Best Brand Head gaskets -Which? Why?

[EarlT]

4cyl / 5S-FE Camry engine


Best Brand Head gaskets -Which? Why?

What Type - Metal, Graphite, Special?

What Brand Head gasket did you Buy?
Which Brand would you Not buy?

Why?

[SoulTaker]

Fel-Pro

[LynchburgCSI]

OEM Toyota. Why? OEM is OEM. I hear good things about Fel-Pro too. I believe I actually had a fel-pro installed on my old 5s-fe.

[JohnGD]

Fel-Pro . In many cases you'll get the OEM gasket in there, whether it's head gaskets, exhaust flange gaskets, etc etc. In other cases they're improvements over OEM.

Fel-Pro is a one-stop source I like to use for all gaskets.

The type of head gasket will also depend on the block/cylinder head surface finishes. For bi-metal engines (iron block/alum head), I'd go for Multi-Layer Steel (MLS) if the surface is prepped for it.

Originally Posted by EarlT

4cyl / 5S-FE Camry engine


Best Brand Head gaskets -Which? Why?

What Type - Metal, Graphite, Special?

What Brand Head gasket did you Buy?
Which Brand would you Not buy?

Why?

[91MR2quickNA]

Factory 3-layer MLS gasket (2000+; direct fit for all Gen2 5SFEs)

11115-74120

It's best to have the block and head surface areas cleaned and even resurfaced. The gasket itself has some heat activated adhesive that bonds to the surfaces and the gasket. This makes it extremely reliable if the mating surfaces are clean.

[projektvertx]

I've read around this forum that the OEM head gasket is one of your best options (many have said it is worth the premium )

[Fortified Souls]

So where would you get a graphite gasket at for a 2000 camry?

[EarlT]

head gasket - Surface Prep

The type of head gasket
will also depend on the block/cylinder head surface finishes.

For bi-metal engines (iron block/alum head),
I'd go for Multi-Layer Steel (MLS)
if the surface is prepped for it.

How to Do Surface Prep?

[donhuynh]

anybody know about ISHINO head gasket set. is it the one toyota use? i plan to rebuild my 5s 99 camry but the fel pro say the valve stem seals are premiun so i dont know should i replaced them

[JohnGD]

If your Camry is Gen4 4-cyl then the surfaces are already prepped at the factor for MLS head gaskets. These typically need a near-mirror-smooth finish like 15-30 RA (a machine shop will know).

If you have a Gen3 then both the block and head will need to go to a machine shop. Some V6 owners were said to use newer MLS instead of those stinking graphite-composite ones that leak.

No, it's not something you can do at home with a sander.

Originally Posted by EarlT

How to Do Surface Prep?

[JohnGD]

I see them on eBay all the time. However, don't know if they're even OEM. Can't even find their website. Who knows, might be a small aftermarket company using a Japanese name to impress.

I'd just go Fel-Pro or your local Toyota parts counter.

How long ago was the stem seals done. If you are taking things apart it's actually a good time to change them. Do the valve clearances too. It's like when you do a timing belt change the oil seals and pump, even if they're still good.

Originally Posted by donhuynh

anybody know about ISHINO head gasket set. is it the one toyota use? i plan to rebuild my 5s 99 camry but the fel pro say the valve stem seals are premiun so i dont know should i replaced them

[JohnGD]

Ok, I found an extinct company that used to be called "Ishino Gasket Manufacturing Company, LTD". It was taken over by Freudenberg-NOK in 2003, so that company no longer exists.

The only brand of Ishino left is in North America, called Ishino Gasket N.A.

http://www.freudenberg-nok.com/brands/ishino.htm

It may be that OEM is Ishino, but I'll let Fel-Pro or Toyota parts counter make that call.

[donhuynh]

Thank you JohnGD, i will go with fel pro for my 99 5s engine. i just pulled it off from junk yard yesterday, i disassembled it, everything look good. holpully after rebuild and install, it does not make a nocking noise anymore

[JohnGD]

If knocking is beacuse of bearings then there is a good chance you may need to machine the block. But if it's a 99 then it's already prepped for MLS head gasket. As long as there is no coolant corrosion/erosion of the surfaces and they are flat within spec then you should be fine. MLS needs a near perfect surface compared to composite.

I'd get some Plastigage from parts stores and measure the main bearing and rod bearing oil clearances using existing components first.

How's cylinder bore taper and out of round? Any ring ridges? Just curious.

In case you need it, I'd use a AERA Engine Rebuilders Assoc member shop instead of just any corner machine shop. Even some AERA members are duds, but see if there is a shop participating in (award winning) racing near you:

http://www.aera.org/member.aspx

Originally Posted by donhuynh

Thank you JohnGD, i will go with fel pro for my 99 5s engine. i just pulled it off from junk yard yesterday, i disassembled it, everything look good. holpully after rebuild and install, it does not make a nocking noise anymore

[RichieRichJP]

Did you mean Fail-Pro?