mls headgasket. do they really work?

Hi. I posted a thread quite a while ago regarding my k series engine overheating.
Had a lot of problems. Anyway. It all started with the head gasket blowing so replaced it. But that never really cured the problem approx after 60 miles it stated overheating. Replace everything including radiator. Eventually stripped it all down again to find, what looks like the water has been going between the layers of the gasket into the cylinder. Before anybody says it. Cylinder head is fine. It had uprated bolts and were all torx up correctly. My question is do they really work. The idea of a gasket is that it is made up from woven material so this doesn't happen. Surley with layers it has the potential and in this case has go through the layers. Therefore its done 50k less than the original gasket.

Yes..

And No!

It is better than the original, but is only part of the solution to a poorly designed engine & cooling system.
If fitted with the new rail, the remote thermostat and other cooling mods (ewp and coolant level sensor for example) then there is a significant reduction in HGF, but it is still a distinct possibility.

they get to an age , then they start to de laminate, one i replaced was like a sheet of bubblewrap filled with coolant

Some people swear by using the original single layer steel and polymer gasket.
The MLS was designed to even out any flaws in the seal between head and block.
I changed my gasket for an MLS with steel dowels (mine were plaggy) i didn't fit the new oil rail, but i did fit new bolts. 5k on and it's(touchwood) running fine.
I do,however, check the coolant daily and keep an eye/ear out for any probs.
I haven't, although i will do, fit the remote stat.
All you can do is your best.

Still cheap motoring if you know how to repair it yourself.

I replaced the bolts with the mls. I'm tempted to try a good old single layer gasket again. It will prob go but the last one lasted me 50k and the mls lasted 60 miles. You can see on the cylinder head the water marks where it has gone through the layers of mls.

mart5001 said:

I replaced the bolts with the mls. I'm tempted to try a good old single layer gasket again. It will prob go but the last one lasted me 50k and the mls lasted 60 miles. You can see on the cylinder head the water marks where it has gone through the layers of mls.

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Got a brand new steel/polymer gasket, it was spare from the set i used when i did the head on mine.
you come and collect you can have it

Hoyt-Protec said:

Got a brand new steel/polymer gasket, it was spare from the set i used when i did the head on mine.
you come and collect you can have it

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Thanks. Where are u based?

mart5001 said:

Thanks. Where are u based?

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Sheffield
Not far from your way into Sheff on the Ladybower road.

In the Elise world the view is that liner height is critical to the sealing of the gasket. K series is viewed as reliable in lotus use if the head gasket is fixed properly.

The engine isnt the problem.

The problem is running it in Freelanders.

The strain put on it added to the poorly designed cooling system really doesnt help. The engines are great in a Rover

Its saving grace is its so easy to work on, headgaskets can be changed in an hour.

i've ever met with this.

emwmarine said:

In the Elise world the view is that liner height is critical to the sealing of the gasket. K series is viewed as reliable in lotus use if the head gasket is fixed properly.

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Nice light car - less "twist" stress on the block. The K-Series was designed to be a small capacity engine fitted to city cars, not a 1.8 fitted to 4x4s and executive saloons. The "K" gets a lot of stick but the outstanding thermal efficiency means it lives on, the Chinese have given up trying to build something better and have released yet another hacked about k-series called something else - it's a brilliant engine used in the wrong applications.

mart5001 said:

I replaced the bolts with the mls. I'm tempted to try a good old single layer gasket again. It will prob go but the last one lasted me 50k and the mls lasted 60 miles.

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Sounds like you done something wrong. I have fitted loads of MLS HG's and never had an issue