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

[playr158]

if ur HG goes boom
your car will overheat...symptoms arn't always the same depends on the size of the leak. compression between the cylinders drops, excessive overheating = cracked cylinders

and lagos you keep trying to bring in weak point, trade off, blah blah....not the subject

plain and simple
is it worth changing out for a metal one? yes


This post has been edited by playr158: May 2, 2007 - 5:30 PM

[alltracman78]

if ur HG goes boom
your car will overheat...symptoms arn't always the same depends on the size of the leak. compression between the cylinders drops, excessive overheating = cracked cylinders

and lagos you keep trying to bring in weak point, trade off, blah blah....not the subject

plain and simple
is it worth changing out for a metal one? yes

I'll start by saying a MHG is stronger than a regular one.

BUT, there are reasons why you shouldn't change it right now.

Consider this

90% of the time an engine is sealed best from the factory, and pulling something to change a gasket that isn't leaking can lead to other problems [and the new gasket leaking].

For your engine [5SFE] if you do blow the HG and you do overheat [blowing the HG does NOT always cause overheating, though normally it does, it depends where it leaks to], it's very unlikely that you will crack or break anything [other than possibly warping the head].
Unless you do something such as keep running it hard.

Removing the head can cause it to warp [not likely unless you remove the bolts in the wrong order].

The regular HG should hold up fine for a while under low boost [6 PSI?] assuming you have detonation under control.

A MHG is more sensitive to variations in the sealing surface than regular ones. It doesn't conform as well to the surface. If it doesn't conform, it doesn't seal as well.

If it was my engine, I probably wouldn't replace it right now, I'd wait for a rebuild or it to blow.

If you don't replace it now, plan to have it blow at any time, and have the parts ready if it's your only car.

I'm not in any way telling you that MHG are bad, or that you shouldn't put one in your engine.
It's definitely not a bad idea.
I'm trying to inform you so you can make your own educated decision.