Head Gasket

[TonySo]

Just wondering what's the role of the head gasket in an engine? and what you get out of by upgrading it (apart from performance obviously)?

[dsp26]

- Somewhat dictates CR (compression ratio)
- factory ones are softer... designed to blow to relieve cylinder pressure as opposed to your block cracking/blowing
- solid aftermarket ones that are made of copper/steel obviously don't blow as easily. used for high boost or high CR NA applications where severe cylidner pressures will blow the standard gasket

***EDIT***
if your doing anything high performance as per the latter statement, you have to get stronger head bolts anyway.....

[dsp26]

um... okay. what you mention about sealing IS a gaskets primary function. it seals the combustion chamber, coolant and oil paths.

if you do not know that thinner/thicker head gaskets change CR then you don't know how an internal combustion engine works. why do you think head gaskets fail during detonation or in a worse case scenario blow the block?

if your comparing comparing car engines to motorbike engines... then um... thats a fault on its own.

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/us/us80222.htm and read on how it actually works.