composite head gasket

Dr. Greg Johnson

7 October 2022 at 19:04 #58363

I am going to be installing a new Wessex downdraft cylinder head on my 2L block.  Does anybody have experience with the composite head gasket offered by the club spares scheme?  If  you have installed a composite head gasket  are you happy with the results or would you suggest using the traditional copper head gasket in this specific application?

 

Any additional advise in the downdraft cylinder head installation process is solicited and genuinely welcomed.

Hugo Miller

8 October 2022 at 00:00 #58365

I used a traditional copper gasket on my Wessex head. Bizarrely, I have water weeping out of the rear inlet port in the block. Seems to run just fine though. Or it did until the magneto gave up the ghost.

Dr. Greg Johnson

9 October 2022 at 00:33 #58370

Thank you Hugo…  Sorry about the mag

D C W Humphreys

9 October 2022 at 19:56 #58374

For info, if you put “Wessex Head” into the forum search engine it should highlight some posts on the subject… an example below.

2L engine problem

I think however that you are the first to ask about the composite head gasket, it would be interesting if someone using one is able to comment ? I can only assume that “no news is good news” !

 

 

 

D C W Humphreys

9 October 2022 at 20:05 #58375

….. interestingly if you put “composite head gasket” into the search engine it does bring up some more info albeit related to the M45.

T Wadsworth

10 October 2022 at 21:33 #58425

I have had a Wessex head for over 20 years (in fact the first one produced) and always used a copper gasket.  I see no reason to use a composite gasket because it’s a downdraft head. That said I have no experience of a composite gasket good or bad.