Is a Metal Headgasket Required for Boost?, Is it worth switching? Options

[WALKER]

Just out of curiousity, I am planning on boosting the 5S and am wondering if it is worth opening up the engine just to change the head gasket to a metal one? I mean isn't there some benefit to keeping the engine sealed up? Is it worth just leaving it until it fails (if it does)?

Any idea under what pressure the non-metal head gasket would fail? I have tried searching for information on the topic of keeping the non metal gasket, but everywhere I read just says to put in a metal head gasket when going with a turbo.

Just looking for some feedback.
Thanks.

This post has been edited by WALKER: May 2, 2007 - 1:04 PM

[urbandork]

when i had my 5sfte set up i had my stock head gasket on and it was fine untill it got weak and blew out between the 3 and 4 cylinders.... then i changed it to a metal one. at the time my engine had something like 170 miles on it with a mild rebuild (crank gave way before the turbo and thus was changed via a warranty company, all they did was pull the crank from the bottom or so it appear when i took the head off)

btw i was running around 12 psi at the time.