RE: [Chrysler300] Gasket sets

["Laurence G. Johnson" <laurence_g_johnson@xxxx>]

Dave,
Never used ROL products so I can't comment. This reply is more directed to 
your question about steel shim-vs-composite head gaskets. The comparison is 
not a matter of "good"-vs-"bad" but more a question of application.

First, steel shims are .024in compressed thickness while composites are 
.038in to .042in compressed thickness. The thick gaskets will drop the 
compression ration about a point.

Steel shim gaskets require straight, flat block deck and cylinder head 
surfaces or else they leak water or compression. These surfaces need to be 
.0015in or better when checked using straight edge and feeler gages. 
Composite gaskets are much more forgiving with regard to flatness.

The thicker gaskets will raise the cylinder head installed position. This 
caused the intake manifold to set lower than intended sometimes leading to 
port and bolt hole alignment problems. Bolt holes in the manifold can be 
filed oblong to allow the capscrews to go in without interference.

In summary, if you have freshly surfaced block and heads and good quality 
fuel in your area (94 octane) use the steel shims. If you have old crooked 
decks and bad gas, use the composites.

Regards,
Larry Johnson


> From: "Dave Agnew" <Fnnutz@xxxx>
> To: "Chrysler 300 Listserver" <Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Chrysler300] Gasket sets
> Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 14:26:48 +1300
> Group,
> I have a Fel-Pro engine teardown kit for MoPar BB engines, 
> FS7891PT11 which I have had to rat for various bits for a 413.
> Looking on e-Bay, I see full sets of ROL gaskets being offered by a vendor 
> with thousands of positive feedbacks, and no negatives.
> These ROL sets interchange with the same Fel-pro numbers, plus, the vendor 
> throws in a valley pan gasket.
> He asks about $46 for the whole set, which seems like extraordinarily good 
> value to me.
> Anyone have any experience of ROL ?
> Also, what is better? Steel shim head gaslets.........or composite? Or, 
> is there nothing in it?
> Thanks in advance folks.
> Dave in New Zealand.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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