will fill the center with rtv let it dry then install the head. im going to use black rtv. please let me know what you guys think of my plan, thanks guys
dustin

Is the MLS gasket one piece? If so that would do it. I use the copper silicon. It's stickier than the others.
Steve

menace wrote: thanks for the input guys. i used stock orings on the bottom of the cylinders. i used the wiesco base gasket and the oring for the cam chain galley and the mls gasket. i have a stock head gasket but its only for stock size bore. i herd i could use that without trouble if i wanted but i would still need to re order the center oring. i have the new mls head gasket on the way should be all put together by mid next week. so i will fill the center with rtv let it dry then install the head. im going to use black rtv. please let me know what you guys think of my plan, thanks guys
dustin

Now I'm really confused. You said you used the the MLS gasket and the stock head gasket. Which is it?

First time I used the base wiesco gasket stock o-rings on the base of the cylinders . On the top of the cylinders I used the peanut o ring and MLS gasket. The second run I did the same setup as the first but used some high tack spray on the second MLS gasket . I have a stock head gasket laying around that I could use but I would have to buy a new peanut o-ring gasket for the center so I am not going to use stock. I reordered a third MLS gasket which I will be using mid week. I will put rtv in the center of the cylinders where the peanut o-ring usually sits then let it dry then install a new MLS gasket. I too am really confused since I never wrote that I used the stock head gasket only stock o rings. The four o-rings on the bottom of each cylinder sleeve & the upper peanut o-ring. Thanks a whole bunch I'll let you guys know how it goes.

OK. With the MLS gasket, using the o-ring, RTV, or spray glue probably won't help. The o-ring has to contact the head deck to provide a seal (Same goes for RTV in the groove). With the MLS gasket installed the o-ring is contacting the bottom of the gasket, not the head.

The "ridge" on an MLS gasket is the thin outdented line on top and bottom of the gasket that surrounds the chain galley. This is where the sealing actually takes place. Be sure the ridge does not overlap the o-ring groove at any point. It must be outside the groove (deck contact top and bottom).

If the MLS gasket is correct, I'd be looking for the true cause of the leak (rough deck, warpage, crack, bottomed out dowels, etc). The head and block deck should be smooth enough to give a dull shine with no machining lines or any other imperfections.

I filled the tunnel with rtv the best I could. It's not completely flush. I would think with the MLS gasket no rtv and no o-ring would do the trick but you guys know way more than I. I hope this is right????