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[Derek_in_Penzance]

Hello guys,

What brand(s) of head gasket set are recommended for an X30XE head job? I know that Victor Reinz are one of the best, and I believe original equipment, but what thoughts does anybody have about Payen, Ajusa, Glaser etc? What is recommended and what is best avoided?
I'm sure this must have been discussed in past threads but I can't find any.

Many thanks for any advice. 

[Nick W]

I used Elring on mine. They were still good when I sold the cars several years later.


I would have no problems with Payen or Reinz, although I tend not to worry about brands.


So why did I choose the Elring head set? Easy, it was £12.50 off Ebay


Don't forget to buy a new set of head bolts.

[biggriffin]

I used Elring on mine. They were still good when I sold the cars several years later.


I would have no problems with Payen or Reinz, although I tend not to worry about brands.


So why did I choose the Elring head set? Easy, it was £12.50 off Ebay


Don't forget to buy a new set of head bolts.

 I just reused the old ones.

[Derek_in_Penzance]

Thanks for the advice. I think with alloy heads new head bolts are a must. I have reused old ones on my own cars with no issues that I'm aware of but it's a bit risky.

[456lbft]

Thanks for the advice. I think with alloy heads new head bolts are a must. I have reused old ones on my own cars with no issues that I'm aware of but it's a bit risky.

I believe if they are stretch bolts, which are usually torque + angle set, they should be replaced with new ones.

[Nick W]

Thanks for the advice. I think with alloy heads new head bolts are a must. I have reused old ones on my own cars with no issues that I'm aware of but it's a bit risky.

It's not the head material, but that of the bolts which are torque to yield. I recently made some parts out of used Rover K-series bolts I hadn't thrown away, and on measuring found that a 20mm length above the threads was nearly 1mm smaller diameter than the rest of the bolt. New ones are the same diameter along their entire length. I've always been dubious about reusing them, now I wouldn't even consider it. Bolts are the cheap part of the job anyway.

[Derek_in_Penzance]

Agreed.  When I reused old bolts it was on a cast-iron head on a six-cylinder CIH Monza engine. Tough as nails with head bolts the size of treetrunks. Not ideal, but no repercussions. On the X30XE job I am doing now I will use new bolts and would not consider anything else.  As for the gaskets, I asked because I have seen that some brands of gasket can be rather poor quality. Thanks for the advice.