Replacement head gasket sets OEM or Aftermarket

[mnabholz]

Which head gasket kit should I use? Genuine LR or one of the dozen other aftermarket kits...and why? BTW, I'll be replacing the valve stem seals and all of the upper engine gaskets.

I already asked this question inside of another post but didn't get any helpful info. I noticed while looking throught the archives that most people seem to get their parts from AB who do not stock genuine oem gaskets for the Disco II. So, this must mean everyone ordering kits through AB are using the aftermarket "composite" gasket kits they sell. This is reassuring but I have had bad luck w/ cheap gaskets in the past not fitting ect. I even emailed AB to ask which kit they would recommend but they never even bothered to answer me!

I just don't want to do all this work and have a problem down the road because i went with a $100 gasket kit...but at the same time it's tough to justify spending the $330+ for an OEM kit if it's not any better, (or even worse) quality.

Thanks, Mike

[Disco Mike]

A.B. offers a complet kit for around $160 plus the new bolts and I can't say I have heard anyone have a problem with them, that is what I used a year or so ago on mine.

[listerdiesel]

FWIW:

When doing a rebuild, or just changing gaskets, most people over here in the UK get better results with what we call 'composite' head gaskets rather than the steel type sold by Land Rover.

They are slightly thicker than original so there's a slight compression ration loss, but if you are having a head skim, that balances up a little.

We used composites when we did our rebuild in July, have covered just over 10000 miles now with no issues at all.

I think that the steel ones seem to have trouble sealing where there was a gasket mark before, possibly why they are not as successful as the composite types.

Also, take a lot of care over the head tightening sequence and values, and get the inlet manifold nipped up to the two heads before you pull the heads down, there is enough slack in the head dowels to allow the heads to skew in relation to the inlet manifold. No need to fully tighten the inlet manifold, just tight enough so the heads are aligned correctly before being pulled down.

Reading back on the rebuild thread, we used four bolts, one at each end of the heads and the old valley gasket in place. The newer valley gaskets are black and coated with a sealer, OEM are plain bright metal.

Peter

[mnabholz]

Thanks for the info.! Based on the advice from the board and much deliberation I plan to go with the aftermarket gaskets. Plus, I figure you would hear a lot of talk about the aftermarket kits if they were causing people any problems.

I have also been thinking about bolting up the lower intake before I torque the head bolts to get the heads in perfect alignment. I noticed that most of my lower intake bolts had rust on the threads probably from the old gasket allowing coolant to leak around them...which also means coolant may have been leaking into the intake passages. I think bolting it first could help eliminate this problem.

Thanks again,
Mike

[armandjones82]

Changing Gaskets for your vehicle, like the Lower Set Gasket or the Head Gasket Set, must be a very difficult thing to do in order to chose for. I'd prefer if there are good OEM parts that you have searched upon, go for it. But Aftermarket parts are not that bad either, provided that the brand is very reputable and can withstand the test of time. Better yet, research more for the best part that will compensate performance, financial and feeling wise for your needs.

[Bosbefok]

Originally Posted by mnabholz

I have also been thinking about bolting up the lower intake before I torque the head bolts to get the heads in perfect alignment.

I think that is a bad idea, you are going to be shifting the heads around on top of the new gaskets before the heads have been torqued down, this could damage the gaskets. Rather take 1 or 2 old short head bolts, cut the bolt head off and then cut a slot for a flat screw driver. Screw the bolt(s) into the lower corner holes before fitting the gasket and head, then use these to align the head. Fit your new bolts and then remove the alignment pins you created.

[PTSchram]

I've got headsets for the DII with upper plenum gasket for $205 plus shipping.

In stock!

[Tim the Enchanter]

News flash! For all those with more money than brains.

Land Rover does not make gaskets. They outsource gaskets from a gasket manufacturer who makes them to Land Rover specs. Land Rover probably uses Elring as do many European car makers. The so called "aftermarket" gaskets may well be BETTER quality than what Land Rover used. OEM gaskets are often built to what the manufacturer of the car specifies, and not what would be best according the the gasket maker. The OEM gaskets may also be built to meet a price point.

Think about it, if you are going to replace a gasket because it leaked why pay top dollar for the very same gasket? The original one leaked, wouldn't you be looking for something better or at least cheaper if there is a possibility the new one will eventually leak too?

Example: Land Rover uses Champion spark plugs as OEM, plugs that aren't even in the Champion catalog for general distribution. These are built to Land Rover spec by Champion, under bid contract most likely. So what do you do, use what the Champion catalog lists or go get raped by the dealer for comparable plugs in a spendy box?